What does this enable?
Shopify merchants can offer customers an exchange option during the returns flow. Instead of a refund, the customer selects a replacement item — a different size, color, or product — and Ingrid Returns creates the new order in Shopify automatically. Merchants don't need to manually create replacement orders or manage exchange logistics separately from their standard returns.
When the replacement costs more than the returned item, the customer pays the difference through a Shopify-generated payment link. When there is no price difference, the order is created immediately with no additional payment step.
What is it?
The exchanges feature within the Shopify integration lets customers swap a returned item for a replacement during the return initiation flow. It is available through the Ingrid Returns customer-facing portal and supports two paths:
Free exchange (no surcharge): the replacement order is created directly in Shopify as a live order.
Paid exchange (surcharge required): a draft order is created in Shopify; the customer receives a payment link and completes payment before the order is fulfilled.
Exchanges are linked to the originating return. The return lifecycle continues independently — the customer still ships back the original item, and refund or store credit processing follows the standard return flow.
Use cases
Ideal for:
Apparel and footwear merchants where size swaps drive a large share of returns
Merchants looking to reduce net refund volume by converting returns into new purchases
Shops where customers frequently want a different color or variant but want to stay with the brand
Common applications:
Size swap at equal price (free exchange path)
Upgrade to a higher-priced variant where the customer pays the difference (paid exchange path)
Cross-product swap where the merchant allows exchange to a different product entirely
Disabling exchanges
Exchanges can be disabled per price setup in the Returns Back-office: Settings → Price Setup. This lets merchants turn off exchanges for specific scenarios (for example, during a sale period or for specific categories) without affecting the rest of the integration.
Setup
Exchange settings are configured per shop in the Returns Back-office. The Shopify integration must be active, products and variants synced, and exchanges enabled in shop settings before the option appears in the customer portal.
For step-by-step setup, the full settings reference, and exchange order type configuration (New order vs Original order), see the Shopify Configuration Guide.
Implementation examples
Example 1: Size exchange at equal price
Scenario: A customer purchases a size M running jacket (£89) and wants to exchange it for size L at the same price.
Flow:
The customer initiates a return, selects "Exchange", and picks size L.
Ingrid Returns creates a live Shopify order for the size L jacket.
The order appears in the fulfillment queue within seconds.
The original jacket is returned through the standard shipment flow.
Result: The merchant retains the full sale value (£89). No manual order creation needed. Net refund: £0.
Example 2: Upgrade exchange with surcharge
Scenario: A customer purchases a standard wool coat (£120) and wants to exchange it for the premium version (£175). Surcharge: £55.
Flow:
The customer initiates a return and selects the premium coat as a replacement.
Ingrid Returns creates a Shopify draft order for £55.
The customer receives a payment link and completes payment on the Shopify payment page.
Once paid, the draft order converts to a live fulfillment order.
The original coat is returned through the standard shipment flow.
Result: The merchant retains the original sale and captures an additional £55. The customer experience is entirely self-service.
Additional notes
Exchanges are scoped per return. Multiple exchange orders per return are possible.
For exchanges involving items purchased with a discount code, contact your account manager — a dedicated guide on this is in the works.