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How to Use Automated RMA Processing
How to Use Automated RMA Processing

Learn how to activate Automated RMA Processing, key features of Automated Processing, and questions to ask before implementing.

Kaylie avatar
Written by Kaylie
Updated over a year ago

Overview:

Returns aren't time consuming anymore. Reclaim hours back in your day by automating all or a portion of your returns volume.

Automated RMA Processing allows you to automatically issue refunds, store credits, or push new exchange draft orders live based on specific statuses. For example, you can ensure a return is being mailed back to you by automatically processing the return only when the return status is "in-transit". Or have tighter control by automatically processing exchanges when the return status is "delivered" but only processing refunds when they've been inspected.


Automated RMA Processing is quite different from Automatic RMA Authorization. With Automatic Authorization, the shopper is given their packing slip and the shipping label or shipping instructions at the end of their return process on your Return Center. Whereas Automated Processing triggers the actual processing of a return.

How Automated RMA Processing Works:

Automated RMA Processing affects your Customer Service Team and your Warehouse Team differently.

How Does Automated Processing Affect My Customer Service Team:

  • Processing: Automated Processing only affects the Originate piece of actually issuing a refund/store credit or pushing a draft order live. When you enable Automated Processing, ReturnLogic will press the ‘process’ button in Originate when the status of the return moves to the set trigger status (i.e. ‘in-transit’, ‘delivered’, ‘received’, etc). This means your Customer Service team does not need to process the automated return types anymore.

  • Completing: ReturnLogic also completes the return as well, which sends out the RMA Completed Email to your shopper.

  • Authorizing: If manual authorization is enabled, your Customer Service Team will still need to authorize or reject your RMAs.

How Does Automated Processing Affect My Warehouse Service Team:

  • Acquiring: Automated Processing does not touch the Collector piece. You will still need to mark dispositions and acquire products in Collector if needed.

  • Restocking: You will still need to restock ready-for-resale inventory in Collector.

Key Features Explained:

Three key features to help optimize your workflows when using Automated Processing are: a Simplified Originate View, Flagging Returns, No Shipping/Customer Shipping Processing.

Simplified Originate View:

When you're automating your returns process with Automated RMA Processing, your Originate View will only show you returns that need your attention. But don't worry - if you need to find or view any return, there's a filter for that!


​When Will a Return Be Hidden From my Originate View?

  1. The return types are set to automatically process in your Automated RMA Processing Settings.

  2. The return has been authorized.

  3. The return has no processing errors.

What Can I Filter By?

  1. Include Archived RMAs - Will display both archived and non-archived RMA’s.

  2. Only Third Party Warranties - Will only display third party warranties.

  3. Only RMAs with Errors - Will only display RMAs with processing errors.

  4. Include Automated RMAs - Will displayed RMAs that are hidden as result of requiring no further action from the merchant.

  5. Only Flagged RMAs - Will only display RMAs that have been flagged.

Note: You can select multiple filters for multiple views. i.e. Only Third Party Warranties and Only RMAs with Errors will show you third party warranties with errors.

Flag a Return to Prevent Auto-Processing:

More automation is not always better. That's especially true with returns, since there is a good deal of business logic and exceptions involved. With our flagging feature, you'll be able to prevent returns fraud while still saving hours a week by flagging specific returns to not automatically process.

How to Flag a Return?

  1. Within Originate, select the "Actions" button.

  2. In the dropdown list, select "Flag Return"

If a return is flagged, any return types that may have been automatically processed will need to be processed by your customer service team, and the return will no longer be hidden from the originate home page.

No Shipping or Customer Shipping:

If a return doesn't require shipping or requires the shopper to purchase their own label and the return type is set to be automatically processed at either the "In-Transit" or "Delivered" Status, the return will not automatically process as it will never reach those statuses. These returns will be visible in the Originate home page and require you to process the RMA manually.

Trigger Statuses

For each return type, you can trigger automatic processing at the following steps:

  • Do Not Process Automatically - Return Type will not be automatically processed.

  • Upon Creation - Return Type will be automatically processed upon the creation of the RMA.

  • Authorized - Return Type will be automatically processed when the RMA is authorized.

  • In Transit - Return Type will be automatically processed when the package hits the "In Transit" status.

  • Delivered - Return Type will be automatically processed when the package hits the "Delivered" status.

  • Received - Return Type will be automatically processed when the items are marked as received (acquired) in Collector.

Note: If you are NOT using Collector, using the Received status to automatically process will not work. If you are NOT using shipping labels using the In Transit & Delivered statuses to automatically process will not work.

What Filtering Options Can I Enable?

You can add Additional Filtering to have a tighter control on what type of return scenarios will be automatically processed:

  1. Exclude from Processing (if discount was applied) - If you select this additional filtering for a return type, any RMA within the chosen return type with a discount applied, will NOT be automatically processed. Can apply to Refunds, Exchanges, Store Credit's, and Warranties

  2. Exclude from Processing (if return of exchange) - If you select this additional filtering for a return type, any RMA within the chosen return type that is a return of an exchange will NOT be automatically processed. Can apply to Exchanges, Store Credit's, and Warranties. Note: Refunds will never be automatically processed if it is a return of an exchange.

  3. Exclude from Processing (if Third Party Warranty) - If you select this additional filtering for the Warranty return type, any RMA within that return type that is a Third Party Warranty will NOT be automatically processed. Applies to Warranties.

  4. Only Automatically Process variant exchanges - If you select this additional filtering for the Exchange return type, ONLY RMAs within that return type that are a Variant Exchange will be automatically processed. Applies to Exchanges. Note: An exchange will be considered a variant exchange if one of the following conditions are met - You only have variant exchanges enabled, or all the products returned from an exchange match the products requested on the new exchange order.

  5. Set the lowest amount of inventory before being excluded for automated processing - If you select this additional filtering for a return type, any RMA within the chosen return type will NOT be automatically processed once the item/s has reached the chosen limit of inventory. Applies to Warranties and Exchanges.

How to Set Up Automated RMA Processing:

  1. Navigate to your Automatic RMA Processing Settings.

  2. Select the checkbox located next to "Enable Automatic RMA Processing" to enable this feature.

  3. Set which return types will be automatically processed and what the trigger statuses will be.

  4. Add any Additional Filtering.

  5. Select 'Save Draft' & 'Publish Settings' to push your changes live. This will only affect newly created returns. Existing returns will still need to be manually processed.

Note: Your Exchange Type policy will determine how the exchange is processed. Full exchanges will process as "Exchange Discount" while variant exchanges will process as "Even Exchange"

Questions to ask before implementing Automated RMA Processing:

  1. Do you add any additional fees and deductions on items that are returned damaged?

    1. If yes, be cautious as this is a manual step and will not be able to be done by the system when automatically processing the RMA.

  2. Are you using Shopify Plus or Shopify Standard?

    1. Due to a Shopify limitation, if you are using Shopify Standard, you will not be able to use Automated RMA Processing for Store Credit RMAs.

  3. Do you often have shoppers who return the wrong item or forget to include the item in the return?

    1. If yes, consider using the "Received" trigger so that your warehouse team can verify that the items were returned correctly before processing.

Note: If you would like to talk through implementing Automated RMA processing, please contact your Customer Success Manager.

We're here to help! Email us at support@returnlogic.com or use the live chat inside the platform with any questions or feedback.

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