Returns and gift cards – return policy, store credit

The Returns & gift cards module decides what a customer gets back when they return something: a Refund, Store credit, a Gift card or an Exchange. It adds return reasons, a return window and restocking fee, gift cards you can sell and accept as payment, and a Returned items report. Clothing and shoe stores, electronics shops, marts and gift shops use it most.

How to turn it on

1. 1Plan: Return settings, reasons and the Returned items report: every plan. Gift cards: your plan must include them.
2. 2Switch: Gift cards: Settings › Business Settings › Modules › Gift cards, then Update Settings. Return outcomes: Sell › Return settings › Use return outcomes.
3. 3Permission: Manage the return policy and reasons; Override the return policy; View the Returned items report; View gift cards; Sell / issue gift cards; Take gift cards as payment; Void and adjust gift cards, free cards. Returns themselves also need Access all sell return or Access own sell return.

Mobile app: Yes. The SmartPOS Business app has Gift cards and accepts gift cards and store credit as payment.

First-time setup

1. Open Sell › Return settings.
2. Tick Use return outcomes, then choose the Allowed outcomes: Refund, Store credit, Gift card, Exchange.
3. Pick the Default outcome and what happens When new items cost less than the return in an exchange.
4. Optional: limit Refund methods (empty = every payment method of the location).
5. Under Window, fee and expiry, set the Return window (days after the sale) (0 = no limit), Restocking fee (%), Gift card expiry (days) and Store credit expiry (days). Tick Charge the fee only on refunds, Reason required or Receipt required if you want them.
6. Choose Categories that cannot be returned and Products that cannot be returned (for example underwear or opened software).
7. Add your own Return reasons or keep the defaults (Wrong size, Damaged or faulty, Changed mind, Not as described, Wrong item). Click Save.
8. To use gift cards, switch on Gift cards in Settings › Business Settings › Modules and click Update Settings.
9. Give the permissions to the right roles in User Management › Roles (Returns section).

/returns/settings

Return settings apply to returns from Sell › Sell return, the POS, the mobile app and the API.

Everyday use: take a return

1. Find the sale and choose Sell return (from Sell › All sales or the POS recent sales).
2. Enter the quantity returned for each item and pick a Reason.
3. Under How does the customer get the value back? choose the outcome:
   • Refund: give the money back now with an allowed refund method.
   • Store credit: add the value to the customer’s balance (needs a named customer, not walk-in).
   • Gift card: issue a new gift card for the value, optionally e-mailed to the customer.
   • Exchange: the value becomes store credit; pick the new items in the POS and pay with Store credit.
   • Credit note only: keep the credit note open and refund later.
4. Check What happens and save. Stock goes back and the books are updated.

Full walkthrough: Returns and refunds.

Everyday use: gift cards

1. Open Sell › Gift cards and click Sell gift card.
2. Enter the Amount, Business Location and Payment method. Optionally pick a Customer, an e-mail under Send the gift card to (e-mail), an expiry date and a note. Tick Free card (promotion) for a promotional card with no payment.
3. Click Sell gift card. Print the card or e-mail it from the card’s page.
4. To redeem: at the POS payment, choose the gift card payment, enter or scan the Gift card code, click Check to see the balance and use part or all of it.
5. To check a balance, use Check balance on the Gift cards page. Managers can Adjust balance or Void a card.

/gift-cards/create

Selling a gift card records the payment and creates a card with its own code.

Gift card statuses: Active, Used, Expired, Void. Sources: Sold, Return, Exchange, Manual, Promotion. A gift card cannot be paid for with another gift card or store credit.

More on balances and customer credit: Gift cards and store credit.

The Returned items report

Reports › Returned items shows what was returned, by whom and how it was settled. Group it by Product, Processed by, Reason or Outcome, filter by date and location, and export to CSV, Excel or PDF.

/reports/returned-items

Totals per outcome show how much value went back as cash, credit or gift cards.

The customer page also gets a Store credit & gift cards tab with the customer’s store credit history and cards.

Permissions

Permission (Roles page, Returns section)	What it allows
Manage the return policy and reasons	Edit Return settings and return reasons
Override the return policy (window, exclusions, fee)	Accept a return outside the window, for an excluded item, or without the fee
View the Returned items report	Open Reports › Returned items
View gift cards	Open Sell › Gift cards and check balances
Sell / issue gift cards	Sell gift cards and issue them for returns
Take gift cards as payment	Accept a gift card at the POS or on a sale
Void and adjust gift cards, free cards	Void a card, adjust its balance, issue free promotional cards

In the SmartPOS Business app

The app lists gift cards with their status and balance, can scan a card code, and accepts Gift card and Store credit in Take payment, together with cash or card for the rest.

Gift cards and split payments in the SmartPOS Business app.

Related pages

Returns and refunds (how-to)

Gift cards and store credit

Customer credit limits and advances

Website orders and returns

All modules