When you need to make exceptions (such as allowing a return for an item past return window) to your return policy to process a return, starting a return as an admin allows you to bypass your own return restrictions and policies.

Starting a return as an admin allows you to bypass your return policies that prevent your shopper’s from starting item returns via your Return & Exchange Portal, such as: 

• Final sale 

• Past the return window 

• Items labeled “Contact customer service” (which may be due to your Shopify tags) 

• Greyed-out and unselectable items 

However, there are some policies that cannot be bypassed via an admin return. See the Limitations section for more details. 

To start a return as an admin: 

1. Login to your dashboard 

2. Click the button on the top left labeled Start a Return.

3. You’ll know you’ve started an admin return if you see the red label Admin Mode above your store name.

4. You can navigate the Return & Exchange portal as you normally would, with the added ability to select and start returns for previously unreturnable items. 

   1. Previously unreturnable items will still have labels detailing why the item is unreturnable to shoppers, but in admin mode you can now select those items for return. 

   2. Shopify merchants will also have the option of setting Admin return reasons. 

The following are considerations when starting admin returns: 

• If an admin return is started via the shopper email login method, the shopper will not be sent an email with a link to start their portal return. Instead, you will be automatically granted access to all historical orders associated to the shopper email, with no login emails sent to the shopper. 

• Admin return portal screens and emails will remain in English, regardless of what multi-language portal settings you have configured. 

 
The following are limitations when starting admin returns: 

• If Exchanges or Gift Cards are disabled (have a return window of 0 days) on your Return Policies page, these return options will remain unavailable in admin mode. However, Refunds will always be available in admin mode, regardless of whether they are enabled or not. 

• This is also true for gift returns. You cannot start a gift return, even in admin mode, if Gift Cards are not enabled in your Return Policies. 

• Only users actively logged into your dashboard, and with admin privileges, can start an admin portal return. If a user has been logged into your dashboard for more than 4 hours, then they will have to log-out and log-in to the dashboard again prior to starting an admin return as dashboard access token expires every 4 hours. 

Shopify merchants have the option of adding Admin return reasons. These are item return reasons that are only visible via admin returns and consequently are only available to your customer/return management team. Learn more about Admin return reasons and how to create reason reasons here.