Instant Exchanges
Overview
Section titled “Overview”Instant exchanges give your customers a faster way to receive replacement items during the return process. Instead of waiting for your team to receive and review the original return, customers place a hold on their card and their new order is created as soon as they submit. This speeds up resolutions while protecting your brand with built-in safeguards.
What You Can Expect
Section titled “What You Can Expect”With instant exchanges:
- Faster Resolutions: The exchange order is created right after the customer submits, instead of after the return is received.
- Brand Protection: The customer’s card is pre-authorized, so you can collect payment if the original item is not sent back.
- Flexible Setup: Rules and conditions decide when instant exchanges are available.
- Inventory Confidence: The new item is ordered before it can sell out.
- Customer Choice: Let customers choose between a standard and an instant exchange, or require instant exchange.
Requirements
Section titled “Requirements”Customers are offered an instant exchange only when all of the following are true:
- Stripe is connected.
- An Instant Exchange rule matches the order.
- Every item in the return is being exchanged.
- The customer is returning with a shipping label. Returns using a packing slip or a drop-off location are not eligible.
- The new items cost the same as or more than the returned items (items under a No Price Adjustments rule always qualify).
Features and Functionality
Section titled “Features and Functionality”Customer Experience
Section titled “Customer Experience”- On the return summary, the customer chooses between Instant Exchange and Exchange. Instant Exchange is selected by default.
- Under Instant Exchange, the customer sees your Detail Text, or “Use a credit card to get your items sent immediately.” if you leave it blank.
- The customer enters card details and sees how much will be held and how many days they have to ship the return.
- After submitting, the customer is told their new order will be processed immediately.
Pre-Authorization
Section titled “Pre-Authorization”- The customer has 7 days from submitting to ship the return. When the return shipment is in transit, Corso charges any fees or price difference owed and releases the rest of the hold.
- If the return has not shipped before the hold expires, the customer is charged the full hold amount.
- The 7-day window can’t be changed in the rule. The hold may last longer if Stripe extends the card authorization. Contact Corso if you need a longer window.
Admin Experience
Section titled “Admin Experience”- Instant exchange claims are finalized automatically when submitted, which creates the exchange order.
- The claim is tagged
instant-exchange, and a note listing the new items is added to the original order in Shopify.
Automation Rules
Section titled “Automation Rules”Instant exchanges are managed through automation rules, just like other Corso rules:
- You can create multiple rules to cover different scenarios.
- Conditions are checked when the customer looks up their order, so you can use order, customer, and product details. Common conditions include:
- Order Country, such as offering instant exchanges only to domestic orders
- Order Total Value
- Customer Total Orders (Lifetime)
- Product Type, Product Tag, or Product Group
- Conditions on the claim, such as the claim reason or reason detail, are not known yet at order lookup and should not be used.
- If no conditions are set, instant exchanges are always available.
Require Instant Exchange
Section titled “Require Instant Exchange”- By default, customers can choose between a standard exchange or an instant exchange.
- If Require Instant Exchange is enabled, the standard Exchange option is not offered when an instant exchange is available. Customers must enter their card information to exchange.
- This setting is helpful for brands with fast-moving inventory, ensuring replacement items are secured immediately.
Implementation
Section titled “Implementation”To set up instant exchanges:
- Navigate to Settings > Automations in your Corso Admin.
- Create a new Instant Exchange rule.
- Add a title and set any desired conditions.
- Optionally enter Detail Text to explain instant exchanges to customers.
- Optionally enable Require Instant Exchange.
- Save your rule.
Q: What happens if the customer never returns the original item? A: If the return has not shipped before the hold expires (usually 7 days after submitting), the customer’s card is charged the hold amount.
Q: When is the exchange order created? A: Right after the customer submits. The claim is finalized automatically, so you don’t need to wait for the return to arrive.
Q: Can I limit instant exchanges to specific products? A: Yes. Use Product Type, Product Tag, or Product Group conditions in your rule.
Q: Do customers always have to use instant exchange? A: No, unless you enable the Require Instant Exchange setting.
Q: Can I adjust the pre-authorization window? A: The window is usually 7 days and can’t be changed in the rule. Contact Corso Support if you need to extend it.
Q: Are Global-E orders eligible for instant exchanges? A: No. Instant exchanges are not available for Global-E orders. Those customers will use the standard exchange flow.