Choose a return or exchange workflow
Begin with the sale and the intended result. A return record, a stock receipt, a refund, a replacement item and a credit voucher can be separate outcomes.
Identify the task
| Task | Guide to use |
|---|---|
| Return items against a known order | Original-order return |
| Exchange an ordered item for a replacement | Original-order exchange |
| Handle returned/replacement lines through the till | Till return/exchange |
| Cancel an order and check what happens to its stock | Cancellation checks |
| Return money for an existing order | Review the payment and refund route |
| Investigate what already happened | Find existing records |
When the request is to cancel an order
Start with the cancellation guide and check whether goods have already been dispatched. Choose the stock outcome based on where the goods actually are and whether they are saleable. If money also needs to be returned, review the original payment and the refund guide separately. Cancelling an order is not evidence that a provider refund has completed; creating a return record is not a substitute for checking the order’s cancellation status.
When the customer does not have a paper receipt
- First check whether you can identify the original sale using the available order reference and order lookup. No paper receipt does not establish that the sale record is missing.
- If you find the original order, review its exact product/options, quantity and existing returns or refunds before following the original-order return or original-order exchange guide.
- If the original sale cannot be identified, follow your shop’s decision and evidence requirements for a return without a receipt. Confirm whether a refund, credit voucher or exchange is intended before entering any till lines.
- Where your shop uses the till return/exchange process, keep returned negative-quantity lines separate from replacement positive-quantity lines and check the final balance case. The payment choices shown do not decide whether the customer’s request should be accepted.
- Keep the item/option, quantity, reason, available sale evidence and the intended settlement together with the resulting record reference. Check existing outcomes before repeating anything.
For example, a customer may have lost a printed receipt while the original order can still be located. That is a different starting point from a return where the sale cannot be identified. A straightforward return and an exchange for another size also have different basket and settlement checks.
Before proceeding
- Identify the original sale where available, its product/options, quantities, discounts and payment method.
- Check existing returns, exchanges and refunds so that you do not repeat an earlier outcome.
- Decide whether the goods are physically being returned and whether they should be saleable stock.
- Confirm the intended replacement, money refund, voucher credit or balance to collect under your shop’s process.
- Check which workflow your shop uses for till/outlet and X/Z reporting before creating the record.
Example: faulty item versus changed size
A faulty item may need a different stock decision from a saleable item exchanged for another size. Record the actual reason and item, and review the replacement’s identity and price. A refund method does not by itself decide whether goods go back into stock.
Keep payment evidence separate
A record labelled manual refund is not evidence that a card provider transferred money. Check the actual cash/provider outcome. If a prior card attempt is uncertain, resolve it using the payment-review process before sending another.
