When a customer exchanges a product for one of higher value, Swap handles the additional payment within the returns portal. However, if the customer later decides to return the exchanged item, the refund process involves multiple steps to ensure both the original and additional payments are addressed correctly. This article outlines how the process works and what you need to do when such cases occur.
This article is for users of Returns V1. For the Returns V2 version, click here.
How the Exchange Process Works
Let’s say a customer purchases item A for £100 and wants to exchange it for item B, priced at £120. Here’s how Swap handles the flow:
The customer initiates the exchange through the Swap portal.
Swap collects the additional £20 payment directly within the portal.
Once the payment is confirmed, Swap creates a new exchange order in Shopify for item B.
The customer receives the new item, and the order is marked complete.
At this stage, everything has been processed automatically — including the additional payment.
If the Customer Returns the Exchanged Item
If the customer chooses to return the exchanged item (item B), the process shifts slightly:
The customer initiates a return through the Swap portal as they would for any normal return.
Swap automatically refunds the additional £20 paid during the exchange.
Once this additional payment order is refunded, the return is marked as “refunded” in Shopify and routed to Needs Review in Swap for further action.
An error note is added to the return in Swap referencing the original order number. This note reads:
“This is an additional payment order. This order has been refunded, and Item XYZ on order 123 will need to be refunded manually within Shopify.”
A second note is added to the additional payment order stating:
“higher price exchange for order 123” — this helps the you identify the origin of the order and ensure the correct parent order is handled.
Swap sends a notification when the additional payment refund is processed, flagging that a manual refund is required for the original item.
At this point, the £20 has already been returned to the customer, but you still needs to issue a manual refund for the original £100 payment.
Notification
To ensure you are made aware of the required manual refund, the RMA will be flagged as “Needs Review”. Swap also automatically creates an error note within the return flow. This note serves as a reminder to refund the original order amount directly in Shopify.
Swap cannot automate refunds tied to the original Shopify order once an additional payment has been involved.