The exchange feature allows your customers to directly place an exchange order via the yayloh return flow, supporting Shopify and Centra platforms. This feature lets end customers choose a replacement product, initiate an exchange through the return form, and check product availability. Exchanges are limited to variants of the same product or products with identical prices.
Returns, claims and exchanges are distinct processes and returns cannot be converted into claims to place replacement orders or exchanges for another variant / product. If a return is mistakenly initiated for an exchange, alternative options like issuing store credit need to be explored or manual creation of the new order in your OMS.
In this article:
Note: Exchanges is an add-on feature. Contact the yayloh support team to enable exchanges for your store: support@yayloh.com.
1. Setting Up Exchanges
For Shopify:
Exchange orders can be automatically placed in Shopify with tags and notes referencing the original order.
For Centra:
Share a GraphQL token from your Centra admin to enable yayloh’s exchange functionality. All new exchange orders will be marked as internal orders to ensure accurate sales tracking.
2. Available Exchange Flows
Automated Validation
New exchange orders can be placed automatically at a trigger point of your choice:<created>,<in-transit>, or<inspected ok>.Manual Validation
You can review and approve exchange requests manually before placing new orders.
3. New Exchange Order Specifications
Payment Methods
Apply a 100% yayloh discount as the payment method.
Alternatively, mark the order as ‘Paid’ without a specific payment method.
Shipment Name
No shipment name.
Use the same shipment method as the original order.
Add a singular predefined shipment name.
Order Name Prefix
Define a prefix, e.g.,
ECH-1234, for easy identification.Use the default format if no prefix is defined.
4. Inventory Configurations
Stock Management
Decide whether yayloh should claim stock when a new exchange order is placed.Low Inventory Warning
Configure a threshold to display warnings when stock levels are low.Only fulfillment-enabled locations in shopify are considered for stock availability by default. If you need a different setup, please contact support@yayloh.com.
Inventory threshold: You can set an inventory threshold to hide low-stock items from exchange. This helps prevent overselling during peak periods
Note: For stores using Shopify as the master stock system, notify the yayloh team to adjust stock deduction settings accordingly.
5. Blocking Configurations
Country Restrictions
By default, all customers can request exchanges. Specify allowed countries if restrictions are needed.Order Price Restrictions
Block exchanges for free or previously exchanged items.
Prevent exchanges when the selling price is lower than the original price.
Manage Exchanges on discounted items
Customers can only exchange for a different size of the same product by default
Advanced rules allow you to block exchanges entirely for items with a selling price of zero or less than the original price
6. Refund on Exchange Orders
Refunds for exchange orders are processed against the original order, either manually or via automation, depending on your store’s settings. This process is reflected in your Shopify or Centra back office.
Note: Refund automation is an opt-in feature. Enable it in your platform under Settings > Exchanges.
7. Processing Exchanges in yayloh
yayloh allows you to process exchange requests either manually or automatically, ensuring flexibility based on your operational needs.
a. Manual Validation:
Review exchange requests in the “Open” tab of the yayloh dashboard.
Approve or reject requests based on stock availability and customer eligibility.
Once approved, yayloh generates a new order in Shopify or Centra, tagged and ready for fulfilment.
Mark requests as “Processed” after completing necessary steps like inspecting returned items.
b. Automatic Validation:
Exchange requests are auto-approved every 6 hours based on your preset criteria.
yayloh creates new orders automatically unless the product is out of stock, in which case manual intervention is required.
Processed requests are automatically tracked and synced with your Shopify or Centra back office.
8. Troubleshooting and Customer Scenarios
Practical Workarounds for Common Situations
Case 1: Customer wants to convert a return into an exchange for a new variant (with exchange flow enabled)
You cannot convert a return to an exchange directly through the backoffice. However, you can use the following alternatives:
Offer store credit: Issue store credit via yayloh so the customer can reorder the desired item.
Create an exchange order manually: The support team can place a new order in the OMS on behalf of the customer to send the replacement product. Make sure to include the required notes and tags so the order is properly tracked and accounted for, just like other exchange or replacement (claim) orders.
Case 2: Item is out of stock and the exchange cannot be approved
Wait for restock: Monitor incoming products to know when the item will be available.
Offer store credit or refund: Provide the customer with store credit or a refund so they can select a different item.
Shopify draft order flow configuration: If your exchange flow is set to Shopify draft orders only, you can edit the item while it’s in draft status to provide an alternative. In this scenario:
Reject the original request in yayloh.
Manually convert the draft order into a live order in Shopify.
Include the required notes and tags to ensure proper bookkeeping, consistent with other exchange or replacement (claim) orders.