Returns (RMA) — authorise, receive and resolve customer returns
Customer Returns (RMA) manage the full lifecycle of goods coming back — authorise the return, receive and inspect items, set condition and disposition, then resolve to restock stock and issue any credit notes.
Section 01
What are Customer Returns (RMA)?
1 minute
Customer Returns (RMA — Return Merchandise Authorisation) live under Commerce › Sales › Returns (RMA). An RMA manages the full lifecycle of goods coming back from a customer — from authorisation through physical receipt, condition inspection and final disposition (restock, scrap, repair, replace or reject). It keeps your stock and finances accurate throughout.
- Each RMA is linked to a specific original invoice and selects which lines are being returned
- Returns must be authorised before the customer can send goods — this clears the customer to ship
- On arrival, goods are received and inspected — condition and disposition are recorded per line item
- Resolve applies the dispositions: restocked items re-enter warehouse stock; lines with Credit checked automatically generate a credit note
- Items can carry a serial number (e.g. SN-2026-00001) and warranty tags (e.g. "in warranty")
Section 02
Returns list
1 minute
The Returns list shows all RMAs in a sortable table. The counter badge shows the total count. Below is the list after both returns have progressed — one Closed, one Received.
| RMA # ↕ | Customer ↕ | Invoice ↕ | Lines ↕ | Status ↕ | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RMA-2026-0002 | customer 5 | INV-2026-000004 | 1 | Closed | View |
| RMA-2026-0001 | customer 1 | INV-2026-000005 | 2 | Received | View |
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| RMA # | Sequential return reference — e.g. RMA-2026-0001. Assigned at creation. |
| Customer | Customer code or name — e.g. customer 1 or customer 5. |
| Invoice | The invoice these items were sold on — e.g. INV-2026-000005. |
| Lines | Number of line items in this return — e.g. 1 or 2. |
| Status | Draft — awaiting your authorisation. Authorised — customer cleared to ship. Received — goods arrived, inspected. Closed — dispositions applied, return complete. Rejected — return refused. |
Section 03
Create a new return
1 minute
Click + New Return from the list page. A modal opens where you select the original invoice, tick which lines are being returned, set the return quantity and add a reason.
New Customer Return
Lines to Return
| Field | Required | What to enter |
|---|---|---|
| Original Invoice | Yes | Select the issued invoice the goods were sold on — e.g. INV-2026-000004 — customer 5. Only issued invoices appear. |
| Lines to Return | Yes | Tick each line item being returned — e.g. Item 1 (invoiced 1 ea @ 1.00). Adjust the return quantity spinner if only part of the invoiced qty is coming back. |
| Return qty | Yes | How many units are being returned — e.g. 1.000. Can be a partial quantity (e.g. 2 of 5 invoiced). |
| Reason | Yes | Free-text reason — e.g. returned or Customer rejects it. Visible on the RMA detail and in the list sub-label. |
Section 04
Draft — authorise the return
2 minutes
After creation the RMA is Draft. Review the return details and items table. The footer message says "Authorise the return to clear the customer to send the goods back." — click Authorize to approve it or Reject to refuse it.
| Item | Return QTY | Received | Condition | Disposition | Credit | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item 1 SN-2026-00001in warranty | 1 ea | 0 | — | pending | — | — |
| Item 2 | 1 ea | 0 | — | pending | — | — |
| Column | What it shows in Draft |
|---|---|
| Item | Product code — e.g. Item 1 and Item 2. Serial number and warranty tag appear below the product code if set — e.g. SN-2026-00001 / in warranty. |
| Return QTY | Expected quantity — e.g. 1 ea for each line. |
| Received | 0 — goods have not arrived yet. Updates to the actual received count after Receive & Inspect. |
| Condition | — (blank) — condition is recorded during Receive & Inspect, not at Draft stage. |
| Disposition | pending — no disposition assigned yet. Set during Receive & Inspect. |
| Credit | — (blank) — credit is flagged during Receive & Inspect. A credit note is only generated at Resolve if Credit is checked. |
| Outcome | — (blank) — populated at Resolve when dispositions are applied. |
| Authorize | Moves the RMA to Authorised status. The customer is now cleared to send the goods back. Edit/Delete are removed. |
| Reject | Moves the RMA to Rejected status. The return is refused — no goods should be sent. This is terminal. |
Section 05
Authorised — receive the goods
1 minute
Once authorised, the customer ships the goods. When they arrive, click Receive Goods to open the Receive & Inspect modal. The footer message says "Receive the goods, record condition + disposition, then resolve." You can also Cancel the return at this stage.
| Item | Return QTY | Received | Condition | Disposition | Credit | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item 1 SN-2026-00001in warranty | 1 ea | 0 | — | pending | — | — |
| Item 2 | 1 ea | 0 | — | pending | — | — |
Section 06
Receive & Inspect modal
2 minutes
The Receive & Inspect Return modal opens when you click Receive Goods. For each returned item you record: the quantity actually received, the condition of the goods, and what should happen to them (disposition). Ticking Credit will generate a credit note for that line when you resolve the return.
Receive & Inspect Return
Record what came back and how to handle it. Restock re-enters stock; "issue credit" refunds the line via a credit note.
| Field | Required | What to enter |
|---|---|---|
| Received qty | Yes | How many units physically arrived — e.g. 1.0. Can be less than the return qty if items were missing or damaged in transit. |
| Condition | Yes | Physical state of the returned goods. Options: unopened, opened, damaged, defective. See Section 08 for full definitions. |
| Disposition | Yes | What to do with the item. Options: restock, scrap, repair, replace, reject. See Section 09 for full definitions. |
| Credit checkbox | No | Tick to issue a credit note for this line when the return is resolved. Leave unticked if the customer is getting a replacement instead of a refund. |
| Mark Received | N/A | Saves the inspection data and moves the RMA to Received status. The items table is updated with condition, disposition and credit flags. |
These two controls work together. Set Disposition to restock and leave Credit unchecked for a clean exchange — goods go back to stock and no money changes hands. Tick Credit alongside any disposition to also issue a credit note at Resolve — useful when refunding but keeping the item (scrap / replacement).
Section 07
Received — resolve the return
2 minutes
After Mark Received the RMA enters Received status. The items table now shows the inspection results. Click Resolve to apply all dispositions: restocked items immediately re-enter warehouse stock, and any credit-flagged lines generate credit notes automatically.
| Item | Return QTY | Received | Condition | Disposition | Credit | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item 1 SN-2026-00001in warranty | 1 ea | 1 | unopened | restock | — | |
| Item 2 | 1 ea | 1 | unopened | restock | — | — |
| Column | What it shows after receiving |
|---|---|
| Received | 1 — the number of units physically inspected and marked received. Matches or differs from Return QTY depending on what arrived. |
| Condition | unopened — both items arrived sealed. Set during Receive & Inspect. See Section 08 for all values. |
| Disposition | restock (green pill) for both items — goods go back to warehouse stock at Resolve. See Section 09 for all values. |
| Credit ✓ | Green tick (✓) on Item 1 — a credit note will be generated for this line when Resolve is clicked. Item 2 has no tick — no credit note for that line. |
| Resolve | Applies all dispositions: restock items immediately add qty to warehouse stock; credit-ticked lines generate draft credit notes against the original invoice. RMA status changes to Closed. |
Section 08
Item conditions
1 minute
Condition records the physical state of the returned goods when they arrive. It is for your inspection record only — it does not automatically change the disposition.
unopened
Goods arrived in original sealed packaging, unused. Best-case return — typically safe to restock immediately.
opened
Packaging has been opened but the product appears intact. May require inspection before restocking; consider "repair" or "replace" if functionality cannot be confirmed.
damaged
Goods have physical damage — dents, cracks, broken packaging. Typically leads to "scrap" or "repair" disposition. Credit is common if the damage occurred before return.
defective
Goods do not function correctly — a quality or manufacturing defect. Usually leads to "replace" or "scrap". Almost always warrants a credit note.
Section 09
Item dispositions
1 minute
Disposition decides what happens to the returned goods when you click Resolve. Only restock affects stock levels directly. The Credit checkbox controls whether a credit note is issued — it is independent of the disposition chosen.
restock
Goods go back into warehouse stock immediately at Resolve. Stock level increases by the received quantity. Use for unopened or fully functional items. Combine with Credit if a refund is also needed.
scrap
Goods are written off — removed from the system entirely. No stock adjustment. Use for items that are damaged beyond repair or have no resale value. Almost always paired with Credit.
repair
Goods need workshop attention before they can be restocked or shipped. Typically triggers an internal works order or service record. Stock is held in a "repair" quarantine state.
replace
Customer gets a replacement unit shipped. The returned item may be scrapped or repaired separately. Use Credit if the replacement is also being charged, or leave unchecked for a like-for-like exchange.
reject
The returned goods are sent back to the customer — the return is refused after inspection (e.g. damage caused by customer misuse). No credit note should be issued.
| Disposition | Stock effect at Resolve | Typical condition pairing | Issue Credit? |
|---|---|---|---|
| restock | Stock increases by received qty | unopened, opened | Optional — only if refund needed |
| scrap | No stock change | damaged, defective | Usually yes |
| repair | Quarantine / work order | opened, damaged, defective | Optional |
| replace | No stock change (new unit shipped) | defective, damaged | Optional |
| reject | No stock change | Any | No |
Section 10
Status lifecycle
1 minute
Every RMA moves through a defined lifecycle. Each status determines which actions are available.
RMA created. Awaiting your review. Customer has not been cleared to ship.
→ Reject, Authorize
Customer cleared to ship the goods back. Awaiting physical arrival.
→ Cancel, Receive Goods
Goods arrived and inspected. Condition and disposition recorded per line. Ready to apply.
→ Resolve
All dispositions applied. Restocked items are back in stock. Credit notes generated for flagged lines. Return complete.
→ View only (read-only)
Return refused at Draft stage. No goods shipped or received. Terminal status.
→ View only (read-only)
Once an RMA is Closed or Rejected it cannot be reopened or changed. If an error was made at Resolve — e.g. the wrong disposition was applied — you will need to manually adjust stock and create any credit notes from the invoice directly.