Installing ReturnMate & Your Data
What happens when you install ReturnMate — Shopify permissions, webhooks, data access — and what happens to your data on uninstall.
This article explains what ReturnMate reads and writes in your Shopify store, and exactly what happens to your data if you uninstall.
Installing
- Install ReturnMate from the Shopify App Store (or via a direct install link from our team).
- Approve the requested permissions during Shopify's OAuth flow.
- Choose a plan — new installs are taken to Settings → Billing first (see Plans, Billing & Usage Limits).
- Complete the Setup Wizard.
Anyone with permission to install apps on your Shopify store can install ReturnMate. The first staff member to open the app becomes its Admin (see Users, Roles & Access).
Permissions ReturnMate requests
ReturnMate requests the following Shopify access scopes:
| Area | Scopes | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Orders | read_orders, read_all_orders, write_orders | Look up orders for returns; add refund and note updates |
| Returns | read_returns, write_returns | Work with Shopify's native return records |
| Products | read_products, write_products | Match SKUs, warranty policies and repair parts |
| Customers | read_customers | Match portal logins to order emails |
| Fulfilments | read_fulfillments, write_assigned_fulfillment_orders | Track outbound shipments and replacements |
| Locations & inventory | read_locations, read_inventory, write_inventory | Restock returned items at the right location |
| Draft orders | read_draft_orders, write_draft_orders | Send repair-quote invoices paid through Shopify |
| Gift cards & store credit | read_gift_cards, write_gift_cards, read_store_credit_accounts, write_store_credit_account_transactions | Issue store credit, gift cards and goodwill credits |
What ReturnMate reads
Order details (line items, prices, customer name/email/phone, addresses), product data, locations and fulfilment status — fetched on demand when an RMA is created or processed. ReturnMate does not bulk-copy your catalogue or customer base.
What ReturnMate writes
Refunds, store credit and gift cards (when you resolve an RMA), draft-order invoices (repair quotes), inventory adjustments (restocking), order notes/tags related to returns, and fulfilment updates for replacements.
Webhooks ReturnMate registers
Four Shopify webhooks keep ReturnMate in sync: orders/create, orders/updated, orders/paid (detects repair-quote payments) and app/uninstalled. Shopify's three mandatory privacy webhooks (customer data request, customer redact, shop redact) are also handled — see below.
Uninstalling: what happens to your data
Uninstalling has immediate and delayed effects:
- Immediately — your store is deactivated in ReturnMate and the app subscription is cancelled through Shopify. Customers can no longer use the returns portal, and open RMAs stop progressing (no labels, emails or refunds are processed).
- Later — Shopify sends a shop redact request after uninstall (Shopify controls the timing, typically about 48 hours after uninstall). When it arrives, ReturnMate permanently deletes the store's data: RMAs, items, shipments, timelines, fault records, warranty resolutions and settings.
If you uninstall while RMAs are open, in-transit returns will still arrive at your warehouse but ReturnMate will no longer track, notify or refund them. Resolve or export what you need first — after the shop-redact deletion, the data cannot be recovered.
Reinstalling
If you reinstall before the shop-redact deletion has run, your store record is reactivated. If you reinstall after deletion, you start fresh — plan selection and the Setup Wizard run again, and previous RMA history is not recoverable.
Customer privacy requests (GDPR)
- Customer data request / redact — when Shopify forwards a customer redaction request, ReturnMate anonymises that customer's personal information on their RMAs (email, name and phone are replaced) while retaining the operational records.
- These webhooks are verified with Shopify's HMAC signatures and processed idempotently.
Troubleshooting installation
- OAuth loop or "Not authenticated" — open the app from inside Shopify admin (Apps → ReturnMate) rather than a bookmarked URL.
- Sent straight to Billing — expected for new installs; a plan must be active before setup.
- Missing permissions after an update — if ReturnMate needs newly added scopes, Shopify prompts you to re-approve; use Reconnect if prompted in OAuth Permission Issues.