To provide a customer a refund without them returning an item, the order must already be in the shipped status. Refunds cannot be provided to customers before the item has shipped.
Let's take a look at the steps for creating a refund without the consumer returning the product.
To initiate a refund, select the checkbox next to the item(s) which need to have a refund applied.
Now click on Actions, and you need to select the option "Return/Refund" from the drop-down.
A pop-window will appear, ‘Create Return, ’ wherein you need to select the Return Type from the drop-down options -
- Return
- Exchange
- Refund without Return
Now choose the appropriate radio button from the Refund Options –
Full Refund (On selection of this option, the Refund Amount that will auto-populate is Refund Product with Shipping Included)
- Don’t Refund Shipping (On selection of this option, the Refund Amount that will auto-populate is Refund Product with Shipping NOT Included)
- Custom Amount (On selection of Custom Amount, the refund amount is editable)
Once complete, select "Create RMA" to submit the refund to be processed back to the consumer's original payment method.
The customer will be sent instructions for how to return, and the status will be updated to ‘Credit Approved.
The next step is to process the refund; hence click on ‘Process RMA.’
A pop-window ‘By processing the return, you are acknowledging the return/refund is complete, and any products due to be returned to you have been received will appear on the screen. The customer will receive a refund in the amount specified. If the ‘Return To Stock’ option is enabled, your product inventory positions will be replenished. Now, click on the ‘Process RMA’ button at the bottom of the screen once again to submit the refund to be processed back to the consumer's original form of payment