Return, Shipping and Refund Policy Templates a Chatbot Can Answer From

Customers ask a store's chatbot the same policy questions every day: how long they have to send something back, who pays the postage and when the money arrives. A page that says "returns accepted within a reasonable time" leaves the chatbot two moves, repeating the vagueness or handing the chat to a person. A page that says "30 days from delivery" can be quoted as written, by your chatbot and by answer engines such as Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity.

This guide is for small online stores on any platform, and for course creators who sell digital products. It covers a twelve-question checklist, paste-ready templates with four variants, writing rules, regional notes for the EU, UK, US and Australia, and publishing the pages where a chatbot can read them.

PepoChat is our product; its behaviour below was checked in its code and documentation on 22 October 2026, and every legal and platform page linked below was read the same day.

What questions must a return, shipping and refund policy answer?

A return, shipping and refund policy must answer twelve questions, each with a number or a named rule: the return window, item condition, return postage, refund timing, exchanges, final sale, international returns, damage, loss, processing time, carriers and holiday cutoffs.

The twelve questions an ecommerce chatbot should answer cover a store's whole inbox, order status included; the twelve below, in the words customers type, are the ones your written policies must settle.

The return window is the number of days a customer has to start a return, counted from a stated event such as delivery. Without the event, the next question is "30 days from when?"

Use the table as an acceptance test: find the sentence on your site that answers each row. A row with no sentence gets a guess or an escalation; a row answered twice with two numbers is worse. The knowledge base starter kit covers the rest of your site in 50 questions.

Return policy template for a small online store

A return policy for a small online store needs seven answers in this order: the window and its start, item condition, how to start a return, who pays return postage, refund timing, exclusions and gifts.

Replace every bracketed placeholder, such as [30] or [Store name], and delete the lines that do not apply. Each heading is a question, so a heading and its answer stay together when a chatbot splits the page into passages.

Returns policy for [Store name]
Last updated: [1 October 2026]

How long do I have to return an item?
You can return most [Store name] items within [30] days of delivery.
The [30] days start on the day your order is delivered, as shown in your tracking.

What condition do returns need to be in?
Items must be unused and unwashed, with the original tags attached and in
the original packaging. Items that were worn, used or damaged after delivery
can't be returned for a change of mind. [EU: if you cancel within 14 days, we
may reduce the refund by any loss in value caused by handling an item more
than needed to check it.]

How do I start a return?
Start a return at [returns page URL] or email [support email] with your order
number. We reply within [1] business day with a return label or our return address.

Who pays for return shipping?
Return shipping costs [$6.95], deducted from your refund.
Returns of faulty, damaged or wrong items are free.

When will I get my refund?
We refund your original payment method within [5] business days of receiving
your return. Your bank may take [3 to 10] more business days to show it.

What can't be returned?
[Gift cards], [pierced earrings] and items marked "Final sale" can't be returned
for a change of mind. This does not affect your rights if an item is faulty,
damaged or not as described.

Can I return a gift?
Yes. The person who received the gift can return it within the same [30] days
for [store credit], using the order number on the gift receipt.

Cancelling an order (customers in the EU and UK)
You can cancel within 14 days of delivery without giving a reason. To cancel,
[EU: use the "Withdraw from contract here" button at [location, for example
your order page],] email [support email] or send us the cancellation form at
[form URL]. Send the item back within 14 days of telling us; you pay the cost of
returning it unless it is faulty. We refund the price and the standard delivery
cost [EU: within 14 days of hearing from you, and we may wait until the item is
back or you show proof of sending it] [UK: within 14 days of receiving the item back].

Contact
Questions about a return? Email [support email] or use the chat on [store URL].

Name the start event. Delivery is the fairer start, and the one EU and UK law uses for cancellations. Your chatbot may not see delivery dates: PepoChat's Shopify lookup, for example, returns an order's date and status, not the day it arrived, so the policy has to state the rule the agent explains.

Write return postage as an amount. Shopify's return rules offer free return shipping, a flat fee per return or a label the customer buys; whichever you pick, state the amount and the faulty-item exception. In the EU, a buyer who cancels pays the return cost only if told so before buying.

Give two refund numbers, your processing days and the bank's, and keep legal rights outside the exclusions, as the regional notes explain.

Variant: exchanges only

An exchanges-only policy offers another size, another colour or store credit instead of a refund when a customer changes their mind, while faulty items still get their money back.

Exchanges policy for [Store name]
Last updated: [1 October 2026]

Can I exchange an item?
Yes. You can exchange unused [Store name] items for another size or colour within
[30] days of delivery. Start an exchange at [exchanges page URL] or email
[support email] with your order number and the size or colour you want.

Do you give refunds?
For a change of mind we offer an exchange or store credit, not a refund.
Faulty, damaged or wrong items are refunded in full if you prefer.
[Customers in the EU and UK can still cancel within 14 days of delivery for a
full refund. See "Cancelling an order".]

Who pays for exchange shipping?
We pay to send the replacement. Sending the original back costs [$6.95],
or nothing if it was faulty.

What if my new size is out of stock?
We hold your exchange for [14] days. If the item is not back in stock by then,
we issue store credit for the full price [or a refund].

In Australia, the ACCC says a business need not refund a customer who simply changed their mind, but must follow any change-of-mind policy it offers. EU and UK buyers who cancel within 14 days still get a refund, so keep the bracketed line if you sell there.

Variant: final-sale items

A final-sale clause names each category that cannot be returned for a change of mind and states that faulty items are still covered.

Which items are final sale?
These [Store name] items are final sale and can't be returned or exchanged
for a change of mind:
- [Gift cards]
- [Pierced earrings and opened cosmetics, for hygiene reasons]
- [Personalised or made-to-order items]
- Items marked "Final sale" on the product page and in your order confirmation

Final sale does not affect your rights if an item is faulty, damaged in transit
or not as described. Email [support email] with a photo as soon as you notice
the problem, and we'll repair, replace or refund it.

Mark final-sale items on the product page and in the order confirmation too. The EU's exceptions cover goods such as personalised items, perishables and unsealed hygiene items, so a final-sale label on a discounted sweater does not remove an EU buyer's 14-day right to cancel. In Australia, the ACCC gives "no refunds or exchanges on sale items" as an example of an illegal policy.

Variant: holiday return extension

A holiday return extension gives orders delivered in a set period, usually November and December, one later return date, and says which date wins when the normal window ends later.

Holiday returns [2026]
Orders delivered between [1 November 2026] and [24 December 2026] can be
returned until [31 January 2027]. If your normal [30]-day window ends later,
the later date applies.

Last order dates for delivery by [24 December]
- Standard shipping: order by [date]
- Express shipping: order by [date]
- [Neighbouring country], standard: order by [date]
Orders placed after these dates still ship, but we can't promise delivery
before [24 December].

This holiday policy ends on [31 January 2027].

The "later date applies" line keeps the extension an extension: an order delivered on 20 December under a 30-day policy can come back until 19 January, so a 15 January deadline would shorten it. Publish the extension before Black Friday, which falls on 27 November 2026, and remove it after the final date, or your chatbot will still quote it in March.

What should a shipping policy include?

A shipping policy should state the processing time in business days, the daily order cutoff and its time zone, carriers and delivery times, rates by destination, tracking, address changes, delays, lost or damaged parcels and import duties.

Processing time is the time between an order and its hand-over to the carrier. State it separately from delivery time, because "3 to 5 days" could mean either.

Shipping policy for [Store name]
Last updated: [1 October 2026]

How long does it take to process my order?
We pack and ship [Store name] orders within [1 to 2] business days. Orders placed
before [2 pm Eastern Time] on a business day ship [the same day]. Business days
are [Monday to Friday], excluding [public holidays in your country].

Which carriers do you use?
We ship with [carrier 1] and [carrier 2]. Delivery times are counted from the
day your order ships.

How much does shipping cost?
See the rates table below. Shipping is free on [home country] orders over [$75].

Will I get tracking?
Yes. We email a tracking link when your order ships. The first scan can take
[24 hours] to appear.

Can I change my shipping address?
Email [support email] before your order ships and we'll update it. Once an order
has shipped, we can't change the address.

What if my order is delayed?
If we can't ship by the time stated above, we'll email you a new shipping date
and the option to cancel for a full refund.

What if my parcel is lost or damaged?
If tracking hasn't changed for [7] business days, or your parcel arrives damaged,
email [support email] with your order number [and a photo]. Please tell us within
[7] days of delivery so we can claim from the carrier. We send a replacement or a
refund once [the carrier confirms the loss]. Your legal rights for faulty or
damaged items are not affected.

Do you ship internationally?
We ship to [countries]. We don't ship to [countries].
[Import duties and taxes are charged at checkout, so nothing is due on delivery.]
[Import duties and taxes are not included; the carrier collects them on delivery.]
If you refuse to pay duties on delivery, [the parcel comes back to us and we
refund the order minus shipping].

Put rates in a real table rather than an image, so a chatbot and a screen reader can both read them.

Every value in the table is a placeholder.

If you sell to US customers, the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule turns the processing sentence into a promise. You need a reasonable basis for any shipping time you state, and must be able to ship within 30 days if you state none. A late order needs a notice that lets the customer accept the delay or cancel, and a cancelled order is refunded within seven working days for most payment methods. The rule counts shipment as placing goods in the carrier's possession, which is why the template counts delivery from dispatch.

The EU and UK default to 30 days as well: unless another date is agreed, EU law requires delivery within 30 days of the contract, and GOV.UK says goods must arrive within 30 days.

For international orders, say who pays import duties and when, at checkout or on delivery, and list the countries you do not ship to, because a chatbot asked about an unlisted country can only say it has no information.

Refund policy template: timing, method and store credit

A refund policy should state the refund method, the business days a refund takes after the return arrives, every deduction, when store credit replaces money and how faulty items are handled, because those are the terms customers hold you to.

Refund policy for [Store name]
Last updated: [1 October 2026]

How will I be refunded?
We refund your original payment method. [If you prefer store credit, ask for it
and we add [10]% to its value.]

How long do refunds take?
We issue refunds within [5] business days of receiving your return. Your bank or
card issuer may take [3 to 10] more business days to show the money.

Is anything deducted from my refund?
Return shipping of [$6.95] is deducted unless the item was faulty, damaged or wrong.
[A restocking fee of [10]% applies to [opened electronics] returned for a change
of mind.] Original shipping costs are [not] refunded, except for faulty items
[and EU and UK cancellations, which get the standard delivery cost back].

Do you give partial refunds?
Only when an item comes back [used, damaged after delivery or missing parts].
We tell you the amount before we refund it.

What if my item is faulty or wrong?
You get a full refund, including shipping, or a free replacement, whichever you
prefer. Email [support email] with your order number and a photo.

When are cancelled orders refunded?
If you cancel before your order ships, we refund the full amount within
[2] business days.

Refund to the original payment method by default. EU law requires a cancellation refund in the buyer's original means of payment unless they expressly agree otherwise, and the ACCC expects the same form of payment for faulty goods in Australia unless both sides agree. Offer store credit as the customer's choice, not yours.

Write every deduction as an amount, with its trigger. A buyer who cancels in the EU is liable only for loss in value from handling beyond what is needed to examine the goods, so check a flat restocking fee with a lawyer first. For a major problem, the ACCC says the refund is the full price, with nothing deducted for use.

Refund policy for digital products and online courses

A refund policy for digital products and online courses should say when the right to a refund ends, usually when a download or course access starts, and what the buyer agreed to at checkout, because a file cannot be returned like a parcel.

Refunds for [course or product name]
Last updated: [1 October 2026]

Can I get a refund on the course?
Yes, within [14] days of purchase if you have completed less than [20]% of the
lessons. Email [support email] with your order number. Refunds go to your original
payment method within [5] business days, and your access ends when the refund
is issued.

Can I get a refund on a download?
Downloads can't be refunded once the download has started, because at checkout
you asked for immediate access and confirmed that you lose the right to cancel.
If a file is faulty or doesn't match its description, email us and we'll fix it,
replace it or refund it.

Do memberships renew automatically?
Yes. [Monthly] memberships renew on the same date each [month]. Cancel any time
before the renewal date at [account page]; you keep access until the end of the
paid period.

The EU's 14-day right covers digital content unless the buyer gave it up. Your Europe says you must let the consumer explicitly agree to losing the right, which ends once they start accessing the content, and include that agreement in the order confirmation: in practice, an unticked box at checkout and a line in the order email.

For courses, use a measurable threshold, such as days since purchase and lessons completed. If you bill memberships through Stripe, PepoChat's agent can check a subscription and cancel it at the end of the billing period, but cannot refund it; the course creators guide covers Kajabi, Teachable and Thinkific.

How do you write policies a chatbot and answer engines can quote?

Write policies a chatbot can quote by giving each customer question its own heading, answering it in the first sentence with a number, keeping each condition next to its rule, naming the store and dating the page.

A retrieval-based chatbot never reads your policy whole. PepoChat's agent receives the eight passages closest to the visitor's question, up to 12,000 characters, so each passage must make sense alone, and answer engines quote a sentence or two the same way.

1. One question per heading, in the customer's words: "How long do I have to return an item?", not "Returns".
2. Answer first, with the number, one fact per sentence. "You can return unused items within 30 days of delivery" survives being quoted alone.
3. Keep the condition in the sentence: "Gift cards can't be returned for a change of mind."
4. Replace "may vary" with a range, such as "3 to 5 business days in the US, 7 to 15 elsewhere".
5. Date the page and keep one copy of each fact. Two pages with two windows give a chatbot two answers.
6. Keep facts in text. Rates in an image, or answers inside button accordions, may never reach a chatbot's knowledge base.

The guide to formatting docs for an AI chatbot rewrites a messy shipping and returns page step by step, and the FAQ page guide covers question headings and accordions.

What do return and refund laws require where you sell?

Return and refund law sets a floor your policy can raise but never lower: a 14-day cancellation right for most online orders in the EU and UK, shipping-promise and posting rules in the US, and a ban on "no refunds" claims in Australia.

Everything in this post, templates included, is information, not legal advice; have a lawyer check the final wording for each market you sell to.

Rules read on the official pages linked in this section, and on Your Europe's guarantees page, on 22 October 2026.

European Union

In the EU, a consumer can withdraw from an online purchase within 14 days of delivery without giving a reason, according to the Commission's Your Europe guidance for online sellers. You refund within 14 days of being told, standard delivery included, and may wait until the goods are back. Buyers pay return costs only if told in advance, and incomplete withdrawal information gives them an extra year.

Since 19 June 2026, an online shop must also offer a withdrawal function, a control labelled "withdraw from contract here" or an equally clear phrase, available throughout the withdrawal period. Article 11a of the Consumer Rights Directive adds a "confirm withdrawal" step and an acknowledgement on a durable medium such as email, and your pre-purchase information must say where the function is.

United Kingdom

GOV.UK's guidance on accepting returns and giving refunds says an online customer who cancels within 14 days of receiving an item gets a refund, then has 14 days to send it back, and you refund within 14 days of receiving it, standard delivery included. Personalised, perishable and unsealed hygiene items need refunding only when faulty. Customers never told about the right to cancel can cancel for up to 12 months, section 22 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives a 30-day right to reject faulty goods, and GOV.UK calls a sign refusing all returns an illegal way to mislead customers.

United States

The FTC rule above covers shipping promises; state law can cover how a return policy is shown. California's Civil Code section 1723 applies to retailers selling goods to the public in the state whose policy does not give full cash or credit refunds, or does not allow equal exchanges, for at least seven days after purchase. That policy must be displayed conspicuously on signs, tags or order forms, or buyers can return goods within 30 days of purchase for the price paid. Goods marked "all sales final", customised goods and perishables are exempt; ask a lawyer how "order forms" applies to an online checkout.

Australia

The ACCC's guidance on repair, replacement and refunds says a business need not refund a change of mind but must follow any change-of-mind policy it offers. For a major problem with a product, the customer chooses a refund or a replacement; for a minor one, the business repairs it free of charge. Policies such as "no refunds" or "no refunds or exchanges on sale items" are illegal, and the ACCC says overseas businesses selling directly to Australian consumers must follow the Australian Consumer Law.

How do you publish policy pages so a chatbot can read them?

Publish each policy at its own permanent address, link it from every page footer and from checkout, then load those addresses into your chatbot's knowledge base and confirm that robots.txt does not hide them.

On Shopify, policies live under Settings > Policies. Shopify's help page on store policies says policy links appear in the checkout footer by default but are not added to your store's menus, so add them under Content > Menus. Shopify calls its templates "for informational purposes only", and with the automated policy switched on, the return terms come from your return rules, so edit the rules rather than the text.

One Shopify default hides policies from chatbots. Shopify serves policies at addresses such as /policies/refund-policy, and Shopify's robots.txt documentation shows how to remove "the rule blocking crawlers from accessing the /policies/ page"; two Shopify stores we checked on 22 October 2026 still served that rule. Crawlers that honour robots.txt, PepoChat's crawl and sitemap import included, skip those pages. PepoChat's Add individual links imports exactly the pages you paste without applying robots.txt, and each link counts as one knowledge source.

Limits read in PepoChat's documentation and code on 22 October 2026.

1. Import the pages with a crawl or sitemap import, as the website import docs describe; on Shopify, add each policy address as an individual link.
2. Add a Q&A pair for each exception, such as "Can I return a gift?", following the text and Q&A docs.
3. Ask the twelve questions in the Test the agent drawer and compare every reply with the page.
4. Click Sync website pages after every change, and review the policies every year and each October.

How should a chatbot answer return and refund questions?

A chatbot should answer return and refund questions by quoting the policy, checking the order where it can, and passing anything that moves money or bends a rule to a person, with the order number already collected.

In PepoChat, the Shopify action finds an order by number and returns its name, date, payment status and fulfilment status; the WooCommerce actions search by number or full email address and add the total. Neither returns a delivery date, tracking or items, but that is enough to put a return question in context:

Visitor: Can I still return the jacket from order 1042?
Agent:   Order #1042 was placed on 2 October and has been fulfilled. [Store name]
         accepts unworn items within 30 days of delivery, counted from the day
         the parcel arrived. You can start a return at [returns page URL].
         Return shipping costs $6.95, deducted from your refund.
Visitor: It arrived with a broken zip. Can you just refund me?
Agent:   Sorry about the zip. Faulty items get a full refund including shipping,
         and returning them is free. I can't issue refunds myself. Shall I pass
         this to the team with your order number so they can confirm it?

PepoChat has no refund action, and its documentation advises against wiring refunds as custom actions because an action can occasionally run twice, so the AI support agent explains the policy and makes a human handoff to the team inbox. Write the boundary into the Never do this field of the agent instructions: "Never promise a refund, a return exception or a delivery date." The chatbot permissions guide explains why refunds stay with people.

What to do next

• Fill in the templates and check the twelve questions against your live pages; the order status guide covers "where is my order".
• Compare store chatbots in the Shopify comparison or the WooCommerce comparison.
• Create a free workspace, import your policy pages and ask the twelve questions in Test the agent; everything used in this guide is on the free plan, and the pricing page lists each plan's limits.
• Related guides: whether a chatbot should process refunds and the Black Friday support checklist.