Merchant Center Returns
Return and refund policy requirements
One page, one window, the same facts in Merchant Center.
Google expects a return policy a shopper can open without an account. It should cover ordinary returns, not only defects, and state the window, the method and any fee. That page should be its own URL, not a paragraph inside the FAQ. The Merchant Center return settings have to say the same thing.
Put these on the page
- How long the shopper has.
- Who pays the return postage, and any restocking fee.
- Where the item goes, or how a label is issued.
- When the refund is sent, and in what form.
- Exceptions you really apply, such as hygiene seals.
Google’s setup guide says a policy can be rejected when those details are missing, even if the account settings match a vague page. Keep the footer link, the returns page and any banner in agreement. A 30-day page and a 14-day setting is a rejection waiting to happen.
Questions people ask
Can returns live inside the terms of sale?
Google’s best-practice guide asks for a separate return policy URL, not one combined with the FAQ, terms or privacy.
What if I do not accept returns?
Say so clearly, where the law allows it, and put the same rule in Merchant Center. A hidden “no returns” line at checkout is a different story from the homepage.
Do dropshippers need a returns address?
They need a path that works. “Email us” with no method, fee or window does not let anyone verify the policy.
Google’s own pages