# Return, Reship or Refund Calculator

Compare returns for refunds, exchanges, replacements, refunds without a return and partial refunds, with profit after resolution and a return-postage break-even point.
Loss means profit given up versus a normally completed order; a negative loss means higher profit. Normal profit = price − item cost − original shipping − original fees. Recovered inventory is valued at cost, not cash already received.
One item per order, amounts in USD. Calculated in your browser. Examples are editable assumptions, not industry averages.

https://storecalc.com/en/returns/

Among eligible options, Reship, no return costs least, saving $6.40 versus the next option, Return + exchange. Returned items can't be resold, so paying for a return only adds cost, unless you need the item back to check the fault.

## Compare five resolutions

| Resolution | profit given up vs. normal sale | Profit after resolution | Included in ranking? | When it fits |
|---|---:|---:|---|---|
| Return + refund | $38.40 | −$26.40 | Included | The customer wants a refund and the item is worth recovering for resale. |
| Return + exchange | $23.40 | −$11.40 | Included | The customer wants an exchange and the original item has recovery value. |
| Reship, no return | $17.00 | −$5.00 | Lowest cost among eligible options | The customer still needs the item; the original is not worth returning or is lost. |
| Refund, no return | $32.00 | −$20.00 | Included | The customer wants a refund and the item is not worth returning or cannot be returned. |
| Partial refund | $9.50 | $2.50 | Awaiting agreement; excluded | The customer agrees to keep the item for a negotiated refund. |

Cost comparison only. Exchanges and replacements assume the customer still wants the item; partial refunds require agreement. Sunk original costs are not deducted twice.

## How it works

- Let P be selling price, C unit landed/production cost, O original shipping, F original platform/payment fees and H the same extra handling labor for each resolution. Normal order profit B = P − C − O − F.
- R is seller-paid return postage (0 if customer-paid), S replacement shipping, s resalable share, r full-refund fee-credit share and p partial-refund share. Divide percentages by 100. Recovery V = C × s; credited fees A = F × r.
- Return + refund loss = P − A + R + H − V; return + exchange loss = C + S + R + H − V.
- Reship loss = C + S + H; refund without return loss = P − A + H; partial refund loss = p × (P − A) + H.
- Profit after resolution = B − loss. Original goods and shipping are already in B; only replacements add another unit cost and shipping. Exchanges assume a free replacement with no refund and no fee credit.
- Return + refund minus refund without return, and exchange minus reship, both equal R − V. Break-even return postage is C × s, assuming equal labor and a returnable item. Below it, recovery is cheaper; above it, no return is cheaper.
- Partial refunds assume proportional fee credits. If fixed fees, administration charges or caps change that, recalculate with the effective credit share for that partial refund. For combined fees, use their weighted credited share.
- One resolution for one item, with a replacement at the original unit cost and no further problems. Excludes repeat returns, ads, tax, chargebacks, storage, reimbursements, exchange price differences and revenue from a second sale. Customer-paid postage does not imply platform permission.

## Four worked examples
These are illustrative assumptions. Use the presets above to load them. Displayed amounts and ties are rounded to cents.

### Wrong size

Selling price (USD) 30; Landed or production cost per item (USD) 10; Original shipping (USD) 5; Return label cost (USD) 6.4; Replacement shipping (USD) 5; Original platform and payment fees (USD) 3; Handling labor (USD per order) 2; Resalable share of returned items (%) 80; Original fees credited on a full refund (%) 0; Partial refund (%) 25; Who pays return postage? Seller; Can the item be returned? Yes; Has the customer accepted a partial refund? Not yet, estimate only

| Resolution | profit given up vs. normal sale | Profit after resolution |
|---|---:|---:|
| Return + refund | $30.40 | −$18.40 |
| Return + exchange | $15.40 | −$3.40 |
| Reship, no return | $17.00 | −$5.00 |
| Refund, no return | $32.00 | −$20.00 |
| Partial refund | $9.50 | $2.50 |

Among eligible options, Return + exchange costs least, saving $1.60 versus the next option, Reship, no return. Break-even return postage is about $8.00; above it, refunding without a return costs less than return + refund.

### Print defect

Selling price (USD) 30; Landed or production cost per item (USD) 10; Original shipping (USD) 5; Return label cost (USD) 6.4; Replacement shipping (USD) 5; Original platform and payment fees (USD) 3; Handling labor (USD per order) 2; Resalable share of returned items (%) 0; Original fees credited on a full refund (%) 0; Partial refund (%) 25; Who pays return postage? Seller; Can the item be returned? Yes; Has the customer accepted a partial refund? Not yet, estimate only

| Resolution | profit given up vs. normal sale | Profit after resolution |
|---|---:|---:|
| Return + refund | $38.40 | −$26.40 |
| Return + exchange | $23.40 | −$11.40 |
| Reship, no return | $17.00 | −$5.00 |
| Refund, no return | $32.00 | −$20.00 |
| Partial refund | $9.50 | $2.50 |

Among eligible options, Reship, no return costs least, saving $6.40 versus the next option, Return + exchange. Returned items can't be resold, so paying for a return only adds cost, unless you need the item back to check the fault.

### Lost parcel

Selling price (USD) 30; Landed or production cost per item (USD) 10; Original shipping (USD) 5; Return label cost (USD) 6.4; Replacement shipping (USD) 5; Original platform and payment fees (USD) 3; Handling labor (USD per order) 2; Resalable share of returned items (%) 0; Original fees credited on a full refund (%) 0; Partial refund (%) 25; Who pays return postage? Seller; Can the item be returned? No (e.g. lost parcel); Has the customer accepted a partial refund? Not yet, estimate only

| Resolution | profit given up vs. normal sale | Profit after resolution |
|---|---:|---:|
| Return + refund | $38.40 | −$26.40 |
| Return + exchange | $23.40 | −$11.40 |
| Reship, no return | $17.00 | −$5.00 |
| Refund, no return | $32.00 | −$20.00 |
| Partial refund | $9.50 | $2.50 |

Among eligible options, Reship, no return costs least, saving $15.00 versus the next option, Refund, no return. The item cannot be returned, so return options are excluded. 

### Changed their mind

Selling price (USD) 30; Landed or production cost per item (USD) 10; Original shipping (USD) 5; Return label cost (USD) 6.4; Replacement shipping (USD) 5; Original platform and payment fees (USD) 3; Handling labor (USD per order) 2; Resalable share of returned items (%) 100; Original fees credited on a full refund (%) 100; Partial refund (%) 25; Who pays return postage? Customer; Can the item be returned? Yes; Has the customer accepted a partial refund? Yes, include in ranking

| Resolution | profit given up vs. normal sale | Profit after resolution |
|---|---:|---:|
| Return + refund | $19.00 | −$7.00 |
| Return + exchange | $7.00 | $5.00 |
| Reship, no return | $17.00 | −$5.00 |
| Refund, no return | $29.00 | −$17.00 |
| Partial refund | $8.75 | $3.25 |

Among eligible options, Return + exchange costs least, saving $1.75 versus the next option, Partial refund. Break-even return postage is about $10.00; above it, refunding without a return costs less than return + refund. The customer pays return postage, so the seller's return-postage cost is $0.00 here.

## Platform refund rules and sources

Checked: 2026-10-22
- Shopify Payments does not return the original credit-card processing fee on a refund. Use 0% for this fee only; other payment providers and fee types may differ. [Shopify Payments](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/payments/shopify-payments/payouts/refunds)
- Etsy credits transaction and processing fees when refunding through Shop Manager; listing-fee credit also requires cancellation. Include only verified eligible fees in the credited share. [Etsy refunds](https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002089188-How-to-Issue-a-Full-or-Partial-Refund-For-an-Order?segment=selling)
- Etsy Payments credits processing fees proportionally on refunds. Check other fees against the statement; this is not a universal platform rule. [Etsy Payments](https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115015628847-What-are-Payment-Processing-Fees-for-Selling-on-Etsy)

## Questions

### Why doesn't original shipping change the ranking?
It is already spent and shared by every option, so it is deducted in normal profit. Changing it changes profit after resolution, not the extra loss of each option.

### Can I value returned POD goods at selling price?
Not in this model. Recovery is unit cost times resalable share, without anticipating a second sale's margin. Set it to 0% for personalized, misprinted or defective stock with no resale value.

### Why isn't a cheap partial refund always ranked first?
It joins the ranking only after you select customer agreement; otherwise it is an estimate. A 0% refund returns no money and does not automatically resolve a complaint. If the customer wants a full refund, compare the two full-refund rows.

### Why are return amounts still shown for lost parcels?
All five remain visible for comparison, but the two return options are hypothetical and excluded when the item cannot be returned. Supplier reprints and carrier reimbursements are not assumed; account for them separately once confirmed.

### Is the fee-credit share the commission rate?
No. Enter actual original fees, then the share credited on a refund. If commission is credited but fixed fees are retained, use a weighted share. For unverified rules, including Amazon-specific fee credits, use official policy and your order statement.

### Should I always pick the cheapest option?
No. Ranked options assume platform rules and customer needs are met. Reviews, chargebacks and lost customers are not priced. Handling labor is the same for all options; add any method-specific difference to that method's loss separately.

## Have an AI assistant check it

Please check the cost of resolving this order using StoreCalc: https://storecalc.com/en/returns/. Amounts are USD; rules checked 2026-10-22.
Loss means profit given up versus a normally completed order; a negative loss means higher profit. Normal profit = price − item cost − original shipping − original fees. Recovered inventory is valued at cost, not cash already received.
Selling price (USD): 30
Landed or production cost per item (USD): 10
Original shipping (USD): 5
Return label cost (USD): 6.4
Replacement shipping (USD): 5
Original platform and payment fees (USD): 3
Handling labor (USD per order): 2
Resalable share of returned items (%): 0
Original fees credited on a full refund (%): 0
Partial refund (%): 25
Who pays return postage?: Seller
Can the item be returned?: Yes
Has the customer accepted a partial refund?: Not yet, estimate only
Return + refund: profit given up vs. normal sale $38.40; Profit after resolution −$26.40; Included
Return + exchange: profit given up vs. normal sale $23.40; Profit after resolution −$11.40; Included
Reship, no return: profit given up vs. normal sale $17.00; Profit after resolution −$5.00; Lowest cost among eligible options
Refund, no return: profit given up vs. normal sale $32.00; Profit after resolution −$20.00; Included
Partial refund: profit given up vs. normal sale $9.50; Profit after resolution $2.50; Awaiting agreement; excluded
Among eligible options, Reship, no return costs least, saving $6.40 versus the next option, Return + exchange. Returned items can't be resold, so paying for a return only adds cost, unless you need the item back to check the fault.
Check for double-counted costs, whether recovered stock can be resold, and actual customer agreement to a partial refund. Ads, tax, chargebacks, storage and supplier/carrier reimbursements are excluded. Lowest cost does not imply platform permission. Do not invent rates or promise reimbursement.
Shopify Payments: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/payments/shopify-payments/payouts/refunds
Etsy refunds: https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002089188-How-to-Issue-a-Full-or-Partial-Refund-For-an-Order?segment=selling
Etsy Payments: https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115015628847-What-are-Payment-Processing-Fees-for-Selling-on-Etsy

[Use cost $10.00 and price $30.00 to find break-even ROAS](../roas/?sp=30&lc=10&ff=5&cm=0&pp=0&pf=3&rr=0&rh=0&rs=lost)