Refund Policy for Shopify
A refund policy Shopify owners can actually ship — clear windows, EU 14-day handling, defective-goods flow, payment-processor compliance.
- EU 14-day withdrawal handled correctly for international buyers
- AU statutory consumer guarantees preserved
- Compatible with Shopify Payments / Stripe / PayPal merchant terms
Shopify's built-in refund-policy generator produces a 4-line placeholder. That works as a starting draft but misses the rules that actually matter for cross-border selling — the EU 14-day withdrawal right that consumers can't waive, the AU Consumer Law major-failure remedies, the California §1723 conspicuous-posting requirement, and the Shopify Payments / Stripe / PayPal merchant agreements that bind you to fair refund handling regardless of your stated policy. This page generates a refund policy that covers what an international Shopify store actually needs.
Disclosures that matter for Shopify store.
Returns window
Clear stated window (most stores use 30 days). Note: for EU / UK B2C the statutory minimum is 14 days from delivery; you can offer longer.
EU 14-day withdrawal
Mandatory for EU B2C — consumer can return for any reason within 14 days of receipt, refund within 14 days of withdrawal notification, refund via original payment method. Cannot be waived.
Eligibility + exclusions
Unused, original packaging, tags attached. Permitted exclusions under EU CRD Art. 16: custom-made, perishables, sealed personal-care after seal broken, downloadable content after download. Arbitrary exclusions unenforceable.
Return shipping
Who pays (typically customer for discretionary returns, store for defective). Trader pays standard delivery cost refund per EU CRD Art. 13(2).
Defective / damaged flow
Separate path from the standard returns window. Statutory remedies apply — repair / replacement / refund. Trader bears costs. Required for EU / UK / AU compliance.
Refund timing + method
EU CRD: refund within 14 days of withdrawal notification, same payment method as original transaction. "We will process when we can" is non-compliant for EU B2C.
Where Shopify store policies usually go wrong.
"Store credit only" for EU customers
Overrides EU CRD Art. 13(1) which requires refund via original payment method unless consumer agrees otherwise. Unenforceable for EU B2C.
"30-90 day refund processing"
Exceeds EU CRD 14-day statutory refund period. Common in US-founded stores extending into EU sales without adjusting.
No defective-goods flow
Statutory remedies apply regardless of stated policy. Defective items get different treatment from buyer's-remorse returns — trader bears costs, faster timeline.
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Questions people ask about a Shopify store refund policy.
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