Return Locations & Methods | ReturnMate Help Centre

Configure where customers send returns and how they can return items. ReturnMate supports multiple return locations and methods.

Returns Receiving Address

Your primary return address is where shipping labels direct packages. Configure under Settings > Return Locations & Methods.

Field	Description
Business/Location Name	e.g. "Returns Department"
Address Line 1	Street address (required)
Address Line 2	Unit, suite, building, floor
City/Suburb	Suburb or city
State/Province	Australian state
Postcode	Postal code
Country	AU, NZ, US, GB, CA
Phone	Contact phone for carriers
Email	Returns contact email

Return Methods

Enable the methods customers can use to return items:

Method	Description
Prepaid Label	ReturnMate generates a shipping label (always available)
Own Courier	Customer arranges their own shipping and uploads tracking
Retail Drop-off	Customer drops item at a configured store location
Depot Drop-off	Customer prints label and drops at a TNT/TGE carrier depot

Enable each method with the checkboxes under Return Method Options.

Drop-off Locations

When retail drop-off is enabled, configure store locations where customers can return items.

Each location requires:

Field	Required	Description
Location Name	Yes	e.g. "Sydney CBD Store"
Street Address	Yes	Store address
Suburb	Yes	Suburb
State	Yes	Australian state
Postcode	Yes	Postal code
Phone	No	Store phone
Email	No	Store email
Opening Hours	No	e.g. "Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-2pm"
Special Instructions	No	e.g. "Enter via loading dock"
Location is Active	-	Inactive locations are hidden from customers

Supplier Return Locations (drop-ship)

For products that go straight back to the supplier for credit instead of to your own warehouse. Drop-ship is switched on by choosing a Drop-shipper mode under Store Mode.

Tick Return products directly to suppliers (drop-ship) to turn the section on
Click Add Supplier Location and enter the supplier's returns address (contact, account number and any handling instructions are optional)
In Settings → Product Catalog, open a SKU and set Return to supplier location — or select several SKUs and use the Assign supplier return location… bulk action. The CSV import/export carries the location name in a supplierReturnLocation column.

Once a SKU is assigned:

Return labels, depot drop-off labels and shipping quotes for that SKU are addressed to the supplier
Customers sending the item themselves see the supplier address (and your instructions) on the portal and in the own-courier email
If a single return request contains items for different destinations, it is split automatically into one return per destination. Each return gets its own number and label; the customer sees links to the related returns on the portal, and staff see them on the RMA page. A split still counts as one return towards your plan allowance.

Turning the toggle off keeps your supplier locations and SKU assignments but stops routing and splitting. Deleting a supplier location reverts its SKUs to the default returns address.

Automation (each option is off by default)

Under the toggle you can switch on any of these independently. Per-supplier behaviour is then set on each location.

Option	What it does	Per-location setting
Mark returns received when delivered to the supplier	Carrier tracking marks the return Received the moment the parcel is delivered to the supplier (timeline, SLA and integrations run as if staff had scanned it in).	When delivered to this supplier: mark received only, or also refund the customer automatically (choose the refund method). Automatic refunds use the restocking fee quoted at submission, never exceed your restocking policy, skip warranty returns, and if anything fails an internal note is left on the return for manual processing — nothing is retried.
Supplier return authorisation (RA) numbers	Staff record the supplier's RA number on the return (RMA page or the label dialog). It becomes the consignment reference, is included in the customer's label email and portal instructions, and is quoted in the dispatch notice.	Requires a return authorisation number: return labels for this supplier can't be created until an RA is recorded. Customers see a "waiting on the supplier's authorisation" notice on the portal in the meantime.
Email the supplier a dispatch notice	When a return label is created (or the customer chooses their own courier) the supplier receives an email with RMA/RA numbers, account number, items, serial numbers, reason, fault description and tracking. Sent once per return.	Email this supplier a dispatch notice (needs an email on the location).
Automatically assign SKUs to suppliers	After every Shopify catalog sync (and nightly) SKUs without a destination are matched to a supplier by the product's Shopify vendor name or its ERP default supplier. SKUs you set (or cleared) by hand are never changed. Use Preview assignment / Assign now to run it immediately.	Shopify vendor name and/or ERP supplier on the location.

Drop-ship operations (also off by default)

Option	What it does	Per-location setting
Track expected supplier credits	When a return reaches the supplier (or is marked received), a credit record is created — supplier cost where your ERP knows it, otherwise the sale price — due after the supplier's credit terms. Reconcile, dispute, write off and see ageing under Recovery → Supplier credits. A supplier return is posted to your ERP when one is connected.	Credit terms (days)
Suppliers fulfil replacement orders	Replacement orders for supplier-bound returns are moved to the supplier's Shopify inventory location, tagged `supplier-fulfilled`, and the supplier is emailed to dispatch. The warranty resolution dialog gains a Supplier ships to customer option. Applies to every replacement order ReturnMate creates — standard resolutions, warranty express replacements, refund-flow and wrong-item replacements, dispute outcomes, and remote-repair parts orders (free ones immediately; customer-paid ones once the customer has paid). Counter swaps are handed over in store and are never routed.	Supplier's Shopify inventory location
Per-supplier return policies	Each supplier can set its own return window, restocking fee, who pays return shipping, and allowed reasons. Applied on the portal (items outside the window can't be selected; disallowed reasons are hidden), enforced at submission, and used for the fee on that supplier's part of a split return. Blank fields inherit your shop policy.	Return policy for this supplier
Show return destinations on the customer portal	Customers see "Returns to Supplier" on each item, are told before submitting when a request will become several returns, and the cost step shows a return-shipping quote per destination instead of "TBA".	—
Offer "supplier will collect"	Customers of suppliers that allow it can choose collection by the supplier's courier: no label; the supplier is emailed the pickup address and items; the customer gets a confirmation. Staff record the collection's tracking number with Upload Tracking (which moves the return to in transit) and mark it received.	This supplier collects returns + instructions

Merchants on the setup wizard can pick Drop-shipper mode under Return Types, which turns supplier returns on and adds a Suppliers step for entering the first locations (with optional vendor-based auto-assignment).

Field	Required	Description
Supplier Name	Yes	Shown on labels as the receiver
Contact / Attention	No	Added to the receiver name (e.g. "Returns Department")
Address Line 1 & 2	Line 1	Street address
Suburb / State / Postcode	Yes	Delivery details
Country	No	Defaults to Australia
Phone / Email	No	Passed to the carrier where supported
Account / vendor number	No	Your account with the supplier, for reference
Return instructions	No	e.g. "Quote RA number on carton" — shown to customers sending it themselves
Location is active	-	Inactive locations are ignored; their SKUs fall back to the default address

Multi-Store Mode

Enable multi-store mode for a hub-and-spoke returns model:

Enable Multi-Store in settings
Mark one location as Master Hub (central warehouse)
Shipping labels are generated to the Master Hub address
Retail staff can transfer complex returns to the Master Hub

See Multi-Store Installs and Master Store / Hub Routing for detailed configuration.