Overview

Solidus includes a comprehensive returns system. This system includes logic for customer returns, refunds, and exchanges. The solidus_backend gem includes an admin interface for managing returns and exchanges.

The returns system is built with an automated returns process in mind, and it can be extended to take advantage of the way that your store manages shipments, return shipments, or a third-party warehouse.

We recommend that you create a sandbox store to get familiar with the returns system. Create multiple return authorizations (RMAs), customer returns, and experiment with various reimbursement types, return reasons, and so on.

Returns models

The following sections summarize the core models that make up Solidus's returns system.

Return items

The central model in Solidus's returns system is the Spree::ReturnItem. Many of the other models in the returns system require one or many return items.

Each Spree::ReturnItem tracks a lot of information about the return, and the objects have many attributes. For example, it tracks whether the item is resellable, whether the returned item has been received, and the total amount that should be refunded or applied to the customer's store credit.

For more information about return items, see the Return items article.

Return authorizations

A customer return starts with a return authorization. A store administrator creates a Spree::ReturnAuthorization (also called an RMA) for an order or part of an order.

The RMA can authorize the return of one item or many items on the order. Once the RMA is created, the Spree::ReturnItems on it can be included in a new customer return.

See the Return authorizations article for more information.

Customer returns

A Spree::CustomerReturn represents an item or a group of items that the customer is going to return to you.

Similar to a return authorization, a Spree::CustomerReturn can be associated with one or many Spree::ReturnItems from a single order.

Reimbursements

A Spree::Reimbursement represents your store's compensation to the customer who is returning items. Since each Spree::ReturnItem can be returned for a different reason, you may have multiple reimbursements for a single Spree::CustomerReturn.

See the Reimbursements article for more information.

Reimbursement types

Each Spree::ReturnItem is associated with a Spree::ReimbursementType. This allows you to offer many kinds of reimbursements, like store credit, refunds, and exchanges.