Earlier this year we let you know that we’d be committing to bringing you tools that give you more flexibility to run your business on your terms. We know that as a creative business owner, you sell a range of unique items—some of which may or may not be returnable, like custom made or one-of-a-kind items. And we’ve heard from sellers that only being able to set one return policy doesn’t meet your needs. So we worked directly with sellers to listen and learn on how we could improve the tools you use to set your shop policies. That’s why we’re excited to announce that you can now set different return policies for each listing in your shop instead of just one return policy for your entire shop. This means you can make it clearer to buyers which items from your shop, if any, can be returned. As always, accepting returns is entirely optional and based on your individual business needs.

What do listing-specific policies mean for you? We’ve outlined the specifics below, but if you have an existing return policy, we ask that you update to the new listing-specific policies by October 31, 2022. With your feedback and input, we’ve created simple to use tools that allow you to edit your policies, and you can make changes any time after October 31. This will make it easier for buyers to see clear return policies in the same place across the Etsy marketplace. This is especially important for the busy holiday shopping season, so that your buyers have the information they need, and you can save time answering questions about your policies.

To learn more, find the section below that closely matches your current shop return policy, and we’ll guide you on what to do next. (Not sure what your current return policy is? Find out here.)

• I currently accept returns.
• I don’t accept returns.
• I have a written, custom return policy.
• I don’t have a return policy.
• I sell digital items.

If you’ve already taken a look at the sections above and want to dig deeper, you can learn about the new tools for returns along with frequently asked questions below.

• New tools
• FAQs

I currently accept returns

We understand changes like this can take time away from running your business. So to make this easier and more seamless for you, we took the current policy you set for your shop and applied it to your individual listings. This isn’t visible to buyers yet.

We want to make sure that your shop’s existing return policy still makes sense for all of your listings. So go into the Policy Settings page of your Shop Manager to review, make any changes, and publish your new listing policies by October 31. You can go into your Shop Manager any time after October 31 to make additional changes or adjustments to your listing policies.

If you need to make changes to multiple listings at the same time or want to apply the same return policy to multiple listings, you can easily do this from the Listings Manager.

Check out the “New tools” section below to learn how to update return policies for multiple listings at once.

I don’t accept returns

If you don’t accept returns in your shop, no problem! Accepting returns is entirely optional. We recognize that there are certain types of listings where returns may not be appropriate, like custom made or one-of-a-kind items. If you want to continue to have a “no returns” policy for your shop, you don’t have to take any action. You can always update return policies for certain listings if you’d like. For items that don’t accept returns, buyers will see that they can contact the seller with any issues.

If you’re interested in changing your return policies, learn more here.

I have a written, custom return policy

If you currently have a written return policy, meaning the policy was created by you, outside of the standard choices provided by Etsy, we won’t support those anymore. That’s because we’ve heard from buyers that it would be helpful to see consistent return policies in the same place across Etsy. We know that as a small business, it’s important for you to maintain your voice and your branding, so you’ll still be able to use the FAQ section of your shop to add a personal touch to your shop.

If you only have a written return policy, please make sure you go to Shop Manager to set up return policies for your listings. Don’t worry, if you don’t review or make changes to your written return policies by October 31, we won’t show buyers any return policy for your listings. You can always make changes to your return policy anytime after October 31.

I don’t have a return policy

To create a return policy, go to Shop Manager > Settings > Policy Settings. You can create multiple return policies on this page that can be used for your different listings. You can also create one return policy and apply it to all of your listings. If you decide to accept returns, you’ll be able to customize your policy with information like when the buyer needs to send the item back to you.

Check out the “New tools” section below to learn more about creating a return policy for individual listings.

As always, accepting returns is optional and based on your individual business needs—we understand that returns don’t always make sense for certain types of items.

I sell digital items

As part of this change, sellers will no longer be able to accept returns for these listings since there isn’t a way for buyers to return them on Etsy. However, if a buyer reaches out to you regarding a digital listing they purchased, you’re free to resolve the issue as you see fit. We’ll make sure it’s clear to buyers that digital listings are not returnable.

New tools

We understand that managing your listings can take time, so we’ve developed some new tools to make this process easier, including the ability to update policies for multiple listings at once. Get familiar with them here.

Converting your existing shop policy into listing specific policies (sellers with existing shop policies only):

When you go into Shop Manager, we’ll guide you through what’s changing, and you’ll be prompted to review the shop policy that we applied to your listings (this is your existing policy!).

You can either publish now if everything looks okay or make any changes you need before your listing specific policies are shown to buyers on October 31. Don’t worry, you can make changes anytime after October 31.

How to create a new return policy and assign it to your listings:

Create a return policy: Go to Shop Manager > Settings > Policy Settings. You can create multiple return policies on this page that can be used for your different listings. If you decide to accept returns, you’ll be able to customize your policy with information like when the buyer needs to send the item back to you.

Apply a return policy to a listing: You can do this via the dropdown on the individual listing page. If you’d like to apply the same return policy to multiple listings, you can do this via the Listings Manager.

Bulk-edit: Apply return policies to multiple listings at once:

FAQs

For sellers with existing shop policies:

What happens if I don’t make updates to my return policy by October 31?

No problem, we’ve got you covered. We’ll simply apply your shop’s existing return policy to each of your listings, and you can change that at any time.

Can I keep my existing return policy?

Yes, you can keep your existing return policy. What’s different is that now return policies are set for each of your listings instead of your entire shop. If you currently don’t accept returns across your entire shop, you can continue to do that across all of your listing return policies. To make this change easier for you, if you had an existing return policy, we already applied that to your individual listings. Check to make sure that return policy still makes sense for your listings.

What happens if I want to make changes to the return policies that were applied to my listings?

No problem! If you had an existing return policy, we applied this to your listings to make this easier for you. We want to make sure that your existing return policy still makes sense for your listings, so we’re asking you to review and make any changes before these are shown to buyers on October 31. If you’d like to make changes to multiple listings at the same time, you can do this quickly in the Listings Manager. If you don’t review before October 31, we’ll still show these to buyers, but don’t worry, you can always make changes any time after October 31!

How did Etsy determine the return policies applied to my listings?

We took your existing return policy that you previously set for your shop and applied it to your listings. Curious what your current return policy is? Find out here.

Where can I check the return policies that have been applied to my listings?

Go to Shop Manager > Settings > Policy Settings. You can also review them here.

General FAQs:

Do I have to accept returns?

No, accepting returns is entirely optional and is based on your personal business needs. We recognize that there are certain types of listings where returns may not be appropriate, like custom made or one-of-a-kind items.

Can I include text in a return policy?

No, we’ll no longer support written return policies after October 31. We’ve heard from buyers that it would be helpful to see consistent return policies in the same place across Etsy. We know that as a small business it’s important for you to maintain your voice and your branding, so you’ll still be able to use the FAQ section of your shop to add a personal touch to your shop.

How do I create a return policy or apply a return policy to a listing?

To create a return policy, go to Shop Manager > Settings > Policy Settings. You can create multiple return policies on this page that can then be used for your different listings. If you decide to accept returns, you’ll be able to customize your policy with information like when the buyer needs to send the item back to you.

To apply a return policy to a listing, you can do this via the dropdown on the individual listing page. If you’d like to apply the same return policy to multiple listings, you can do this via the Listings Manager.

What does this mean for buyers?

Buyers will start to see your updated return policies by October 31, or if you publish them earlier. However, there won’t be a change to the way that buyers see your policies–they’ll still see if returns are accepted or not. If returns are accepted, they’ll also see the return window you’ve indicated. For digital listings, we explain to the buyer that because the item is a digital listing, the buyer can’t return it. However, if a buyer reaches out to you regarding a digital listing they purchased, you’re free to resolve the issue as you see fit. To start a return, buyers will still need to reach out to you if they want to return their order, just like they do today.

Can I update multiple of my listings at the same time?

Yes! In Listings Manager, you can quickly apply the same return policy to multiple listings at once to save you time. See the “new tools” section above for more info.

Is Etsy managing buyer fraud?

Yes, we’ll monitor for buyer abuse of returns to protect the seller community.

How do new listing specific return policies work with Etsy’s Purchase Protection program?

With Etsy’s Purchase Protection program, for qualifying orders up to $250, Etsy will refund buyers and you’ll keep your earnings if a buyer doesn’t receive their order or it arrives damaged (arrives damaged is covered for the first instance per calendar year). Otherwise, all sales are subject to the return policy that you set for your listing(s). If you decide to accept returns, you’ll be able to customize your policy with information like when the buyer needs to send the item back to you.