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What is a return form?

A return form is a sheet a customer fills in to send an item back to a shop. It lists the order, the items, why they are returned and whether the customer wants a refund, an exchange or store credit. Put one in the package or hand it over at the counter.

How to make a return form in 3 steps

1. 1

   Add your shop and return address

   Your shop name, logo and contact, and the address returns should go to. Add your return policy if you want it on the form.

2. 2

   Choose blank or filled in

   Leave the order and items empty to print a stack of forms for every parcel, or fill them in for one order. Choose the reason codes and what the customer can ask for.

3. 3

   Print and pack it

   Print it or save a PDF, and put one in each parcel with the packing slip. When a return arrives, the form tells you who it is from and what they want.

What a return form should include

• Your shop’s name and how to reach you
• The address to send returns to
• The order number and date, and the customer’s name and contact
• Each item being returned, how many, and why
• Whether the customer wants a refund, an exchange or store credit
• Your return policy: the time limit, the condition items must be in, and who pays for return shipping

Writing your return policy

• Say how long customers have, counted from delivery or from purchase.
• Say what condition items must be in, for example unused and in the original packaging, and which items cannot be returned, such as personalised or perishable goods.
• Say who pays for return shipping, and whether you send a label.
• Say how and when you refund: to the original payment, as store credit, or as an exchange, and how many days it takes once the return arrives.
• Keep it short. The same words on your website, your listings and this form avoid arguments later.

Return policies and the law

Some places require shops to show their return policy. In California, for example, a retail seller whose policy does not give a full refund, credit or exchange for at least seven days after purchase must display that policy where customers see it, which can include its order forms (Civil Code § 1723). The law has exceptions, such as food, goods marked “as is” or “all sales final”, and customised goods.

Other states and countries have their own consumer rules, including for goods that turn out to be faulty. A return policy cannot take away rights the law gives your customers. Check the rules where you and your customers are.

Handling a return

Number your orders and ask for the order number on every return, so you can match the parcel to the sale.

When a parcel comes back, check the items against the form, note their condition, and fill in the “For office use” box if you turned it on.

Refund or exchange promptly, and tell the customer when it is done.

Selling on a marketplace

If you sell on a marketplace such as Etsy, eBay or Amazon, its own return rules and return labels come first. Use this form for the details it does not cover, and keep your policy in line with the marketplace’s.

Checked in October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Consumer laws differ from state to state and country to country.

• California Civil Code § 1723: displaying a return policy (California Legislature)