Return and exchange policy for an online store in Pakistan

Most return policies in Pakistan are a single line in an Instagram highlight: “No return, no exchange.” Then the first wrong size arrives and the seller makes it up in the DMs. Below is every decision a policy needs, with what works for cash on delivery, and a sample you can copy.

If you want the finished text now, the free store policy generator asks how your store works and writes a return and exchange policy, plus shipping, privacy and terms, with a short Roman Urdu or Urdu version for WhatsApp.

The six things to decide

1. What the buyer gets back: an exchange, store credit or money.
2. How many days they have, and from which day you count.
3. What condition the item must be in.
4. Who pays the courier, out and back.
5. What you never take back.
6. How a wrong or damaged item is reported.

Decide these once, write them down, and give every buyer the same answer.

Exchange, refund or store credit

Treat two kinds of return differently.

• Your mistake: wrong item, wrong size sent, damaged, missing piece. The buyer chooses: a replacement, or their money back. You pay the courier.
• Their choice: size does not fit, colour not liked, changed their mind. Offer an exchange for another size or item, or store credit. Money back is optional, and most clothing brands do not offer it for a change of mind.

Exchange keeps the sale. Store credit does too, but write how long it lasts and whether it can be used on sale items. If the size they want is out of stock, pay the money back. Telling a buyer to wait for a restock that may never come turns a fair exchange into a complaint.

How many days, and counted from when

Count from the day the parcel is delivered, not the order date. A buyer in a small town can wait four or five days for the parcel, and a window counted from the order would be gone before it arrives.

• Reporting a wrong or damaged item: short, 24–48 hours after delivery. These show up the moment the parcel is opened.
• Asking for an exchange: 3–7 days after delivery is a workable window for small sellers. Longer windows win some trust, but the piece sits away from your stock.

Say what “asking” means: a WhatsApp message with the order number inside the window. The parcel can reach you after it.

The condition it has to come back in

Spell it out, item by item, so nobody argues at the door:

• Unworn, unwashed, no perfume or makeup marks.
• Tags attached, original packing and any dupatta, belt or extra piece included.
• For shoes, no outdoor wear on the soles.
• For cosmetics and fragrances, sealed and unused.

Check every return the day it arrives, photograph it, and only then send the exchange or the money. If it fails the check, message the buyer with the photos and send it back at their cost, as your policy says.

Who pays the courier, both ways

An exchange is two trips: the old piece back to you, and the new one out. Your policy has to say who pays each.

• Your mistake: you pay both trips.
• Their choice: the buyer pays both, or sends the piece back at their cost and you pay for the new one to go out. Pick one and write it.

Give the buyer a way to send it. Either they book any courier to your address, or you book the pickup and add the charge to the new parcel’s COD amount. The second is easier for the buyer, and you know which courier has it. To quote the charge, check your courier’s rates in the courier charges calculator.

A parcel refused at the door is not a return under your policy. The buyer never accepted it, and you usually pay the courier for it anyway. That problem has its own fixes, covered in how to reduce COD returns.

What you do not take back

List these by name. A buyer can only agree to what they were told.

• Unstitched fabric once it is cut or stitched. Uncut, with the packing and tags, can still be exchanged like anything else.
• Stitched to measure, altered or custom pieces. A suit made to the buyer’s sizes cannot be sold to anyone else. Ask for confirmation of measurements in writing before you cut, and take an advance on these.
• Innerwear, opened cosmetics, fragrances and jewellery for pierced ears, for hygiene.
• Sale items, if you choose. Many brands say sale items are not exchanged. If you do, put “final sale” on the product page itself, not only in the policy.

None of this covers your own mistakes. A custom suit stitched to the wrong size, or a sale item sent damaged, is still yours to fix.

Selling clothes? Our guide on how to start a clothing brand in Pakistan covers size charts in inches and sampling, which stop most size exchanges before they start.

Refunding a cash on delivery order

The buyer paid the rider in cash. There is no card to reverse, so you send the money yourself. Do it the same way every time:

1. Wait until the item is back with you and has passed your check. For your own mistakes on a low-price item, you can refund on the photos.
2. Ask the buyer in WhatsApp for the account: bank account and IBAN, or a JazzCash or Easypaisa number, with the account holder’s name.
3. Check the name matches the buyer or someone they named in writing. Do not send money to a number a stranger sends you mid-chat.
4. Send it, and send them the transaction ID or a screenshot.
5. Note the amount, method and transaction ID on the order.

Say in the policy how much is refunded (the product price, and whether the delivery charge is included) and how soon, for example within 3 working days of the item reaching you. Count on your own cash flow: the courier may not have paid you for that parcel yet.

Refunds usually go out by bank or wallet transfer. If you send them often, a JazzCash business account or Easypaisa merchant account keeps them apart from your own money.

Wrong or damaged items, and the unboxing video

Many Pakistani sellers ask for an unboxing video for wrong, damaged or missing item claims. It works when it is fair:

• Ask for it in the policy, before the order, and on the product page if the item is fragile.
• Ask for one continuous video that starts with the sealed parcel and shows the courier label.
• Use it to settle claims fast, not to refuse them. If a buyer has clear photos of a wrong item but no video, and your records agree, fix it.

Do your half too. Photograph each order before you seal it, and film the packing of expensive ones. Ten seconds settles most “the box was empty” claims. Good packing stops most damage claims: see packaging for an online business.

If the courier damaged it, the claim is between you and the courier. Pay the buyer first and chase the courier after, with the tracking number and photos. On Storelala, you book PostEx, Leopards or TCS from the order screen, so the courier and tracking number are on the order when you need them.

For what to say to the buyer when one of these claims comes in, see how to handle customer complaints.

Show the policy before the order

A policy the buyer sees after the parcel arrives does not count for much. Put it in four places:

• Your store: a policy page linked in the footer, and one line near the order button: “7-day exchange. Wrong or damaged? We fix it free.”
• Instagram: an “Exchange” highlight with the short version. Our guide to selling on Instagram in Pakistan covers what else goes in your highlights.
• WhatsApp: the short version saved as a quick reply, sent with every order confirmation.
• The confirmation call: one sentence, “Size change 7 din mein ho sakta hai, delivery charges aap ke.”

Put a printed card in the parcel too, with your WhatsApp number and the exchange window.

What the law says

This is what the texts say, quoted. It is not legal advice; for your own case, ask a lawyer.

The Punjab Consumer Protection Act 2005, section 20: “Return and refund policy of a seller shall be disclosed to the buyer clearly before the transaction is completed by means of a sign at the point of purchase.” The Sindh Consumer Protection Act 2014 has a section 20 with the same words. Neither section sets a number of days or says a seller must refund. Both Acts were written for shops; for an online store, the closest thing to “a sign at the point of purchase” is the policy on the product page and before the order is placed.

Section 19 of both Acts says a seller of goods shall issue a receipt showing the date of sale, a description of the goods, the quantity and price, and the seller’s name and address. A printed invoice in the parcel covers it; the free invoice generator makes one.

Under section 28 of the Punjab Act, a buyer with a complaint must first give written notice, the seller must reply within fifteen days, and a claim goes to a consumer court within thirty days of the cause of action, with some room for the court to allow more. A clear written policy and an answer to every complaint keep most disputes from getting that far.

The Ministry of Commerce E-Commerce Policy of Pakistan (2019) is a policy, not an Act. It says the existing consumer protection laws, naming the Islamabad Consumer Protection Act 1995, the Punjab Act 2005 and the Sindh Act, “will be amended” for online transactions. Its code of conduct says platforms will display prices clearly, give the seller’s name, address, phone and email, and show a phone number and email “on a complaint form for redressing consumers’ complaints”. As a seller, put your phone, email and city on your policy page. It costs nothing, and buyers trust it.

A sample return and exchange policy

Change the days, amounts and exclusions to fit your store:

• Wrong or damaged item: message us on WhatsApp at 03XX-XXXXXXX within 48 hours of delivery with your order number and an unboxing video or clear photos. We send a replacement or refund the full amount, and we pay the courier both ways.
• Size or change of mind: message us within 7 days of delivery. We exchange for another size or item, or give store credit valid for 3 months. Delivery charges both ways are yours.
• Condition: unworn, unwashed, tags on, in the original packing with all pieces.
• Not exchanged: cut or stitched unstitched fabric, stitched-to-measure orders, innerwear, opened cosmetics and fragrances, and items marked final sale.
• Refunds: paid by bank transfer, JazzCash or Easypaisa to an account in your name within 3 working days of the item reaching us. Delivery charges are refunded only when the mistake was ours.
• Contact: [store name], [city], [phone], [email].

Or answer a few questions in the store policy generator and get this written out in full, with a short Roman Urdu or Urdu version for your highlights and WhatsApp.

Questions sellers ask

Is a return policy required by law in Pakistan?

The Punjab Consumer Protection Act 2005 and the Sindh Consumer Protection Act 2014 both have a section 20 that says a seller’s return and refund policy shall be disclosed to the buyer clearly before the transaction is completed. Neither section sets a number of days or says you must give refunds. Read the Act for your province, and ask a lawyer if you need advice on your case.

Should an online clothing brand offer exchange or refund?

Most clothing sellers offer exchange for size and change of mind, and money back only when the item is wrong, damaged or out of stock for the exchange. Whatever you choose, write it down and say it on the confirmation call.

How do I refund a cash on delivery order?

Once the item is back and checked, send the money by bank transfer, JazzCash or Easypaisa to an account in the buyer’s name. Get the details in writing, send the transaction ID or a screenshot, and note it on the order.

Who pays delivery charges on an exchange?

A common split: the seller pays both ways when the item was wrong or damaged, and the buyer pays when they want a different size or changed their mind. State it in the policy, with the amount if you can.

Can I refuse returns on sale items?

You can say sale items are not exchanged for a change of mind, as many brands do, as long as it is written in the policy before the order. A wrong or damaged item is still your mistake to fix, sale or not.

Why do sellers ask for an unboxing video?

It shows the parcel arriving sealed and what was inside, so a claim of a wrong, damaged or missing item can be settled quickly. Ask for it in the policy before the order, not after a complaint, and do not reject a clear claim only because there is no video.

Storelala is the Shopify alternative in Pakistan: your own store at yourbrand.storelala.com, cash on delivery, JazzCash, Easypaisa and cards at checkout, no marketplace commission, and free to start with no card needed. Start your store and put your return policy where buyers see it before they order.