Exchanges

A swap is the best outcome you can get on a return. The customer still wants something from you, the money stays in the business, and you’ve turned a refund into a sale you get to keep.

Worth making easy.

The four kinds

Same product, different version. They ordered a medium, they want a large. Easiest case and the one that covers most returns.

The same thing again. Usually because the first one turned up broken, or they’re claiming on a warranty. You’re replacing, not swapping.

Something else entirely. They pick from a range you’ve decided on — specific products, collections, tags, or SKUs. Only appears if you’ve set it up and there’s something valid to choose from.

Send the replacement first. Rather than waiting for the old item to come back before posting the new one, the replacement goes out straight away. Better experience, more exposure for you — see the settings around instant exchanges before switching it on.

Why a size won’t show up

Customers get stuck here often. A version of a product gets hidden when:

• Swaps are switched off
• It’s out of stock, and you don’t allow swapping to out-of-stock items
• Its price breaks your pricing rules
• They’ve already hit the swap limit
• Nothing valid is left to swap to

The stock one accounts for most complaints. If the only size left is the one they’re sending back, there’s nothing to offer them.

When the prices don’t match

Once they’ve chosen, three things can happen:

• Same price — straight swap, nothing changes hands.
• Cheaper — they have credit left over.
• Dearer — they owe you the difference.

That leftover credit matters. If someone returns a £100 item and swaps for a £70 one, they’ve got £30 sitting there — and if you have Shop Now switched on, they’ll be invited to spend it before they finish. Which is generally how a £100 return becomes a £130 order.

No leftover credit means no Shop Now. If the swap used everything, or cost more than they returned, there’s nothing to spend.

How strict you want to be on price

You decide how much freedom people get:

• Straight swap only — same price, no arguments.
• Let them trade up or down — they pay the difference or keep the credit. Most flexible, and the one that makes you money.
• Cover it either way — the replacement is treated as covered regardless.
• Same price only — anything at a different price is hidden entirely.

You can base all of this on what they actually paid, or on your current listed price. Worth thinking about if you discount heavily: basing it on the paid price stops someone buying at 60% off and swapping for something at full price.

One order or two

Either the replacement gets attached to the original order, or a brand new order is created for it.

If it’s a new order, you also choose when it appears — as soon as the return comes in, once everything’s been reviewed, or once the return’s fully processed. Creating it early is better for the customer and riskier for you, since you’re committing stock before anything’s come back.

Questions people ask

My customer says they can't find their size. What's wrong?

Almost always stock. If the size they want isn’t available and you don’t allow swapping to out-of-stock items, it won’t appear. Check the pricing rules second, and the swap limit third.

Should I let people swap for something more expensive?

Yes. They pay the difference, so you end up with a bigger order than the one being returned. It is the single easiest upsell in returns.

What if they swap for something cheaper?

They keep the difference as credit. Turn Shop Now on and they’ll be prompted to spend it before they finish, rather than it going back to their card.

Should I send the replacement before I get the original back?

It depends what you sell. For low-value items where returns almost always arrive, it’s a great experience. For expensive things, or if you get a lot of returns that never turn up, wait.

Should exchange prices use what they paid or my current price?

What they paid, if you discount much. Otherwise someone who bought in a sale can swap for something at full price and you pay the difference.