Return policy template for online stores and services
A return policy template for small online stores and service businesses: make 8 decisions, paste a ready policy, add a short summary and date every version, so your AI agent and your team answer from the same text. Word, Excel and a filled example. Not legal advice.
Made by Anatolii Ulitovskyi 
Fact-checked by RH Fardin Updated 1. Decide the basics: window, condition, shipping, refund
Decide firstA return policy template is only as good as the decisions behind it. Make these four first, write each as one plain sentence and note your choice in the Excel decision sheet.
1.1Return window: how many days, counted from when
DecideThe number of days, and whether they count from the order date or from delivery. Delivery is clearer for shipped orders.
Common choices14, 30 or 60 days.
Law to checkEU: 14 days to cancel an online purchase, counted from delivery1. UK: the same2. California: if you give less than a full refund or an equal exchange for 7 days, you must display your policy3.
Policy lineYou can return most items within 30 days of delivery.
1.2Item condition: what can come back
DecideUnused only, or tried once? Tags on? Original packaging? Proof of purchase?
Common choicesUnused and complete; tried once for machines; tags on for clothing.
Law to checkEU: customers may handle goods to check them, as in a shop. You may charge only for loss of value from handling beyond that1.
Policy lineItems must be unused, complete and in the original packaging. Include your order number.
1.3Return shipping: who pays
DecideTwo cases: a change of mind, and your mistake (damaged, faulty or wrong). For your mistake, you always pay.
Common choicesChange of mind: a free label, a flat fee such as $8.95 taken off the refund, or the customer ships.
Law to checkEU1 and UK4: the customer pays the direct cost of returning only if you told them before the purchase.
Policy lineChange of mind: you pay return shipping. Damaged, faulty or wrong: we pay.
1.4Refund method and timing
DecideWhere the money goes, and how many business days after receiving the item you issue it. Promise that day, not the day the bank shows it.
FactsStripe sends refunds only to the original payment method, and a card refund shows about 5 to 10 business days after it is issued. Stripe does not return its fees from the original payment5.
Law to checkEU1 and UK6: refund within 14 days by the same means of payment; you may wait until the goods are back or the customer shows proof of sending. UK: no fee for the refund.
Policy lineWe refund to your original payment method within 5 business days of receiving the item. Card refunds usually show 5 to 10 business days later, depending on your bank.
2. Exchanges, store credit, final sale and damaged items
The customer meets these rules after paying, so show them before the purchase: on the product page and at checkout.
2.1Exchanges and store credit
DecideSwap size, color or model inside the window? Store credit as the customer's choice or the only option? Does it expire?
Common choicesSame window, new item shipped free; store credit by choice, no expiry date.
Law to checkUS: when an order you could not ship on time is canceled, you must refund it. The FTC says you cannot give store credit, vouchers or scrip instead7.
Policy linePrefer another size or color? We exchange it within the same 30 days. Store credit is your choice and does not expire.
2.2Final-sale items
DecideList the exact items, mark each one 'Final sale' on the product page and at checkout, and say that final sale never covers damaged, faulty or wrong items.
Common choicesCustom or cut items, gift cards, perishables, unsealed hygiene items, downloads.
Law to checkCalifornia: the posting rule does not apply to goods marked 'all sales final' or 'as is', customized goods received as ordered, perishables and some others3. EU: exceptions include goods made to the customer's specifications, goods that spoil fast and sealed hygiene goods unsealed after delivery1.
Policy lineFabric cut to length, gift cards and opened needles and pins are final sale, unless they arrive damaged, faulty or wrong.
2.3Damaged, faulty or wrong items
DecideHow to report (one photo), how soon, and what you offer: replacement, repair or refund.
Common choicesA photo within 14 days of delivery; replacement or full refund.
Law to checkYour rules sit on top of the customer's legal rights, never instead of them. Say so in the policy.
Policy lineArrived damaged, faulty or wrong? Tell us within 14 days of delivery and send one photo. We replace it or refund it in full, and we pay return shipping.
2.4Late or missing orders
DecideYour shipping time, and what the customer can do when you miss it.
Common choicesShip within 2 business days; if late, a new date or a full refund.
Law to checkUS FTC rule: ship within the time you state, or within 30 days if you state none. If you cannot, get consent to the delay or cancel, and refund a canceled order within 7 working days for most payments7.
Policy lineWe ship within 2 business days. If we cannot ship by the date we gave you, we email you a new date and the choice to cancel for a full refund.
3. Return policy template for an online store
Copy thisReplace every bracket with your choices from tabs 1 and 2, and keep the version line at the top: the AI agent, the team and the customer all quote it.
Title and versionStore name return and refund policy
Version 3, in force from 1 September 2026. It applies to orders placed on or after this date. Orders placed earlier follow the version in force on their order date, unless this version is better for you.
This policy does not limit your legal rights.
1. ReturnsYou can return most items within 30 days of delivery. Items must be unused, complete and in the original packaging. To start a return, email us or use the returns page with your order number. We reply within 1 business day with the return address and a prepaid label.
2. Return shippingChange of mind: you pay return shipping, or we deduct $8.95 for our prepaid label. Damaged, faulty or wrong items: we pay return shipping.
3. RefundsWe refund to your original payment method within 5 business days of receiving the item. Card refunds usually show 5 to 10 business days later, depending on your bank. We refund the item price; original shipping only when the whole order comes back because of our mistake.
4. Exchanges and store creditPrefer another size or color? We exchange it within the same 30 days and ship the new item free. Store credit is your choice and does not expire.
5. Final saleFabric cut to length, gift cards and opened needles and pins cannot be returned. They are marked 'Final sale' on the product page and at checkout. Final sale does not apply to items that arrive damaged, faulty or wrong.
6. Damaged, faulty or wrong itemsTell us within 14 days of delivery and send one photo of the problem. We replace the item or refund it in full, and we pay return shipping. For low-value items, you keep the item. After 14 days, contact us anyway: warranty terms.
7. Late ordersWe ship within 2 business days. If we cannot ship by the date we gave you, we email you a new date and the choice to cancel. If you cancel, we refund you in full within 7 working days.
8. EU and UK customersOnly if you sell there. You can also cancel your order within 14 days of delivery without giving a reason. Tell us by email address or with the withdrawal button on our website. Send the items back within 14 days of telling us. We refund all payments, including standard delivery, by the same payment method within 14 days of your cancellation; we may wait until we receive the items or your proof of sending. You pay the direct cost of return shipping.
9. QuestionsChat with us at website, email address or call phone, opening hours. Earlier versions of this policy: link.
Section 8Only for consumers in the EU1 or UK2; check it with a lawyer. From 19 June 2026, EU rules also require online sellers to offer a withdrawal function labeled 'withdraw from contract here' or similar8.
4. Refund policy sample for services and bookings
For classes, appointments, repairs and projects: what holds a booking, the notice for a free cancellation and what a no-show costs. The FTC mail order rule covers goods, not services7.
Title and versionBusiness name cancellation and refund policy for classes, appointments or projects
Version 3, in force from 1 September 2026. It applies to bookings made on or after this date. This policy does not limit your legal rights.
1. Booking and depositTo book, you pay a deposit of $25 or the full price. The rest is due on the day. The deposit holds your place.
2. Cancel or moveCancel or move at least 48 hours before the start: we refund your deposit in full or move you to another date, your choice. Less than 48 hours before: we keep the deposit, or move you once at no cost.
3. No-showsIf you do not come and do not tell us, we keep the deposit. We wait 15 minutes after the start before we count a no-show.
4. If we cancelIf we cancel or change the date, you choose: a full refund within 5 business days, or a new date.
5. Packages and prepaid sessionsIf you stop early, we refund the sessions you have not used, at the package price per session.
6. Not satisfiedTell us within 7 days. We first offer to redo or fix the part that was not right at no cost. If we cannot, we refund that part.
7. QuestionsCall phone or email address, opening hours. Earlier versions of this policy: link.
EU and UK online bookingsEU1 and UK2: a customer who books a service online can cancel within 14 days of booking. In the EU, if they asked you to start sooner, they pay for what you provided; the right ends once the service is fully provided with their consent; and leisure, catering or accommodation services booked for a specific date are excepted1.
5. Short customer summary for checkout, email and booking
Put a short version next to the Buy button, in the order email and on the booking page; in chat, use the saved reply in tab 7. Each one names the version and links to the full policy.
Checkout and product pageReturns: 30 days from delivery, unused and in the original packaging.
Refund to your original payment method within 5 business days of receiving it.
Change of mind: you pay return shipping. Damaged, faulty or wrong: we pay, tell us within 14 days.
Final sale: fabric cut to length, gift cards, opened needles and pins.
Full policy, version 3 of 1 September 2026: link
Order confirmation emailChanged your mind? You can return unused items within 30 days of delivery. Reply to this email with your order number to start. Our return policy, version 3 of 1 September 2026: link
Booking pageFree cancellation or move up to 48 hours before. Later cancellations and no-shows keep the $25 deposit. Full policy, version 3: link
CaliforniaA posted policy must say whether you give a cash refund, store credit or an exchange, the time period, which goods it covers and any other conditions3. The checkout summary above covers all four.
6. Version and date control: one policy, one change log
Never skipA return request is judged by the policy in force on the order date, so every version needs a number and a date, and old versions stay. The refund email templates log it as 'policy version' in their intake.
Five rules
- Number and date every versionVersion 1, 2, 3, with the in-force date in the first line of every copy.
- Keep every old versionIn the Versions sheet and on a linked page. Never edit a published version: write a new one.
- Apply the order-date versionUse the version in force on the order date (for services, the booking date). If a newer version is better for the customer, use the newer one.
- Change everywhere the same dayPolicy page, checkout, final-sale labels, order email, packing slip, the AI agent's knowledge base and the saved replies. Then run the 6 tests in tab 7.
- Review once a yearAnd whenever you change products, prices, payment provider or the countries you sell to.
Change log (filled example)
| Version | In force from | What changed | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
| v1 | 1 April 2025 | First written policy: 14 days from the order date | Ruth Ellison, owner |
| v2 | 1 March 2026 | 30 days from delivery; classes need 48 hours' notice | Ruth Ellison, owner |
| v3 | 1 September 2026 | Fabric cut to length is final sale; $8.95 label for change of mind | Ruth Ellison, owner |
Keep the old version liveFor 60 days after a change, keep the previous version in the knowledge base under a heading such as 'Version 2: orders placed before 1 September 2026'. Returns of older orders still arrive.
7. AI agent and team: one text, the same answer
Paste the dated policy into your AI agent's knowledge base and these rules into its instructions. The team answers from the same text with one saved reply.
Instructions for the AI agentReturn and refund questions:
1. Answer only from the return policy in your knowledge base. Never add a rule, a fee or an exception.
2. Ask for the order number and the order date. Use the version in force on that date and name it: 'Under our return policy version 3 of 1 September 2026...'
3. Answer in this order: window, condition, who pays return shipping, how and when the refund comes.
4. Never approve a return, a refund or an exception, and never promise the day the money arrives.
5. Hand the chat to a person when the item arrived damaged, faulty or wrong; the request is outside the window or about a final-sale item; the customer mentions a chargeback, a lawyer or a legal right; or the policy does not answer the question.
6. Before handing over, tell the customer what you passed on and that a person replies within 2 hours in opening hours.
Test before go-live: 6 questions
| Customer asks | A correct answer |
|---|---|
| Can I return this after 6 weeks? | Outside the 30-day window; hands over to a person |
| Who pays for the return? | Change of mind: the customer; damaged or wrong: the store |
| When do I get my money? | Within 5 business days of receiving the item; no bank date |
| The fabric you cut is the wrong color. | Final sale unless damaged or wrong; asks for a photo, hands over |
| I ordered before your policy changed. | Names the version for that order date |
| I'll just call my bank. | Does not argue; hands over to a person |
Team saved reply /returnsHi first name, our return policy, version 3 of 1 September 2026: unused items can come back within 30 days of delivery, and we refund to your original payment method within 5 business days of receiving them. For order order number, placed on order date, version version applies: the one rule that answers the question. Full policy: link
Same textAfter every policy change, run the 6 tests again. Log every exception the team approves in the Returns log.
For small sales and support teams
Answer every return question from one dated policy.
Paste the policy into the bot's Knowledge Base. The AI agent answers return questions from it around the clock, names the version and hands damaged items and exceptions to a person in Live Support. Refunds stay in your payment provider or store platform.
- AI agent answers from your Knowledge Base 24/7, on the Free plan
- Human handover to Live Support and the unified inbox on Launch
- Launch, $19 a month billed yearly for 8 users; saved replies on Growth, $49
Free plan: 3 users, AI chat and a basic knowledge base, no credit card.
Filled example
Return and refund policy sample, from chat to refund
A fictional sewing shop in Sacramento, California, sells machines and fabric online and runs classes. This return policy template example shows the AI agent answering from version 2 for an order placed before a policy change, the handover of a damaged machine and the record it leaves.
Version 2 of 1 March 2026: the clauses that applied
| Window | 30 days from delivery: delivered 2 Sep, so until 2 Oct |
| Condition | Unused or tried, complete; fabric unwashed |
| Return shipping | Change of mind: customer. Damaged, faulty or wrong: store label |
| Refund | Original payment method, within 5 business days of receiving it |
| Final sale | Gift cards, opened needles and pins. Cut fabric only from v3 |
Returns log: two rows, Saturday 12 September
| Item | Window check | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Model T200 sewing machine, $329.00 | Damaged: day 10 of 14, in window | Refund, store label |
| Washed linen, Rust, 3 yards cut, $48.00 | Return: day 10 of 30, in window | Refund, same box |
Completion check and CRM record
| Item | Recorded | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Version quoted | AI agent: v2, matches the order date | Done |
| Handover | Live Support, claimed by Nora at 10:36 | Done |
| Return arrived | Thursday 17 Sep, both items | Done |
| Refund issued | $377.00 on Friday 18 Sep, card ending 4417 | Done |
| Notes and tag | Order, version and items in Notes; tag Return | Done |
Why it matters
Why your return policy template needs a date
A return policy is mostly your choice, but some rules are fixed by law. In California, a store that does not give a full cash or credit refund or an equal exchange for at least 7 days after purchase must display its policy. If it does not, the customer can return the goods within 30 days of purchase for the purchase price3.
In the EU, a customer who buys online can cancel within 14 days of delivery, and if you never told them about that right, the period runs 12 months longer1. From 19 June 2026, EU countries also require a withdrawal function on the seller's website8.
The date matters as much as the rules. A request is judged by the version in force on the order date, and a customer who hears one rule from the AI agent and another from the team stops trusting both. This template puts one version number and one date on every copy.
7 days
California: give less, and the policy must be posted
14 days
EU and UK: cancel an online purchase, no reason needed
12 months
EU: added to the 14 days when the customer was not told
What not to write
Refund policy template mistakes that start disputes
Four lines that look harmless in a policy and cost time at the return desk.
'Refunds at our discretion'
It tells the customer nothing they can check. In California, a posted policy must state the refund, credit or exchange, the time period, the goods covered and the conditions3.
Credit instead of a required refund
When an order you could not ship on time is canceled, the FTC rule requires a refund. Store credit, vouchers or scrip do not count7.
Final sale only in the policy
If the customer learns about final sale only when returning a cut or custom item, expect a dispute. Mark it on the product page and at checkout.
Two answers to one question
The AI agent improvises, or a saved reply still quotes the old version. One text in the knowledge base and the saved replies, updated the same day, fixes both.
Not legal advice. Laws differ by state and country; check the official sources below.
The law in plain words
What the law says about return and refund policies
Not legal advice. The official rules this template is built around, read at the source. Check the rules where you and your customers are.
| Official rule | What it requires | Put in your policy |
|---|---|---|
| US, all states: FTC Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule | Ship in the time you state, or within 30 days if you state none. If you cannot, get consent to the delay or cancel, and refund a canceled order within 7 working days for most payments, with no store credit instead. Goods only, not services7. | Your shipping time and the late-order section |
| California: Civil Code section 1723 | Less than a full cash or credit refund or an equal exchange for 7 days: display the policy with the refund type, the time period, the goods covered and the conditions. Not displayed: the customer can return within 30 days of purchase3. | The checkout summary and final-sale labels |
| EU: Directive 2011/83/EU | 14 days to cancel an online purchase, from delivery for goods and from the contract for services. Refund all payments, including standard delivery, within 14 days by the same means of payment; you may wait for the goods or proof of sending1. Withdrawal function from 19 June 20268. | The EU and UK section, return costs, the final-sale list |
| UK: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 | 14 days from delivery for goods, from the contract for services2. Refund within 14 days of getting the goods back or proof of sending, by the same payment method, with no fee6. The customer pays the direct return cost only if told before4. | The same EU and UK section |
Other US states and countries have their own rules, and rules change. Write that your policy does not limit the customer's legal rights.
Excel sheets
What is in the Excel decision sheet and returns log
Five sheets: Policy decisions, Returns log with 10 sample rows, Versions, Summary and Lists. Shaded columns fill in by themselves. Works in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets.
| Column | What it does |
|---|---|
| Policy decisions: clause, what to decide, common choices, law to check | 15 clauses from tabs 1, 2 and 4, with the example store's choices. |
| Your choice, policy line, decided by, decided on | Your decision and the sentence it becomes. |
| Status, ready to publish, next review by Auto | Decided or Open per clause; Yes when all are decided; the in-force date plus 12 months, then Review due. |
| Returns log: request date, order, type, order date, delivered or class date | One row per return, cancellation or exception. |
| Policy version, window, days used, in window Auto | The version in force on the order or booking date, its window for that type of request, Yes or No. |
| Exception Auto | Yes when outside the window, a final-sale item or a no-show: the policy owner decides. |
| Answered by, version quoted | The AI agent or the team, and the version they named. |
| Version match Auto | No means fix the knowledge base or the saved reply. |
| Decision, approved by, amount paid, refund amount, closed | From your payment provider or store platform. |
| Status Auto | Open, Owner to decide, Decided or Closed. |
The Summary sheet counts requests inside the policy, exceptions approved and declined, wrong versions quoted and the amount refunded, by type, version and decision. In the sample log, 6 of 10 requests were inside the policy, 1 answer quoted the wrong version and $432.05 was refunded.
How to use
How to write a return policy with this template
- 1
Decide each clause
Fill the Policy decisions sheet, one choice per clause.
- 2
Write the policy
Copy tab 3 or tab 4, replace the brackets, add the version and date.
- 3
Check the law
Read the law table for where you sell; ask a lawyer when in doubt.
- 4
Publish everywhere
Policy page, checkout, product pages, order email and the AI agent, the same day.
- 5
Log and review
Log every exception and review the policy once a year.
Set it up in CRMsoftware.pro
- My Bots > choose the bot > Basics tab: paste the dated policy into Knowledge Base, with the previous version below it and the order dates it covers. Import from Website also works if the policy is on your site.
- In Instructions, paste the rules from tab 7. Save Bot, then Try Bot with the 6 test questions.
- Damaged items and exceptions arrive in Live Support as Awaiting agent. Claim the chat, decide, and write the order, version and decision in Notes on the contact.
- Settings > Conversation Tags > New tag: 'Return', to count return chats.
- On Growth: Settings > Saved Replies > New reply, Shortcut /returns, Title 'Return policy', Reply body from tab 7, Share with team.
AI chat and the basic knowledge base: Free, 3 users. Human handover and the unified inbox: Launch, $19 a month billed yearly for 8 users. Saved replies: Growth, $49 a month billed yearly for 20 users. The app does not issue refunds: do that in your payment provider or store platform.
Yearly policy review, 30 minutes
- Version, date and owner on every copy: page, checkout, emails, knowledge base, saved replies.
- An exception approved 3 times becomes a clause.
- The law table still matches the official sources and where you sell.
- The 6 AI agent tests pass after every change.
FAQ
Questions about return and refund policies
What should a return policy include?
The return window and when it starts, item condition, who pays return shipping, how and when you refund, exchanges and store credit, final-sale items, damaged or wrong items, and a version and date. In California, a posted policy must say whether you give a cash refund, store credit or an exchange, the time period, the goods covered and other conditions3.
How do I write a return policy?
Decide each clause first, then write one plain sentence per decision, add how to start a return and a contact, and put a version number and an in-force date at the top. Publish the same text on your policy page, at checkout and in your AI agent's knowledge base.
Is there a free return policy template I can copy?
Yes. Tab 3 is a complete return policy template for an online store, tab 4 a services version and tab 5 a short summary, all in the Word file.
What is a typical return policy?
There is no single standard. A common shape: a set number of days from delivery, items unused and in the original packaging, a refund to the original payment method and a short final-sale list. In the EU1 and UK2, the law already gives online customers 14 days to cancel.
Do I have to give refunds by law in the US?
In some cases. The FTC rule requires a refund when you cannot ship an order on time and it is canceled: within 7 working days for most payments7. California requires stores that give less than a full refund or exchange for 7 days to display their policy3. Check your state's rules; this is not legal advice.
What is a refund policy sample for services?
Tab 4 is one: a deposit, the notice for a free cancellation or move, what a late cancellation or no-show costs, what happens if you cancel, prepaid sessions and what you do if the customer is not satisfied. The FTC mail order rule does not cover services7.
Can I give store credit instead of a refund?
For change-of-mind returns you can, if the policy says so before the purchase. When an order you could not ship on time is canceled, the FTC rule requires a refund, not credit7. In the EU1 and UK6, a cancellation within 14 days is refunded by the same means of payment.
Can the AI agent answer return questions from my policy?
Yes. In CRMsoftware.pro, paste the dated policy into the bot's Knowledge Base (Free plan) and the rules from tab 7 into Instructions. The agent answers from that text, names the version and hands damaged items and exceptions to a person in Live Support (Launch, $19 a month billed yearly). It does not issue refunds.
Related templates
Free tools
Sources
- EU right of withdrawal, refunds, return costs and exceptions (Articles 9, 10, 13, 14 and 16), read 12 October 2026: EUR-Lex, Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights
- UK cancellation period (latest revised version), read 12 October 2026: legislation.gov.uk, The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, regulation 30
- California posting rule (added by Stats. 1990, ch. 422), text read 12 October 2026: California Legislative Information, Civil Code section 1723
- UK cost of returning goods, read 12 October 2026: legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 35
- Refund destinations, card refund timing and fees, read 12 October 2026: Stripe Docs, Refund and cancel payments
- UK refund deadline, payment method and fees, read 12 October 2026: legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 34
- US rule for orders that cannot ship on time (guide of September 2011, page updated July 2025), read 12 October 2026: Federal Trade Commission, Business Guide to the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule
- EU withdrawal function for contracts made online (Article 11a, applied from 19 June 2026), read 12 October 2026: EUR-Lex, Directive (EU) 2023/2673
- Plans and prices: CRMsoftware.pro pricing
Publish one dated return policy, and answer from it every time.
Start free with 3 users, AI chat and a basic knowledge base. Launch, $19 a month billed yearly, adds human handover and the unified inbox. Growth, $49 a month billed yearly for 20 users, adds saved replies and auto-translation in the inbox.