In the world of e-commerce, returns are an inevitable part of the operation. Either because the customer does not understand what they are buying, because the product does not meet their expectations or because they simply want something different. It is likely that as an online store owner you have had to deal with some returns.

First of all, a return is when a customer who has received a product or service requests a refund and asks for the product to be returned. Currently, it is possible for a customer to request a return before the product has even reached their hands but is still in transit, this is known as "cancellation", but many online stores use the term "return" to both processes, either for a cancellation or for a return once the product has been delivered.

It is important to understand this difference if you are the owner of an online store or a complete e-commerce as it can have a significant impact in terms of logistics and costs. For example, reverse logistics to pick up a product at a customer's home is usually more expensive than returning it to a collection point. For this reason, many online stores ask their customers to notify a cancellation before a specific period of time and to bring the product to a collection point for a return.