Self-Service Returns for Shopify

Returns Your Customers Handle Themselves

A branded return portal your shoppers use on their own, so requests stop arriving as support email. Every one lands in a single queue where you review it and choose the outcome — refund, store credit or exchange. Prepaid labels are optional, and billed at the carrier's rate plus 1%.

Install on Shopify View Live Demo
Free
No subscription, ever
5 min
Setup time
Instant
Exchange shipping

What is ForthRoute?

ForthRoute is a Shopify returns management app that turns every return into an opportunity to keep the sale. Customers can exchange for a different size, take store credit, or even keep the item with a refund — all before a refund is ever issued.

The branded portal and optional QR code labels take the back-and-forth support email out of returns. Approval rules can clear the routine cases for you, and your warehouse can post status updates back to ForthRoute over an authenticated endpoint. Refunds stay with you: there is no automatic refund trigger, and nothing is issued without your say-so.

Merchant Dashboard

Track All Returns in One Place

See pending, in-transit, and completed returns at a glance. Approve requests, generate shipping labels, and process refunds without leaving Shopify.

  • Real-time status updates
  • One-click label generation
  • SLA compliance tracking
ForthRoute returns dashboard showing pending returns, status tracking, and one-click approval
Branded customer return portal with order lookup and item selection
Customer Portal

Beautiful Branded Returns

Give customers a seamless return experience with your logo, colors, and messaging. They enter their order number, select items, and get a QR code in seconds.

  • Custom branding
  • Mobile-friendly design
  • 3-step return process
Features

Built to Keep More of Every Sale

Every feature is designed to recover revenue first, then handle the logistics.

Store Credit & Exchanges

Offer store credit or an exchange alongside a refund, and let the shopper choose at request time. You still confirm every outcome before anything is issued.

Smart Exchange Suggestions

When a customer returns for size or color, ForthRoute shows available alternatives in the portal. Turn refunds into exchanges before they ever reach your inbox.

Store Credit & Green Returns

Offer store credit with a bonus incentive, or refund and let customers keep low-value items. Keep the revenue either way — no return shipping required.

Optional Approval Rules

Auto-approve by order value, return reason or customer history, and block repeat abusers. Rules mark a return approved and ready to action — issuing the refund is still your call, every time.

Branded Customer Portal

Your logo, colors, and messaging. Customers initiate returns directly from your store — no support ticket, no email thread, no manual back-and-forth.

QR Code Shipping Labels

Customers show a QR code at USPS, UPS, or FedEx — the carrier prints it for them. No printer needed, no friction, no reason for a customer to abandon the return.

How It Works

Start Processing Returns in 5 Minutes

No developers needed. Just install, configure, and go.

1

Install the App

One-click install from the Shopify App Store. No coding required.

2

Set Your Policy

Configure return windows, restocking fees, and approval rules.

3

Add Return Address

Enter where returns should ship. You can then buy a prepaid label per return, or let the shopper arrange their own.

4

Go Live

Customers access the portal from your store. You approve from your dashboard.

Pricing

No Subscription. No Catch.

The app is free. The only charge is a prepaid return label, if you choose to buy one — the carrier rate plus a 1% handling fee, rounded up to the next $0.10, billed via Shopify usage billing.

No Subscription
ForthRoute
$0/month

Every feature included — no plans, no tiers, nothing to expire

Unlimited return requests
Prepaid labels with QR codes
Smart exchange suggestions
Optional approval rules
Branded customer portal
Analytics & product insights
Inbound 3PL status webhooks
Install on Shopify

Return Shipping Labels — Optional, Pay Per Label

Labels are optional. When you buy one, you pay the carrier rate plus a 1% handling fee, rounded up to the next $0.10 — a $7.00 carrier rate is billed as $7.10.

Billed through Shopify usage billing, with a monthly cap you control (default $100). You can also connect your own carrier account and pay the carrier directly instead.

Why Merchants Choose ForthRoute

Returns are inevitable. Revenue loss isn't.

No Subscription

Every feature included, with no plan tiers and no per-return charge. The only thing that costs money is a prepaid label, if you choose to buy one: the carrier's rate plus a 1% handling fee, rounded up to the next $0.10, through Shopify usage billing.

Live Without a Developer

Install from the Shopify App Store, add your return address and brand colours, and your portal is live. No code, and no separate account to create.

Built Into Shopify

Native Polaris UI, App Bridge, and webhooks mean it works exactly where your team already works — inside Shopify admin, not a separate tab.

FAQ

Common Questions

Everything you need to know about ForthRoute

How long does it take to set up ForthRoute?

Install from the Shopify App Store, set your return window and reasons, enter the address returns should ship to, and add the portal link to your storefront. No coding is required. How long that takes depends on how much of your return policy you want to configure up front.

What carriers are supported for prepaid labels?

For shipments originating in the US: USPS, UPS and FedEx, with QR codes so customers can drop off without printing. Outside the US we cannot broker a label for you today — connect your own carrier account instead, or let shoppers arrange their own return shipping.

How much do shipping labels cost?

The app has no subscription. Prepaid labels are optional, and only cost anything when you choose to buy one: the carrier rate plus a 1% handling fee, rounded up to the next $0.10 — a $7.00 carrier rate is billed as $7.10. Charges go through Shopify usage billing, with a monthly cap you control (default $100). You can also connect your own carrier account and pay the carrier directly.

How do customers start a return?

Customers visit your-store.com/apps/returns (via Shopify App Proxy), enter their email and order number, then select the items they want to return. If you have chosen to provide a prepaid label, they receive a QR code once you approve the return.

Does ForthRoute work with my 3PL or warehouse?

Partly. Your warehouse can POST status updates to an authenticated inbound endpoint when a return is received or inspected, using an API key you generate in Settings. ForthRoute does not currently send outbound webhooks to your systems, and it does not drive restocking.

What Shopify plan do I need?

ForthRoute works with all Shopify plans including Basic, Shopify, Advanced, and Plus. No minimum order volume or special requirements.

Can ForthRoute fully automate my returns?

No. Refunds are always initiated by you — there is no automatic refund trigger. You can optionally set auto-approval rules based on order value, return reason or customer history, which move a matching return to approved so it is ready for you to action; approving is not the same as refunding. ForthRoute can also show an advisory suggestion on each return, but it never decides on your behalf.

Can customers return items without a printer?

Yes, when you provide a prepaid label. ForthRoute generates QR code labels a customer can show on their phone at a carrier drop-off point, with no printing required.

Ready to Keep More Revenue?

Stop watching revenue walk out the door with every return. Install ForthRoute free in minutes — no subscription, no credit card.

Install on Shopify