Did you know that setting up a refund policy for your digital product shop is actually a crucialstep in launching your business? No, really! It may seem odd to think about giving people money back from the start, but it’s an important part of building a trustworthy, legit business your customers can trust.

By creating a refund policy and making it easily accessible to your customers, you’re setting yourself apart from your competition and making it less risky for your customers to purchase from you. It’s a seriously valuable asset! And I’m gonna show you how to set up a refund policy in Shopify for your shop.

Create your refund policy in your Shopify dashboard

First, log in to your Shopify account. On the Shopify dashboard, aka your Admin screen, click Settingsin the sidebar. Then, click the Legallink. 

You’ll be taken to the legal page, where you can add a refund policy, privacy policy, terms of service, and shipping policy. We’re focusing on your refund policy, for now, so scroll to that section and click the Create from templatebutton.

When you click that button, Shopify will auto-fill a generic refund policy for you in the edit box. The generated policy will talk about return eligibility, time period, exemptions, and requirements. It’ll also auto-fill your digital product shop’s website and contact information. When you’re happy with your policy, click the Savebutton in the top right corner.

This handy little feature will save you some time, but remember to read through the generated policy and edit it! For example, if your home address is auto-filled, you may want to remove or replace that info. We’ll talk about what you should include in your refund policy next.

Include all the essential info in your refund policy

A great return policy is simple and easy to understand. It should cover these basic details:

• What items can be returned or exchanged
• What items are exempt from your return policy, such as “final sale” items, or non-returnable and non-exchangeable items
• How long do customers have to return or exchange an item, such as 30 days past the purchase date
• What items can be returned for, such as a full monetary refund or store credit
• How to begin the return or exchange

Your refund policy doesn’t have to be long; in fact, the more straightforward it is, the better! Here’s an example:

If you’re unhappy with your order for any reason, we’re here to help! We offer free returns within 30 days of purchase. You may return your product for a different product, store credit, or a full refund. 

To begin a return, please click [here] to send a message to our support team. 

Please note: Discounted items are final sale and cannot be returned or exchanged.

There you have it. A basic refund policy that covers it all!

Refunding digital products

Returns of digital products can be tricky since customers gain immediate access to said products. You’ll notice some companies who sell digital products make them non-refundable and “All sales are final” for that reason.

The terms of your refund policy — what you allow to be returned, how long customers have, whether you’ll provide full refunds — are up to you, but I suggest you don’t refuse to do refundscompletely. A strict refund policy may earn you a bad reputation and unnecessary stress dealing with unhappy customers.

People want to feel safe when making a purchase, and a refund policy can do that. You might think that limiting refunds will save you money. But honestly, offering refunds can help boost your digital product sales because it’s part of good customer service.

Link to your refund policy in the right places

Once your refund policy is set up, all you have to do is link it in the right places. You definitely want your customers to see it when they’re trying to decide whether to buy from your store! Again, having a refund policy shows your potential customers that they can trust you with their money.

I suggest linking your refund policy in the following places in your digital product shop:

• Website footer 
• On your refund request page, support page, or contact page (whatever page customers must navigate to in order to start a refund)
• In your FAQ 
• On your product page
• In any order confirmation emails

Don’t hide your refund policy thinking that customers will change their minds if they can’t find it! If you make the information harder to find, you’ll just frustrate them more. Link your policy in the appropriate places so you build even more trust with your audience.

Build trust between you and your customers with a solid refund policy

I get it — creating a refund policy and broadcasting it on the internet can be a little scary. It almost feels like you’re encouraging people to ask for their money back.

But what’s scarier: having a refund policy that will improve customer satisfaction and the customer experience? Or not having a refund policy, losing potential customers, and losing unhappy customers? The choice is yours.