Return Shipping Policy Automation

Overview

The Return Shipping Policy automation in Corso allows you to manage how and where customer returns are routed. By setting up policies and rules, you can direct returns to the correct warehouse or fulfillment center, customize return methods, and ensure customers receive the right labels or packing slips. If no policy covers a customer’s order, Corso offers them no return method, so at least one policy should apply to every order you accept returns for.

What You Can Expect

With return shipping policies, you can:

Manage return locations by creating one or multiple warehouse addresses.
Set routing rules based on conditions like order fulfillment location, order country or state, claim type (return or warranty), product vendor, product type, claim reason, or customer tags.
Control return methods by offering shipping labels (through EasyPost or VESYL integrations) or packing slips, or both.
Automate domestic vs. international handling so customers are directed to the right return location automatically.
Delegate return routing entirely to Global-e for stores with that integration configured.
Ensure operational accuracy by verifying address details and country codes to avoid label errors.

This functionality saves time, reduces manual routing, and ensures customers have a smooth return experience.

Features and Functionality

Return Locations

You must create at least one return location before you can configure a standard shipping policy. Policies that are managed by Global-e don’t need a return location.

Locations include:

Internal name: used for admin reference
Return address: must be accurate; incorrect details like country codes can prevent labels from generating

Return Shipping Policies

Policies determine which location is used based on defined conditions. Examples:

If order country = United States → Route to domestic warehouse.
If order country ≠ United States → Route to international warehouse.
If product vendor = Acme Footwear → Route to that vendor’s returns center.
If claim type = Warranty → Route to your repair or service center.

Each policy references one of your created return locations. A policy with no conditions applies to every return, which is all many stores need.

Only one policy applies to each return. Corso uses the first matching rule by priority, so put your most specific rules above your catch-all rule. Product and reason conditions are checked against every item in the return, so with Any Of, a rule matches when any item meets the condition. With Not Any Of, it matches only when no item does.

Return Handling

On stores with Global-e configured, a Return Handling field appears when you create or edit a return shipping policy. It controls how the return is processed. Two options are available:

Return to a Location — Items come back to one of your return locations using the methods you offer. This is the default option and the standard configuration for most stores.
Managed by Global-e — Global-e decides the destination and issues the label. No return location or return methods are required for this option. This option is only visible on stores that have Global-e configured.

When Managed by Global-e is selected, the Return Location and Return Methods fields are hidden. Use the policy’s conditions to choose which orders it applies to. The rule summary in the automation list displays a Managed By Global-e badge and the note “Global-e determines where items are returned to and issues the label.” in place of the address and method details.

Matching Global-e orders to the right policy

Global-e orders and Global-e policies have to line up. Customers are not offered any return methods if:

A Global-e order is covered by a Return to a Location policy. Global-e orders always return through Global-e and never fall back to EasyPost or VESYL.
An order that isn’t a Global-e order is covered by a Managed by Global-e policy.

When this happens, the customer sees a message asking them to contact your team for help. To avoid it, add the Global-e Order condition to your policies:

Set Global-e Order to true on your Managed by Global-e policy.
Set Global-e Order to false on your Return to a Location policies, or place the Global-e policy above them in priority.

Global-e return locations

Global-e creates its own return locations in Corso as it sends returns to new destinations. These locations show a Managed By Global-e badge in your Shipping Policies settings. They can’t be edited or deleted, and they can’t be selected as the Return Location on a Return to a Location policy.

Return shipping policies apply to returns submitted in the customer portal. When your team uses Quick Ship on a Global-e claim in the Corso Admin, Corso creates the Global-e label without checking your return shipping policies.

Return Methods

When Return to a Location is selected, you choose how customers return products:

Shipping Label — Automatically generated through EasyPost or VESYL. Corso quotes the cheapest available rate from your connected carriers.
Packing Slip — A printable slip provided without a pre-paid label
Both — Select both methods to let customers choose between the two

If a label can’t be quoted for an order, the customer only sees the packing slip, provided your policy also offers one.

Editing Policies

Policies can be managed in two ways:

Automations — Add conditions and rules directly.
Shipping Policies settings — Recommended, since you can manage both locations and rules from one screen.

Implementation

To implement a return shipping policy:

Create at least one return location with verified address details.
Build a return shipping policy rule and set the Return Handling field.
If using Return to a Location, select a location and choose the return method (label, packing slip, or both).
If using Managed by Global-e, use the conditions on the rule to target the countries or orders Global-e handles, such as Global-e Order is true. No location or method selection is needed.
Save the policy.
Repeat as needed for international or product-specific workflows.

FAQs

Q: Do I need more than one return location? Not necessarily. One location is enough, but multiple locations are recommended if you manage domestic and international returns separately.

Q: What happens if no policy covers an order? The customer isn’t offered any return method and is asked to contact your team. Add a policy with no conditions as a catch-all, placed below your more specific policies.

Q: Return labels are failing. How do I keep customers from getting stuck? If your label provider is having an outage, temporarily add Packing Slip as a return method on your policies so customers can still submit returns. Remove it once labels are working again.

Q: Which shipping carriers are supported for label generation? Labels can be created through our integrations with EasyPost and VESYL.

Q: Where does Happy Returns fit into my return shipping policies? It does not. Happy Returns is not a return method you select on a policy. When the integration is enabled, Corso offers a drop-off automatically to every eligible customer, alongside the label or packing slip your policy produces. If a Return Bar is close to the customer, Happy Returns is the only method offered. See Happy Returns.

Q: I don’t see the “Managed by Global-e” option in Return Handling. Why? The Managed by Global-e option only appears on stores that have Global-e configured. If your store hasn’t set up Global-e, the Return Handling field isn’t shown and every policy returns to a location. See Global-e to connect the integration.

Q: Why aren’t customers seeing any return methods on a Global-e order? The order is likely covered by a Return to a Location policy instead of a Managed by Global-e policy. Global-e orders only receive Global-e labels. Check that your Global-e policy’s conditions cover the order, for example with the Global-e Order condition.