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Returns in Zippendo are merchant-side labels. You book an inbound shipment (or let dispatch do it), print the label, and give it to the shopper. There is no customer return portal in the dashboard. Journey: Returns. Rule fields: Shipping rule fields. Pickup vs droppoint names: Droppoint vs service point.
Zippendo does not host a return portal. Carrier products such as GLS ShopReturn may email the shopper or show a QR — that is the carrier, not a Zippendo page.

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Two pieces

  1. An inbound shipping rule — Direction = Inbound (Return), with a return product.
  2. On the outbound rule you ship with, Return Shipping Rule points at that inbound rule.
Then either turn on Auto-create return on dispatch, or click Create Return Shipment after the outbound shipment is Dispatched.

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Inbound shipping rule

Shipping Rules → Add Shipping Rule. Direction helper: Outbound for regular shipments, inbound for returns. Options: Outbound, Inbound (Return).
Create Shipping Rule with Direction description outbound for regular shipments inbound for returnsCreate Shipping Rule with Direction description outbound for regular shipments inbound for returns

Direction — Outbound or Inbound (Return)

Inbound (Return) filters Product to return products. Empty: No inbound products available. Example on GLS Denmark: GLS ShopReturn, GLS Pick&Return.
Product dropdown showing GLS ShopReturn and GLS Pick and Return for inbound directionProduct dropdown showing GLS ShopReturn and GLS Pick and Return for inbound direction

Inbound (Return) product list — GLS ShopReturn and Pick&Return

Address is still Select the sender address for this rule and still lists sender-type addresses — even on inbound rules. Receiving Countries, conditions, hard limits, and Test are the same as outbound — Shipping rule fields.

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Attach it on the outbound rule

Open the outbound rule. Return Shipping:
Return Shipping section with Return Shipping Rule set to NoneReturn Shipping section with Return Shipping Rule set to None

Return Shipping — Return Shipping Rule None until you pick an inbound rule

Use auto-create when every outbound send should book a return. Leave it off when returns are the exception.

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Create an inbound shipment by hand

Shipments → Create shipment. Type *: Outbound (default) or Inbound. Placeholder Select type. When Type is Inbound:
Create shipment form with Type Inbound and Receiver AddressCreate shipment form with Type Inbound and Receiver Address

Create shipment with Type Inbound — Receiver Address

Add return-type addresses under Manage → Addresses — Sender addresses. The order Create Shipment modal (create-shipment-from-order) is always outbound. Use this create form (or Create Return below) for inbound. Reference * placeholder e.g., ORDER-12345. Parties, parcels, and send: Create a shipment, Send a shipment. Filter the list with Type = Inbound — Search and filters.

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Create Return Shipment (from a dispatched outbound)

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Shipment header

On a shipment Overview, Create Return Shipment (busy: Creating Return…) appears only when all of these are true:
  • Status is Dispatched
  • Type is Outbound
  • The shipment’s shipping rule has Return Shipping Rule set
  • Auto-create return on dispatch is off
There is no extra form. The click calls POST /orgs/:orgId/shipments/:shipmentId/create-return.

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Order Shipments tab

Overflow Create Return (busy: Creating Return…) uses the order’s shipping rule (returnShippingRuleId / autoCreateReturnShipment), not the shipment’s. Same dispatched + outbound checks. The API still resolves the shipment’s rule first, then the order’s, when it builds the return.
The docs org’s example shipments have no return rule, so Create Return Shipment is not on those screenshots. Configure the outbound rule first, dispatch, then the header action appears. Do not expect the button on a shipment that was booked without a return rule.

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What gets created

Toasts: Return shipment created successfully / Failed to create return shipment. Orders tab uses the same success copy.

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Automations

The builder includes action Create Return Shipment (action.shipment.create-return) with optional Return shipping rule. Configure it on Automations — do not duplicate the inspector here.