Returns & Claims
Returns portal: QR labels and auto-disposition
A self-service returns experience for your customers, plus rules that decide what happens to each item the moment it lands on your dock.
A returns portal customers can actually use
Every order in ShipWave gets a public returns page at
/returns/[slug]. Share the link in your shipping confirmation, packing slip, or shipping confirmation email and customers can start a return without emailing you. They pick the items, the reason, optionally upload a photo, and submit. The request lands in Admin → Returns for review or auto-approval based on your rules. No login, no support ticket, no back-and-forth.USPS QR labels for customers without printers
Once a return is approved, ShipWave can issue a USPS Label Broker QR code instead of a PDF. The customer walks into any USPS retail location, shows the QR on their phone, and the clerk prints the label on the spot. Roughly 30% of consumers say they don't have a working printer at home—the QR option recovers those returns without you mailing a paper label. Toggle Allow QR labels at Admin → Settings → Returns.
Disposition rules: decide what happens on receive
When a returned package is checked in, ShipWave evaluates your disposition rules at Admin → Returns → Disposition Rules. A rule matches on condition grade, SKU, return reason, days since purchase, or product category, and routes the unit to one of four buckets: Restock (back into sellable inventory), Refurbish (open a refurb task), Liquidate (send to a liquidation channel), or Destroy (scrap and write off).
Condition grading at receive
The receive screen prompts the warehouse user to pick a condition grade (A: like-new, B: open box, C: visible wear, D: damaged) and snap a photo. That grade feeds the disposition engine. A typical rule: "If grade A and reason is `changed-mind` → restock. If grade C or D → liquidate." You can preview which rule will fire before you save the receive—no guessing.
Reporting and recovery rate
The returns dashboard reports your recovery rate (value restocked / value returned) by SKU and reason. If a SKU keeps coming back grade C, that's a packaging or product-quality signal worth acting on. See also replacement-gated returns for the stricter category where you're owed inventory after sending a free replacement.
FAQs
Do I have to use disposition rules?
No. If you don't configure any rules, all returns default to manual review. Rules are an opt-in efficiency layer—turn them on once you've seen enough returns to know your patterns.
Does the QR label cost more?
No. USPS charges the same commercial rate whether you issue a QR or a PDF. The customer just doesn't need a printer.
Can the customer change the disposition?
No. The customer's portal only handles request submission. Disposition is decided at receive by your warehouse team or your rules—not by the customer.
What if the return arrives without a label match?
Use the unmatched returns queue. ShipWave matches by tracking number, address, or RMA. Anything unmatched sits in <strong>Returns → Unmatched</strong> until you link it manually.
More in Returns & Claims
- Public claim filing portal for customers
A standalone page customers can use to file a lost-package or damaged-package claim, with photo upload and direct insurance follow-up.
- Auto-insurance rules: never ship a high-value order uninsured
Set a dollar threshold and ShipWave automatically adds EasyPost insurance to every label above it, so a single porch theft doesn't cost you the shipment.