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About this refund & returns policy draft
Draft a clear customer-facing policy with covered products, return windows, proof of purchase, exclusions, shipping costs, refund methods, defects and support routes. This editable template brings the key details into one document: merchant and policy scope, returns and exchanges, refund calculation and method, implementation and legal review. Complete it online, compare the live preview with your records, and download a blank or completed PDF or editable Word document.
What the template includes
The online builder and downloaded documents use the same fields. A selected state can add relevant research prompts. Complete only applicable items; add explanations for exceptions rather than assuming a blank entry resolves them.
Document details4 inputs +
Set the date, jurisdiction, and your internal reference.
- Document date *
- US state *
- County
- Document reference
Merchant and policy scope8 inputs +
Describe the actual products and sales channels.
- Merchant legal/trading name *
- Customer support contact *
- Covered sales channels *
- Covered product categories *
- US states and locations served
- Policy effective date *
- Policy version
- Where the policy will be displayed before purchase
Returns and exchanges11 inputs +
Enter your proposed terms, subject to mandatory rights and disclosure requirements.
- Proposed return period and when it starts *
- Return condition requirements *
- Accepted proof of purchase *
- How a customer requests a return *
- Return authorization process
- Verified return address
- Return shipping responsibility
- Tracking and lost-return handling
- Exchange availability and process
- Gift return process
- Clearly identified category exceptions
Refund calculation and method10 inputs +
Do not declare every sale final or erase mandatory remedies.
- Proposed refund method *
- Processing time and when it starts *
- Original shipping refund proposal
- Any proposed restocking fees and disclosure
- Partial refund circumstances and explanation
- Damaged, defective or incorrect item process *
- Warranty and mandatory-rights review
- Unshipped order, delay consent and cancellation workflow
- Digital goods or services handled by a separate reviewed policy
- Customer dispute and escalation contact
Implementation and legal review6 inputs +
Operational instructions should match the published customer promise.
- State policy-display and consumer-rights review
- Staff training and exception approval rules
- Return/refund evidence retained
- How policy changes apply to purchases already made
- Legal/operations reviewer
- Next review date
How to complete it
1. Document details
Set the date, jurisdiction, and your internal reference. Review document date, us state, county, document reference against your source records.
2. Merchant and policy scope
Describe the actual products and sales channels. Review merchant legal/trading name, customer support contact, covered sales channels, covered product categories and the remaining details against your source records.
3. Returns and exchanges
Enter your proposed terms, subject to mandatory rights and disclosure requirements. Review proposed return period and when it starts, return condition requirements, accepted proof of purchase, how a customer requests a return and the remaining details against your source records.
4. Refund calculation and method
Do not declare every sale final or erase mandatory remedies. Review proposed refund method, processing time and when it starts, original shipping refund proposal, any proposed restocking fees and disclosure and the remaining details against your source records.
5. Implementation and legal review
Operational instructions should match the published customer promise. Review state policy-display and consumer-rights review, staff training and exception approval rules, return/refund evidence retained, how policy changes apply to purchases already made and the remaining details against your source records.
Practical tips
- Use clearly visible category exceptions rather than a hidden all-sales-final sentence.
- State who pays shipping and when processing begins.
- Review digital subscriptions or regulated services separately.
Before signing or submitting
This is an original preparation and professional-review draft. It is not an official state form, certified instrument, filing service, or assurance of enforceability. State and local requirements, required language, disclosures, signatures and delivery procedures must be checked before using a final document.