# How to Run an Online Store Returns Process: From the Right of Withdrawal to the Refund, Step by Step

> How to set up an online store returns process: withdrawal periods, returns policy, return shipping, refunds and restocking, with steps and a checklist.

Source: https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/blog/online-store-returns-process.html
Publisher: Digital Bridge Teknoloji (https://digitalbridge.com.tr)
Topic: Software Development
Published: 2026-10-23 · Updated: 2026-10-23

An online store returns process covers receiving the customer's withdrawal or return request, checking it against product and time-limit rules, getting the item shipped back, inspecting and restocking it, and refunding the money within the legal deadline. In a well-run process every one of these steps sits on a single record, and the customer is kept informed throughout.

## Key takeaways

- In Turkey, a consumer can withdraw from an online purchase within 14 days of receiving the goods without giving a reason, and the seller must refund within a legal deadline.
- The NRF and Happy Returns projected that total returns in the US retail industry would reach $890 billion in 2024.
- An orderly returns process rests on three things: a written returns policy, a single request channel and a contracted returns carrier named in the pre-contractual information.
- Take return requests through a form tied to the order, not by email or phone, or you lose track of which item, how many and why.
- Exceptions to the right of withdrawal, such as made-to-order or perishable goods, must be stated clearly before the sale.

## Why do returns cost online shops so much?

Returns are an unavoidable part of selling; the real cost comes less from the return itself than from handling it badly. According to the [NRF and Happy Returns 2024 Consumer Returns in the Retail Industry report](https://nrf.com/research/2024-consumer-returns-retail-industry), total returns in the US retail industry were projected to reach $890 billion in 2024. The same report found that 76% of consumers consider free returns a key factor in deciding where to shop.

In that report, 93% of retailers said fraud and other exploitative behaviour was a significant issue for their business. So your returns policy both shapes the buying decision and, left unchecked, turns into a line of losses.

In a small online shop the picture is usually the same: requests are scattered across email, WhatsApp and the phone, return codes are handed out manually, and staff guess which order an incoming parcel belongs to. When the refund is late, the customer complains. We looked at what shoppers check before they buy in [why website visitors leave without buying](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/blog/why-website-visitors-leave-without-buying.html); returns terms are near the top of that list.

## What are the legal rules on withdrawal and returns in Turkey?

Online sales to consumers in Turkey fall under the [Distance Contracts Regulation (Mesafeli Sözleşmeler Yönetmeliği)](https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/anasayfa/MevzuatFihristDetayIframe?MevzuatTur=7&MevzuatNo=20237&MevzuatTertip=5). For the sale of goods, the consumer may withdraw within 14 days of receiving the goods, without giving a reason and without paying a penalty. Where several items are delivered separately, the period runs from delivery of the last item.

The seller must refund all payments received, including any cost of delivering the goods to the consumer, within 14 days of the returned goods being handed to the carrier named in the pre-contractual information, using a method suited to the payment instrument the consumer used. If the consumer sends the goods with a different carrier, the period runs from when the goods reach the seller. The consumer, in turn, must send the goods back within 14 days of giving notice of withdrawal. No return cost may be charged to the consumer when the named carrier is used, nor when the seller named no returns carrier at all.

There is no right of withdrawal for exceptions such as goods made to the consumer's specification, perishable goods, goods unsuitable for return on health or hygiene grounds once their protective seal is opened, and services performed instantly in electronic form. These exceptions must be stated in the pre-contractual information and on the product page. The regulation is amended from time to time, so check the current text and take legal advice for your specific case.

## What should a returns policy answer?

A good returns policy answers these questions without the customer needing to contact support. Use the table below to check your own policy.

| Question | Minimum answer | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| How many days to return? | At least 14 days from delivery | Legal minimum; a longer window can be a selling point |
| Which items cannot be returned? | Withdrawal exceptions listed per product | Prevents disputes later |
| Where is the request made? | A form in the account or via the order link | The request is recorded against the order |
| Who pays return shipping? | Free with the contracted carrier | Costs cannot be charged when the named carrier is used, or when no carrier is named |
| When and how is the refund paid? | To the original payment method, within 14 days | Late refunds turn into complaints |
| Are partial returns possible? | By order line and quantity | Multi-item orders stay accurate |

Publishing the policy as a page is not enough; the same rules must appear in the distance sales contract, the pre-contractual information form and the returns form. We compared how different platforms support this in [ready-made e-commerce vs a custom build](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/blog/ready-made-ecommerce-vs-custom-build.html).

## How do you set up a returns process step by step?

The order below turns returns into a flow carried by the system rather than by your support team.

1. **Write and publish the policy:** Set out time limits, exceptions, shipping and refund rules on one page, and link to it from product pages and the order email.
2. **Tie the request to the order:** Let the customer choose the line, the quantity and the reason from their account or the order link. Do not forget guest checkouts.
3. **Filter eligibility automatically:** Requests outside the time limit, for non-returnable items or for quantities already returned should be impossible to submit.
4. **Send the approval or rejection:** The decision should go to the customer by email, with a reason if it is a rejection.
5. **Set up return shipping:** Give the customer the contracted carrier's return code or sending instructions.
6. **Inspect what comes back:** Match the parcel to the order, record the item's condition and return sellable stock to inventory.
7. **Refund and document it:** Refund through the appropriate method within the legal deadline. For sales invoiced through [Turkey's e-archive invoice system](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/blog/e-archive-invoice-turkey.html), agree with your accountant how returns are documented.
8. **Report on return reasons:** Review reasons such as "wrong size", "not as pictured" or "arrived damaged" monthly; product descriptions and packaging improve with this data.

If you also sell on marketplaces, returns rules and stock must stay consistent across both channels. We explained how orders and statuses come together in one panel in [marketplace integration](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/blog/marketplace-integration.html).

## What are the most common returns mistakes?

The most common mistake is treating returns as an exception handled manually by customer service. Requests get lost in the inbox, the same item is refunded twice, or an item that was never restocked shows as sold out.

The second mistake is collecting more personal data than needed. The returns form should ask only for what the return requires, and your privacy notice should cover that processing. For the difference between a privacy notice and explicit consent under [KVKK](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/glossary.html#kvkk), see [KVKK explicit consent vs privacy notice](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/blog/kvkk-explicit-consent-vs-privacy-notice.html).

The third mistake is answering returns questions only during office hours. Many "where is my return?" questions arrive in the evening and at weekends; we covered how to handle them in [answering customer questions after hours](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/blog/answering-customer-questions-after-hours.html).

## How does SmartSales make this easier?

[SmartSales](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/smart360/smartsales.html) is the e-commerce product in Digital Bridge's Smart360 family: you open your shop with a theme built for your sector, and orders, payments, shipping, returns and campaigns are managed in one panel. The returns flow is standard across every theme; customer accounts, return requests and order tracking are available in all of them.

Picture a fashion boutique whose customer wants to return one dress from a three-item order. In the SmartSales shop she opens the order from her account and selects the dress's line, the quantity and the reason, "wrong size". Had she checked out as a guest, she would make the same request from the order link sent to her.

The request is accepted within the 14-day withdrawal period after delivery and lands straight in the panel. A product without a right of withdrawal cannot be added to a request, and the same quantity cannot be requested twice. An authorised team member approves or rejects it, and the decision goes to the customer by email. Returns and cancellations are a separate permission within a structure of 6 ready-made roles and 22 permissions, so only the people you choose make that call.

The process starts before the sale: SmartSales generates the distance sales contract and the pre-contractual information form in the shop's registered name and fixes them to the order as they stood at that moment; products without a right of withdrawal are reflected in the contract automatically. On shipping, you connect your own carrier agreements; tracking is checked regularly and every movement is reflected on the order and to the customer.

With the SmartOperator connection, a separate package module, Smart360's [AI customer agent SmartOperator](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/smart360/smartoperator.html) reads the shop's product and stock data on a read-only basis to help visitors find products, and shows order information only to verified customers. We explained how AI differs from rule-based bots in [customer service chatbots](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/blog/customer-service-chatbot.html). Full details are on the [SmartSales product page](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/smart360/smartsales.html).

## How can Digital Bridge help?

Digital Bridge supports your SmartSales set-up with theme selection, catalogue migration, and payment and carrier connections, and we check with you that your returns policy matches your contract and form texts. Where you need more than a ready-made shop, such as dealer-specific returns rules or two-way returns records with your ERP, we build it through our [e-commerce and B2B software solutions](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/software-solutions/e-commerce-b2b.html).

If you are opening a shop from scratch, the guide on [how to set up an online store](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/blog/how-to-start-an-online-store.html) covers the returns flow as part of the set-up steps. Our other software guides are collected on the [software development topic page](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/blog/topic/yazilim.html).

## Next step

Start by filling in the table above for your current returns policy and marking which of the eight steps are still done by hand. Every manual step comes back as delays and complaints during your next campaign.

SmartSales is sold by quotation; the price, your chosen theme and set-up are confirmed in the same quote. To buy SmartSales, fill in the [SmartSales sales form](https://smart360.com.tr/teklif-iste?urun=smartsales), stating your sector, number of products and the modules you need. If you would like to look at the product first, visit the [SmartSales page](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/smart360/smartsales.html), or [get in touch with us](https://digitalbridge.com.tr/en/contact.html) with any questions.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How long does a customer have to return an online purchase in Turkey?

Under the Distance Contracts Regulation, a consumer buying goods online may withdraw within 14 days of receiving them, without giving a reason. Where several items are delivered separately, the period runs from delivery of the last one. A seller may offer a longer returns window, in which case it should state the period clearly in its policy and contract.

### Who pays for return shipping?

If the goods are sent back with the carrier the seller named in the pre-contractual information, the return cost cannot be charged to the consumer, and the same applies if the seller named no returns carrier at all. That is why the safest approach is to contract a returns carrier and state it clearly in your return instructions. If the customer chooses a different carrier the terms may differ, so spell this out in the pre-contractual information.

### How quickly must a refund be made?

The seller must refund all payments received, including any delivery costs, within 14 days of the returned goods being handed to the carrier named in the pre-contractual information; if the customer used a different carrier, the period runs from when the goods reach the seller. For card payments, the refund may take a few more days to appear on the customer's account depending on the bank, so tell customers what to expect.

### Which products have no right of withdrawal?

Exceptions include goods made to the consumer's specification, perishable goods or goods that may quickly expire, goods unsuitable for return on hygiene grounds once their seal is opened, books, digital content and computer consumables whose packaging has been opened, and services performed instantly in electronic form. These exceptions must be stated on the product page and in the pre-contractual information before the sale.

### Is it enough to accept return requests by email?

Written notice is legally valid, but operationally it falls short. Email requests often miss the order line, quantity and reason, and matching them to orders is manual. A returns form tied to the order records the request directly, screens out ineligible requests from the start and makes reporting on return reasons possible.

### How does a customer request a return in SmartSales?

Within the 14-day withdrawal period after delivery, the customer opens the order in their account and selects the line, quantity and reason to request a return. A guest customer does the same from the order link. The request lands in the panel and the approval or rejection is sent to the customer by email. Items without a right of withdrawal cannot be added.