Following Zara’s announcement that it is to charge consumers for returns, the era of the free return could be coming to an end – but how can retailers make paid returns as frictionless as possible?
Returns are one of the biggest deal breakers in ecommerce, with 48% of European consumers claiming returning is a big hassle for them. At the same time, many merchants aim to process returns more efficiently in order to cut costs and reduce the carbon footprint of return flows. While implementing a return fee can help to cut costs and improve sustainability, having to deduct a return fee manually every time you process a refund can be a burden.
In an exclusive partnership with Mollie, Sendcloud has launched Paid Returns to tackle this issue. Merchants using Sendcloud’s Return Portal, can enable payment for returns to process return fees in the return portal via Mollie. The feature allows merchants to automatically and effortlessly charge customers for the price of their return label while offering a smooth return process at the same time.
How does Paid Returns work?
Merchants integrated with Sendcloud can easily add the Return Portal to their online stores to offer a smooth return experience. Once enabled, merchants can activate Paid Returns by connecting their Mollie account with Sendcloud. Merchants can use smart ‘return rules’ to manage who will be charged for returns. For merchants who don’t yet have a Mollie account, creation and set up is simple, easy, and offers immediate support.
Once activated, shoppers can easily create a return using the Sendcloud Return Portal. After entering a return, shoppers will be redirected to the payment page where they can select their preferred payment method. A return shipping label will become available for download once the payment is accepted.
“Merchants often preconceive the returns process to be a real headache and have been struggling with the rising costs of returns for years. However, after Zara’s announcement to start charging consumers for returns, the end of an era seems to be near,” explains Rob van den Heuvel, CEO and Co-founder of Sendcloud. “We are proud to partner with Mollie to simplify the complexity of paid returns. By allowing online businesses to easily process return fees using a wide range of payment options throughout Europe, we are able to offer both consumers and merchants an easy returns process.”
“Mollie constantly strives to offer the best payments experience to our customers in order for them to thrive in the e-commerce landscape,” adds Ken Serdons, Chief Commercial Officer at Mollie. “There is a clear rise in the need for an easy, seamless, and efficient paid returns process, and we’re delighted to partner with Sendcloud to help meet that demand.”
