Return Policy Template
The window, the condition required, and how the money comes back.
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In effect from October 14, 2026.
1. Changed your mind
You may return goods within [return window]. Condition required: [condition and exclusions]
2. If the goods are faulty or not as described
[what you do, at whose cost, and how fast]
3. How refunds are made
[method and timing]
4. Your legal rights
Nothing in this policy reduces the rights the law gives you as a buyer. Where the law gives you more than this policy does, the law applies.
What is a Refund and Returns Policy?
A refund and returns policy sets out the window for sending something back, the condition it has to be in, who pays the postage, and how the money comes back. It matters because without one every return is negotiated individually, staff make different promises, and in several places the failure to display a policy means a longer statutory default applies instead of the one you would have chosen.
Online sellers need one on the site and in the order confirmation. Physical retailers display one at the till and print it on the receipt. Subscription and digital businesses need one covering part-used periods and downloaded content. Marketplace sellers need one that is at least as generous as the platform's own rules. Business-to-business suppliers use one to set a restocking charge and to exclude made-to-order items. In every case it is doing two jobs at once: telling customers what to expect, and giving your own staff a rule they can apply consistently.
Much of this is mandatory and the requirements vary. Distance sales to consumers in the EU carry a withdrawal right under the Consumer Rights Directive, with the UK's own regulations extending the period where the required information is not given. Australian Consumer Law restricts blanket no-refunds statements. India's Consumer Protection e-commerce rules require the policy to be displayed. The United States has no general federal return right, but several states regulate how a policy must be posted and what happens if it is not. Marketplaces impose their own minimums. Check the rules for where your customers are, not where you are.
The policy does not override statutory rights. A customer with a faulty item is exercising a legal remedy, not using your returns policy, and your window and conditions do not limit that. It is not your terms and conditions as a whole, and it is not a warranty. It does not automatically apply to business customers unless you say so, since consumer protections generally do not extend to them. And it does not govern chargebacks, which run under the card scheme's rules and its timetable rather than yours.
What to put in a Refund and Returns Policy
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Business name | For example: Barton Supply Co. |
| Your address | For example: Unit 7, Barton Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Return window | For example: 14 days from delivery |
| Condition required | For example: Unused, in the original packaging, with the delivery note or invoice number. Cut-to-size… |
| If the goods are faulty | For example: Tell us within 48 hours of delivery. We collect at our cost and either replace or refund… |
| How refunds are made | For example: To the original payment method within 7 working days of the goods reaching us and passing… |
| Restocking charge optional | For example: 15% on returns not due to a fault, deducted from the refund |
How to write a Refund and Returns Policy
State the window and when it starts
Give a number of days and the event that starts the count — delivery, not order date, for anything shipped. Say whether they are calendar or working days. Where a statutory withdrawal period applies, your policy must run at least as long and start on the date the law specifies, which for some multi-item orders is the arrival of the final item. Say what the customer must do inside the window: notify, or return.
Define acceptable condition in plain terms
Describe what you will accept: unused, tags attached, original packaging, all accessories present. Then check that against the statutory position, because withdrawal rights in several regimes let a consumer handle goods enough to assess them, as they could in a shop, without losing the right to return. A policy demanding an unopened box may be unenforceable for those sales. Say plainly what makes an item non-returnable, such as hygiene seals broken.
Say who pays return postage in each case
Split it three ways and state each: faulty or wrongly sent items, where you pay; change of mind, where the customer usually pays unless you choose otherwise or the law says otherwise; and large or heavy items, where you should state how collection works and what it costs. Where consumers must bear return costs under a withdrawal right, several regimes require you to have told them so beforehand.
Say how and when the money comes back
Say the refund goes to the original payment method, give the number of days from receipt or from notification, and say whether the original outbound delivery charge is included. Statutory rules in some jurisdictions set both the deadline and how much of the delivery charge must be returned. State whether the refund is issued on receipt of the goods or on proof of return postage, and be consistent about it.
List the exclusions honestly and narrowly
Name the categories you will not take back and why: personalised or made-to-order items, perishables, opened hygiene products, digital content once downloaded, and anything unsealed where a seal exists for health reasons. Keep the list short and specific. A long exclusion list looks like an attempt to avoid returns altogether, and several of the common exclusions are only valid where the statutory conditions for them are met.
Common mistakes
- Publishing a blanket no refunds statement, which is unenforceable in several jurisdictions, can itself be a regulatory offence, and does nothing to limit a customer's statutory rights.
- Starting the return window at the order date rather than delivery, which quietly shortens the period below the statutory minimum for anything with a long lead time.
- Requiring goods to be unopened when the applicable withdrawal right allows the customer to inspect them, so the condition is unenforceable and every dispute is decided against you.
- Not stating the refund method and timeframe, which generates support tickets from every customer waiting for money and pushes some of them straight to a chargeback.
- Letting the published policy drift out of step with the packing slip, the marketplace listing and what staff actually say, so customers quote whichever version suits them and you cannot argue.
Frequently asked questions
How many days should my return policy be?
At least the statutory minimum for every market you sell into, which for consumer distance sales in the EU and UK is a defined withdrawal period, and longer if you want it as a selling point. Many retailers offer thirty days for change of mind on top of statutory rights. Check the current requirement for each market rather than applying one figure everywhere.
Can I have a no refund policy?
Not as a blanket statement in most consumer markets. Statutory rights for faulty or misdescribed goods exist independently of your policy and cannot be excluded, and in some jurisdictions displaying a no refunds sign is itself prohibited. You can decline change-of-mind returns in some contexts, and you can exclude specific categories such as personalised goods, but check the position where your customers are first.
Who pays for return shipping?
For faulty or wrongly supplied items, the seller normally bears the cost. For change of mind, it depends on your policy and on the applicable rules — in several regimes the consumer can be made to pay the return cost only if you told them so before the sale. Say which applies in each situation in the policy itself, and state it again in the returns instructions.
Do I have to accept returns on sale items?
Statutory rights for faulty goods apply to discounted items in the same way as to full-price ones, subject to any fault you disclosed at the point of sale and priced for. Change-of-mind returns on sale items are a commercial choice in many contexts, though distance selling withdrawal rights may still apply. If you exclude sale items from your voluntary policy, say so clearly on the product page.
How long do I have to issue a refund?
Several consumer regimes set a deadline running from when you receive the goods back or from when the customer tells you they are returning them, whichever the rule specifies, and some allow you to withhold payment until one of those events. Check the applicable period for your market, state it in your policy, and process refunds well inside it rather than at the limit.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.