The 8 Best Returns Automation Tools For E-Commerce [Reviewed]

Looking for the best automation returns management software to streamline and optimise your returns process while cutting return costs?

Automated returns management tools streamline the returns process by simplifying return requests, tracking inventory, and providing timely updates, which reduces operational costs for your store while enhancing customer satisfaction through a hassle-free return experience.

In this buyer guide, we’ll review the 8 best return automation software for e-commerce brands in 2025.

What To Consider When Buying Returns Automation Software For Your Online Store?

When evaluating the best return automations platforms to make this comprehensive guide, we considered the following criteria:

• Return automation capabilities: Automated returns management tools simplify initiation, tracking, and processing – and other automations, such as return rules
• Pricing model: The tool’s pricing model should align with your budget and expected returns.
• Customer support: If there are issues with returns or you have any questions, there should be dedicated support for your online store to minimise WISMO calls.
• Return options: A comprehensive range of return options will give your customers more choices.
• Ease of use: We had a look at verified G2 and Capterra reviews to see if merchants think of the platforms as easy to use.
• Depth of carriers: Return automation tools with a larger number of carrier options would help you optimise your logistics operations, reduce expenses, and give you access to discounted rates.

Let’s now go over the best returns platforms that meet this criteria:

#1: ZigZag

ZigZag offers the best return automation software on the market for retailers looking to streamline, optimise, and automate their returns process.

Our software lets you set up a custom returns portal and offer your shoppers different return options.

Note: Even though ZigZag is our returns platform, we’ll aim to provide an unbiased perspective on why our returns management solution is the best ReBound alternative in 2025.

Did you know that 53% of shoppers avoid purchases due to unfavourable returns policies?

This is why more and more retailers come to us looking for ways to automate their returns process and offer multiple return options.

Let’s review the features 👇 that large retailers like SportsDirect, Ted Baker, Puma and Swarovski love about ZigZag.

Customisable Returns Portal That Is Tailored To Your Customers

Our returns portal can be fully customised, enabling you to change returns rules alongside white-labelling the portal.

Advanced return rules are pre-defined actions based on the conditions your brand chooses.

It is possible to set advanced return rules to automatically approve or reject return requests from your shoppers, saving you time and effort.

➡️ You can set up an automation for returns depending on the customer’s reason for returning, such as receiving a gift card, an exchange, or a cash refund.

For example, possible reasons for returning the product could be that the product was faulty, did not fit, or was unsuitable.

You can set up other automations, such as order discount codes if you want to approve orders that have used a discount code.

You can get a feel of how ZigZag’s platform works in our guided product demo: 👇

Single Click Shopify Integration

Our returns management solution can also be set up on Shopify with as little effort as one click.

Here’s why the merchants who work with us love our Shopify integration:

• One-click installation: You can install the ZigZag plug-in with a simple click to offer a hassle-free returns experience to your shoppers.
• Keep revenue in the business with exchanges: Your store can offer exchanges or refunds to gift cards instead of a full refund.
• Minimise the costs of returns: Save up to 57% on your return costs with our consolidation and efficient routing of returns.

💡 Did you know that 57% of customers who are considering returning items would accept a gift card as a refund?

This return option allows you to ‘’save the sale’’ by keeping capital in your business while benefiting customers with a gift card option they can use on your store.

International Returns To 170+ Origin Countries

ZigZag is ideal for global retailers who want to automate their returns process worldwide.

Our platform lets you connect with 1,500+ global carriers in more than 170 origin countries and enables your consumers to get access to 500,000+ drop-off locations.

➡️ ZigZag’s return portal is also capable of accepting multiple currencies and provides different language settings for international consumers.

Wide Range of Returns Options

The goal of our returns platform is not only to manage your returns operations but to help your online store save time, and money, and improve your consumers’ loyalty by providing them with a seamless returns experience.

This is why ZigZag Global offers the following returns options for shoppers:

Free In-Store Returns

In-store returns are when customers would rather save on the cost of returning a product by going to your store in person.

Implementing free in-store returns can help you slash shipping costs, boost foot traffic to your physical store, and give shoppers more ways to get a refund.

Store Credit To Save the Sale

Return to store credit is when customers get a refund in the form of a gift card to your store, instead of a monetary refund in their bank account.

We add this return option to our retailers’ portal to help you keep the sale and allow your shoppers to continue shopping on your website.

Paid Returns

💡 As 48% of consumers are happy paying for returns and there’s a 32% rise in paid returns since last year, we’ve started recommending retailers to offer paid returns on their stores.

Paid returns are when you ask consumers to pay a small fee to return their product – and we’ve seen the results.

Even though some retailers are hesitant to charge their customers for returns, paid returns have gained traction and are now considered more acceptable than they were in the past.

We’ve even seen customers react positively to paid returns, as it serves as a price tag to test out a product and return it if they do not like it.

Here are a few reasons why you should offer paid returns:

• Returned costs are covered so your company is not on the losing end.
• Consumers can’t exploit the free returns policy to engage in wardrobing.
• Customers are likely to make better buying decisions.

💡 Recently, we wrote an article on how merchants can deal with wardrobing and staging, as we went over that paid returns are the solution to wardrobing.

Advanced Reporting Software

Our returns platform offers advanced reporting software that tracks everything for you to view and manage from one place, such as:

• Comparing the popularity of return solutions in your online store.
• Evaluating the most common reasons why shoppers return products.
• Reviewing revenue generated from paid returns.
• Detecting suspicious returns behaviour.

Case Study: How SportsShoes Revolutionised Its Post-Purchase Experience With ZigZag’s Automations

SportsShoes partnered with ZigZag to deal with the problems of slow refund times and costly returns solutions that they were facing.

With over 1,500 carrier services across over 170 countries, partnering with ZigZag to manage the returns experience allowed SportsShoes to tap into a vast logistics network.

The retailer is now capable of bringing returns back in a time-efficient and cost-effective manner.

The online retailer transformed its returns experience and has:

• Set up a returns portal that can be completed by customers in under 60 seconds.
• The capability to track orders and identify mistakes quickly helps the brand to process refunds quickly and send out replacement items just as quickly.
• Introduced reliable and trackable carriers to their network to appeal to more consumers.

To learn more about smarter returns with ZigZag, book a demo to see the portal in action and discuss tailoring a solution for your business.

ZigZag Pros & Cons

✅ 1,500+ international carriers to manage domestic and international returns.

✅ Advanced reporting and returns analytics to uncover why consumers return products.

✅ Wide range of returning options for your customers, such as paid returns, free in-store returns, and return to gift cards.

✅ Shopify integration that helps you get started with a single click.

✅ Customisable returns portal with multiple currencies.

❌ Shipping back from the EU might take some time, according to a G2 review.

❌ Some users note that some of the carriers can be slower than others.

#2: Aftership

Aftership is a returns automation platform that helps you set up rule-based returns automations.

The platform is a viable option for merchants looking for more customisation options.

Features

• Rule-based returns automations help you optimise return costs and retain more revenue from your customers.
• Return eligibility rules enable you to figure out which customers are eligible for what kind of return.
• Automated resolutions that help you handle the claims of customers by replacing them with the same item, refunding to the original payment method and refunding to store credit.

Pricing

Aftership has four paid tiers that are based on how many shipments per year your online store is expecting:

• Essentials: Starts from $19/month for 720 returns per year and includes their integration with 1,200 carriers and a customisable returns portal.
• Pro: Starts from $49/month for 1,200 returns per year and adds automatic returns approval, refund to store credit, and general eligibility rules.
• Premium: Starts from $199/month for 2,400 returns per year and adds shipment status-triggered automations, exchange on store, and exchange for other items.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for 12,000+ returns per year, which adds instant exchanges, returns API, and enterprise-grade security.

Pros and Cons

✅ Rule-based return automations with eligibility criteria.

✅ SME-friendly pricing that starts from as little as $19/month.

✅ Good and accurate automated resolutions.

❌ The analytics and data insights may not be as useful and powerful on lower tiers, according to G2 reviews.

❌ Not as easy to set up and use, which is why some merchants have been looking for Aftership alternatives.

#3: Sendcloud

Sendcloud is a returns management platform that lets you automate label creation, tracking emails and your e-commerce returns.

The platform has gained recognition with its ‘’Free Forever’’ plan that appeals to smaller online stores.

Features

• Automated notifications of the status of the return via SMS let you keep your customers happy and spend less time answering WISMO emails.
• Automate label creation to save time and improve your site’s returns experience.
• Generate customs docs automatically for international returns and build trust by offering a localised returns experience.

Pricing

Sendcloud offers a free version of its platform that lets you get access to up to 2 shop integrations, 50 shipments per month and API access to the platform.

To access the tool’s better shipping discount rates and get access to more shipments per month, you’d need to be on their Lite plan that starts from £21/month.

The tool’s Growth (£63/month) and Premium (£125/month) plans offer more shipments per month and cheaper price/label rates if you exceed your monthly limit of returns.

Pros and Cons

✅ Automated notifications that are on-brand.

✅ You can generate customs docs automatically for international returns.

✅ Generous freemium plan.

❌ Analytics dashboard is only available in the Premium plan, which costs £125/month.

❌ There are less carrier options than other alternatives on the market.

#4: ClickPost

ClickPost is a logistics management platform that offers returns automation and on-brand tracking for retailers.

The software is a good option for merchants looking for automated failed pickup management to improve their customer experience.

Features

• Failed pickup management: If there’s a failed pickup, ClickPost’s NPR (non-pickup report) module will collect customer feedback to start the pickup re-attempt.
• Automate the returns process based on pre-set rules with automated carrier allocation.
• Branded returns and exchanges: The platform offers a white-labelled returns portal where shoppers can choose from a variety of returns options.

Pricing

To access ClickPost’s returns solution, you’d have to be on their ReturnsPro plan which does not disclose its pricing as of now.

Pros and Cons

✅ Comprehensive range of carrier selection.

✅ Automated carrier allocation.

✅ Failed pickup management for consumers.

❌ Not as many return options as other alternatives to ClickPost.

❌ Analytics and reporting are not always correct, according to some G2 reviews.

#5: Loop Returns

Loop Returns is a 3PL returns management solution that helps merchants create a customised returns portal that offers a range of returns options for end users and return automations.

The platform is a viable returns automations platform with its comprehensive range of features and easy-to-use interface.

Features

• Reduce your operational costs with Loop Returns’ workflows that let you efficiently route items, including store locations, resale channels, and donation centres.
• Automated fraud risk detection that helps you mitigate return policy abuse and fraud.
• Different returns options than competitors, such as drop-off returns and their new ‘’Shop Now’’ feature.

Pricing

Loop Returns has a usage-based plan that starts from $29/month and offers automated returns policies and access to one destination.

To access unlimited destinations and their ‘’Shop Now’’ feature, you’d have to be on their more expensive plans:

• Essential: $155/month, which adds unlimited destinations, automated return policies, workflows, and carrier rate shopping.
• Advanced: $299/month, which adds Loop’s ‘’Shop Now’’ feature, Instant Exchanges, Bonus Credit, and fraud prevention features.

Pros and Cons

✅ On-brand returns portal that has a wide range of returns options.

✅ Fraud prevention features to prevent wardrobing and staging.

✅ ‘’Shop Now’’ functionality to enable end users to check out products when exchanging.

❌ The set-up of the software can take a while, similar to Narvar.

❌ The pricing model has been reported to penalise brands for exceeding the returns limit with high charges.

❌ Here are alternatives to Loop on Shopify

#6: ReturnGO

ReturnGO offers a sustainable returns management platform that focuses on enabling retailers to save money from returns while tackling waste.

The returns software was built for enterprises that are looking to set up a seamless and environmentally friendly return experience.

Features

• Return automations, such as ‘’request approval’’ automation and ‘’mark as done’’.
• Automated branded order tracking notifications for any shipment to improve customer loyalty.
• Automatic generation of return labels that help you enhance the shopper experience and streamline cross-border returns.

Pricing

ReturnGO’s pricing is based on a tiered pricing structure that includes features and an annual returns allowance.

There are 3 paid plans for merchants:

• Premium: Starts from $121/month for up to 2,000 annual returns and gives you access to variant and product exchanges, and branded email notifications.
• Pro: Starts from $297/month for up to 5,000 annual returns and adds white-labelling options, item validation features, and packaging slips.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing, which adds an order tracking portal and notifications, advanced automations, and multi-store plans.

Pros and Cons

✅ Refunds, gift cards, and store credit returns options.

✅ Customisable returns portal that can be set up with up to 5 languages.

✅ Advanced returns automations.

❌ The starting price is not very suitable for small stores.

❌ Premium and Pro plans support only Shopify, which is why retailers have been looking for alternatives to ReturnGO.

#7: Outvio

Outvio offers an automated returns management solution that helps you to expand into new markets.

The platform lets you delight your shoppers with positive returns and exchange experiences across different countries.

Features

• Automatically generate return labels and automate product exchanges for any product variant.
• Automate return and exchange notifications to keep your customers up-to-date about their exchange while promoting other products.
• Keep money in the business by automating product exchanges for any variant.

Pricing

Outvio has 2 paid plans for their returns solution:

• Grow: €125/month plus order processing fee, which lets you return products with 90+ couriers and access to smart returns and exchanges rules.
• Conquer: €250/month plus order processing fee, which adds fully branded notifications, advanced analytics, and the tool’s fully automated Shopify exchanges.

Pros and Cons

✅ Multilingual customisable returns portal.

✅ On-brand return and exchange notifications.

✅ Smart returns and exchanges rules.

❌ Lack of return options that go beyond returns and refunds.

❌ Limited range of return courier services and drop-off locations for international retailers.

#8: nShift

nShift is a returns platform that helps merchants manage the post-purchase shopper experience with its variety of return automation features.

The tool is a nice option for environmentally-conscious retailers who want to track and report on their emissions when returning items.

Features

• Retailers can automate rules and processes around return options and eligibility criteria.
• The brand provides merchants with emissions tracking and reporting to decrease its carbon footprint.
• Automatic creation of a return label with a return shipment with the chosen shipping rate.

Pricing

nShift does not currently disclose its pricing.

Pros and Cons

✅ Emissions tracking and reporting.

✅ The platform can be set up within a few days on its lowest-paid tier.

✅ Automatic return label creation.

❌ Not as many return options as Loop Returns, ReBound, and ZigZag Global.

❌ Customer support may not be as good as other alternatives on the market, which is why some retailers have been looking to switch from nShift.

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Next Steps: Automate Your Returns Process With ZigZag Global

We went over the 8 best returns automation platforms that can help you streamline your returns process, cut your return costs, and delight your end users in 2025.

Every returns app that we went over has its strengths, weaknesses, and pros & cons.

Built for retailers who operate on a worldwide scale, ZigZag offers an all-in-one returns platform that is designed to take over any online store’s post-purchase experience.

With over 1,500 carrier services spanning across 170+ countries globally, your shoppers will have a hassle-free experience returning your products.

If you’re leading an e-commerce brand and are looking for a returns management platform that offers:

• A customisable returns portal that can be personalised to your shoppers.
• Wide range of return options, such as paid returns, return to store credit, and return to gift card.
• Access to detailed analytics and reports on what drives international shoppers to return products.

Then you can book a demo to learn more about ZigZag Global.

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