Express Replacements
Ship a free replacement immediately while the original item is still in transit — for warranty returns and items damaged in transit.
Express Replacements let you ship a free ($0) replacement order to the customer while their original item is still on its way back to you. There are two variants, each for a different situation:
- Express Replacement (Warranty) — for warranty RMAs. The replacement ships now, and the RMA moves into the Offline Repair pipeline so the original unit is refurbished through diagnostics when it arrives.
- Express Replacement (Damaged in Transit) — for items damaged on the way to the customer. The replacement ships now, but the RMA stays in its return flow — the customer still returns the damaged original so you can inspect it and lodge a courier claim before writing it off.
Both create a real Shopify order with the original line items at $0, so your order history, customer notifications and inventory all stay accurate.
Overview: Which Flow Applies?
| Express Replacement (Warranty) | Express Replacement (Damaged in Transit) | |
|---|---|---|
| RMA type | Warranty return | Damaged in Transit |
| Replacement price | $0 (warranty cover) | $0 |
| Original RMA after action | Moves to Offline Repair — refurb via diagnostics on arrival | Unchanged — stays in transit for inspection / courier claim |
| Returned unit | Refurbished through the offline repair flow | Not restocked — inspected then written off |
Standard (non-warranty, non-damaged) returns use a different action — Replace in Transit — which opens the resolution modal with refund/replacement options. See Replace in Transit.
Before You Begin
Both express replacement actions only appear when all of these are true:
- The RMA is in Label Generated, Label Issued or In Transit status. Once the item is Received, use the regular Warranty Resolution or inspection flow instead.
- The RMA originated from a Shopify order (trade returns are excluded — they resolve via credit note, not a Shopify replacement order).
- You have the Admin role — both actions are Admin-only.
- For the damaged variant: the RMA reason is Damaged in Transit, and no replacement order already exists for the RMA. If one does, you'll see "A replacement order already exists for this RMA."
Express Replacement (Warranty)
Use this when a warranty customer shouldn't wait for the round trip — e.g. an e-bike battery under warranty where you'll refurbish the returned unit anyway.
Open the RMA
The RMA must be a warranty return in Label Generated, Label Issued or In Transit status.
Choose Express Replacement (Warranty)
Select Express Replacement (Warranty) from the RMA's actions. The modal explains what will happen and has an optional Notes field — record why you're expediting, or any context for the warehouse / refurb tech.
Create Replacement & Move to Offline Repair
Click Create Replacement & Move to Offline Repair. ReturnMate:
- Creates a $0 Shopify order with the original line items (matched to the original order's variants) and the customer's shipping address
- Adds a note to the original Shopify order linking the replacement and the RMA
- Moves the RMA into Offline Repair status
Refurbish on arrival
When the original unit arrives, it continues through the offline repair pipeline — diagnostics, repair, then final disposition (restock, write-off or return to supplier) — without going through the standard Received → Inspected → Refunded loop. See Offline Repair Workflow.
Express Replacement (Damaged in Transit)
Use this when an outbound order arrived damaged and the customer needs a working unit immediately, but you still want the damaged item back — for inspection, a courier claim, or both.
Open the RMA
The RMA must have the reason Damaged in Transit and be in Label Generated, Label Issued or In Transit status.
Choose Express Replacement
Select Express Replacement from the RMA's actions. The modal confirms that the customer still returns the damaged original, with an optional Notes field for warehouse or courier-claim context.
Ship Replacement Now
Click Ship Replacement Now. A $0 replacement order is created in Shopify and a note is added to the original order. The RMA status is deliberately left unchanged.
Receive, inspect, write off
When the damaged item arrives, receive and inspect it as usual (and lodge your courier claim). Because a replacement already exists, the RMA routes straight through Receive → Inspect → Close without prompting again for a refund or replacement, and the damaged unit is not restocked — it's effectively written off.
What Gets Created
Each express replacement creates a Replacement record attached to the RMA, starting at Pending Fulfilment (it's free, so there's nothing for the customer to pay) with the Ship fulfilment method. Replacement records move through these statuses:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Created but not yet finalised |
| Pending Payment | An upgrade draft has been invoiced to the customer and awaits their payment |
| Pending Fulfilment | Ready for the warehouse to pick and ship |
| Sent | Shipped to the customer |
| Fulfilled | Completed |
| Cancelled | Cancelled — a cancelled replacement no longer blocks creating a new one |
Pending Payment doesn't apply to express replacements (they're always $0). It's used by upgrade replacements created through the Warranty Resolution flow, where the customer pays the price difference via a Shopify draft-order invoice before the order goes to the warehouse queue. Similarly, the Store Collect fulfilment method is set when a warranty replacement is arranged for in-store pickup — express replacements always ship.
Once created, the replacement order number appears on the RMA, and View Replacement Order in the actions menu takes you to it.
Inventory Implications
- The replacement order uses the original order's variant IDs wherever possible, so Shopify inventory (and connected systems such as Cin7) decrement the correct variant when the replacement is fulfilled.
- The order is created as paid at $0 — it will appear in Shopify order history tagged
replacementpluswarranty-expressordamaged-expressand the RMA number. - Warranty flow: the returned unit re-enters stock only if the offline repair flow ends in a restock disposition.
- Damaged flow: the returned unit is not restocked — plan for the write-off (and recover the cost via your courier claim).
Permissions & Plan Requirements
- Both express replacement actions are Admin-only.
- Refund processing on RMAs is likewise Admin-only; see Plans, Billing & Usage Limits for plan details.
Limitations
- Only available while the RMA is in Label Generated, Label Issued or In Transit — not after receipt.
- Shopify-sourced RMAs only; trade returns resolve via credit note instead.
- The replacement always duplicates the original line items at $0 — you can't substitute a different product or an upgrade from this modal (use the Warranty Resolution flow for upgrades).
- The damaged variant is blocked if any non-cancelled replacement already exists on the RMA, to prevent a duplicate send.