Returbo offers three different exchange flows for creating orders with exchange items.

The right flow for you depends on:

Where your main inventory is managed (Shopify or external system)
Whether you use a WMS (Warehouse Management System)
Other integrations connected to Shopify

The three exchange flows are:

Create a New Exchange Order
Create a Draft Order
Update the Original Order

See link below for demo of the different Exchange flows:

Demo Exchange flows - three different flows

Create a New Exchange Order

How it works

When this flow is enabled:

A new order is automatically created as soon as the return shipping label is generated.
The new order:
- Contains the exchange item(s)
- Has a 100% discount
- Has a total value of 0 SEK
- Is tagged with "Exchange"
- Includes a note:
  "Exchange for order #XXXX"

Before approval

Until the exchange is received and approved in Returbo:

The new order will have the tag:
"Not_ready_for_exchange"

Once the request is approved and marked as Resolved:

The order tag changes to:
"Ready_for_exchange"

This ensures that only approved exchanges are fulfilled.

If items are rejected

If some items are rejected → Returbo automatically removes those items from the exchange order.
If all items are rejected → The entire exchange order is automatically deleted.

When should you use this flow?

This flow is best for merchants who:

Use a WMS (Warehouse Management System) such as:
- Ongoing
- NYCE
- Other external inventory systems
Have inventory that is controlled outside of Shopify
Have integrations that overwrite Shopify inventory (e.g., Fortnox)

❗ Important (WMS Users)

If you are using a WMS or warehouse integration:

Ask your WMS provider to create a filter so they only process orders with the tag:

"Ready_for_exchange"

This ensures that:

Only approved exchange orders are fulfilled
Orders tagged "Not_ready_for_exchange" are ignored

Create a Draft Order

How it works

When this flow is enabled:

Returbo creates a draft order as soon as the return shipping label is generated.
The draft order:
- Reserves the item in Shopify inventory
- Includes the note:
  "Exchange for order #XXXX"

When the exchange is approved

Once the exchange is approved in Pending Approval and moved to Resolved:

The draft order is automatically converted into a new order
The new order:
- Has a 100% discount
- Has a total value of 0 SEK
- Has the tag "Exchange"
- Keeps the note:
  "Exchange for order #XXXX"

If items are rejected

If some items are rejected → They are removed from the draft order.
If all items are rejected → The draft order is automatically deleted.

When should you use this flow?

This flow is best for merchants who:

Have their main inventory in Shopify and use Shopify as the controlling inventory system
Do NOT use a WMS that overwrites Shopify inventory

❗Important

Do not manually:

Edit the draft order
Delete the draft order
Convert the draft order into a real order yourself

If you manually convert the draft order:

Returbo will not be able to convert it
This will cause system errors

Always let Returbo handle the draft order automatically.

Update the Original Order

How it works

With this flow:

Returbo adds the exchange product directly to the original order.
The exchange item:
- Is added at its full value (no 100% discount).

Once the exchange is approved in Pending Approval and moved to Resolved:
- The original returned item is removed from the order.
- The new item is in the original order and needs to be fulfilled.

This means the original order is modified instead of creating a new order.

When should you use this flow?

This is a newer flow built using Shopify GraphQL.

It is suitable if:

You do not use external systems that depend on Shopify's REST API
Your integrations fully support Shopify GraphQL order updates

❗ Important Limitations

If you use integrations such as:

Klaviyo
Ongoing
Other systems using Shopify REST API

You should not use this flow.

Some integrations still rely on Shopify’s REST API and:

Cannot detect order changes made via GraphQL
May not recognize added or removed items
Can cause sync issues

How to Choose the Right Flow

Your Setup	Recommended Flow
WMS or external inventory system	Create a New Exchange Order
Shopify controls inventory	Create a Draft Order
No REST-based integrations & simple setup	Update Original Order