How long do returns take to process?

Most stores check a returned item within a few business days of it arriving, then refund it. The bank then adds its own processing time before the money shows.

Can Aide tell a customer their refund was issued?

Yes. Aide sees refunded amounts on the order, so it can confirm a refund for a verified shopper. Tracking the parcel back to you stays with your returns app and your team.

What should a return received email say?

That the item arrived, how long the check takes, where the refund goes, and that a confirmation follows once it is issued.

Return status update template

Where the return is, step by step.

Requested, approved, on its way back, received, refunded. Tell the customer which step they are on and what comes next.Updated November 3, 2026 · By Ziyad Basheer

Use this template free See the template

Short answer

A return moves through a few steps: requested, approved, shipped back, received and checked, then refunded. Tell the customer which step their return has reached and when the next one should happen.

The templates

Fills in from Shopify, with a fallbackYours to fill in

EmailReturn received

Subject: Your return for order.name has arrived

Hi customer.first_name, Your return for order.name has reached us. We check every item within 3 business days, and once yours passes, the refund is issued the same day. We will email you the moment it is issued.

ChatStill on its way back

Your return for order.name is approved, but it has not reached us yet. Returns usually take 5 to 7 business days to arrive once dropped off. If it is not here by date, reply and our team will check the return tracking.

Internal noteBefore you reply

Return status asked on order.name. Payment status: order.financial_status. Check the returns app for the return tracking, then reply with the current step and the next date.

When to use

The customer asks whether you received their return, or where it is in the process. Not when the return was accepted and they only ask about the refund.Aide picks a procedure from its When to use. Paste this into your procedure, then edit it for your store.

Only if

They ask about the returnMessages like “Did you get my return” match your return status topic.

The order matchesA matching order lets Aide see any refund already issued.

Example conversation

Customer

I sent back the jacket from #1052 last week. Any update on my return?

Aide

Thanks for checking. Your return for the jacket on #1052 was approved on October 20, and no refund has been issued yet, so it may still be on its way back. I have asked our team to check the return tracking, and they will reply here by the end of the next business day.

Customer

Okay, thank you.

✓Refunds on the order read from Shopify · Order #1052

Frequently asked questions

: Most stores check a returned item within a few business days of it arriving, then refund it. The bank then adds its own processing time before the money shows.
: Yes. Aide sees refunded amounts on the order, so it can confirm a refund for a verified shopper. Tracking the parcel back to you stays with your returns app and your team.
: That the item arrived, how long the check takes, where the refund goes, and that a confirmation follows once it is issued.

Refund after returnWhen the refund for a returned item arrives.Email · Chat · Internal note Return label requestWhere the return label is, or how to get one.Email · Chat · Internal note Refund confirmationThe refund is approved and issued.Email · Chat · Internal note Return requestThe customer wants to send an item back.Email · Chat · Internal note

Send this with the order filled in

Aide fills in the Shopify order and tracking, then drafts or sends the reply, as you choose.

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