Accounting Types

SWAP provides multiple accounting options for reconciling returns, exchanges, and gift cards within Shopify. It was initially created to handle the gap between native Shopify exchanges and has different ways of managing exchange orders. You can choose the one that best fits you, and the transition can be done by requesting it from the support team.

With Shopify's native exchange infrastructure now fully supported, we can utilise Shopify’s native Returns & Exchanges solution, which streamlines the return process by directly connecting exchanges to the original order. We recommend applying this feature to utilise Shopify’s enhanced return capabilities, including better financial calculations, refunding, and restocking, all managed within a unified system. Check here for additional details.

Swap has 2 main accounting types:

Each type may have different approaches when handling the different return cases. See the below description for each situation.

When a customer returns an item for store credit, the returned item is removed from the original order, which creates a negative adjustment in the sales report. To balance this, a new order (SGC) is generated for the gift card’s value, ensuring the total sales remain accurate. This method prevents refunds from affecting net sales while keeping financial records aligned.

Shopify processes exchanges differently depending on the accounting type.

With Same Value, the original item is removed from the order, and Shopify applies both a negative and a positive adjustment to balance the sales report. A new exchange order is created with the same value as the original item, taking discounts into account. If restocking is enabled, the returned item is restocked using Shopify’s refund API, and this is reflected in the original order.

With Zero Value, the original order remains unchanged, meaning no adjustments are made to it. Instead, a new order is created for the exchanged item with a 100% discount, making the final order value zero. Refunds are not issued automatically and must be processed manually in Shopify if needed. If restocking is enabled, the returned item is added back to inventory using the Inventory API instead of the refund API, ensuring the original order remains untouched.