When you submit your products data to show Shopping ads or free listings, you may also choose to provide information about your return and refund policies. Return policy is a key factor for people who are making a purchasing decision, and showing your policies on your ads and listings may help the performance of your products.
How it works
To set up returns, you’ll need to create return policies in your Merchant Center account. Return policies can be associated with all products, with specific groups of products, or even a single product by using the return_policy_label attribute in your product feed.
For each return policy, you can configure a number of settings, such as return eligibility and when customers are responsible for return shipping costs.
Examples
| Return scenario | How you’ll configure return policies |
|---|---|
|
If you have one standard policy for all items you sell |
You’ll just need to create a single policy. |
| If you have one standard return policy for domestic sales, but you don’t accept returns on international sales: | You’ll create one return policy for the country that you accept returns to. Then you'll set up another policy for “international” countries that you sell to but don’t accept returns to. |
| If you have one standard return policy for most items, but certain others can’t be returned: |
You’d create a single standard return policy that applies to all items. Then, you’ll create an exception policy, in which you’d indicate that returns are not allowed for certain items. In the exception policy process, you’ll be asked to create a label, which you’ll apply to exception products in your feed. Some products which commonly can’t be returned are personal care items, safety equipment, and customized production like engraving. |
|
If you have one standard return policy for most items, but some items have to be returned sooner than others (for example, premium electronics) |
You’ll create a single standard return policy that applies to all items having 30 days to return. Then, you’ll create an exception policy to and indicate items with the exception applied will need to be returned within 14 days. In the exception policy process, you’ll be asked to create a label, which you’ll apply to exception products in your feed. |
| Combination | You may have some combination of any of the above, which means you’ll need to create a standard policy and multiple exceptions. Then, you’ll apply the proper label to relevant products in your feed. |
Instructions
Add a return policy
You can create a policy that applies to a single country or to multiple countries. Once you’ve created a policy, you can add exception policies, and you can add additional countries to any policy later (as long as that country isn’t already included in a different policy).
- Sign in to your Merchant Center account.
- From the page menu, click Shipping and returns then click the Return policies tab.
- In the box at the top, click Add policy.
- Note: If you’ve previously added a return policy for your Shopping ads and surfaces across Google products, you can either add a new single or multiple country policy or add an exception to any existing policy previously created.
- Choose where you sell the majority of your products, and click Next.
- Add the URL to your return policy, and choose whether or not you accept returns from the countries you entered.
- Select how customers can complete returns and how they’ll receive a return label, and click Next.
- Select a recommended policy or add a custom policy, then click Next.
- Fill in when the policy starts and how many days customers will have to complete returns, then click Next.
- Select whether the policy applies to new or used products (or both), then click Next.
- Select the currency, enter your restocking fee, and indicate your return shipping costs, then click Next.
- Review your details, and click Done.
Add an exception policy
To add an exception, you’ll need to change the parts of your existing policy that are different for specific products. Then, you’ll add a return_policy_label so you can assign this exception to specific products in your feed.
- Sign in to your Merchant Center account.
- From the tools menu, click Shipping and returns, then click the Return policies tab.
- At the bottom of your list of policies, click Add an exception.
- To make changes, click the pencil icon
next to the section you’d like to edit.
- Enter the updated information for the exception, then click Next.
- Click the “Label” section to create a
return_policy_label, then click Finish. - Review your details, then click Save as exception.
Add return_policy_label attribute to products
If you only have one return policy (the default policy), you do not need to make any updates to your feed or if you desire you can still add the return_policy_label column to your feed using the keyword “default” as the label value for every product.
If you have created multiple return policies, you will need to add the return_policy_label column to your feed. If the default policy applies, use the keyword “default” or simply keep this column blank. For products that have an exception to the default policy add the label name you created for that exception policy.