Per-request cost breakdown
Return, refund-and-keep and exchange costs side by side, in dollars.
You see why, not just what.
Returns, decided by the numbers
Stop paying $14 to get back a $9 item.
Return Math works out what each return request will really cost: the label, the restocking time and what the item will resell for. Then it recommends refund-and-keep, an exchange or a normal return, under rules you set.
- Cost breakdown for every request
- Keep-it threshold, restocking fee and repeat-claim cap
- No returns portal to install or pay monthly for
Small stores lose money on returns they shouldn't accept
When an item is cheap, heavy or shipped from an overseas supplier, the return label can cost more than the item. Big returns platforms have keep-it rules, but they're priced for big stores, and most small stores just approve every return the same way.
- A return label overseas often costs more than a low-price item.
- Opened items resell at a discount, if they resell at all.
- Repeat claimers get the same generous treatment as everyone else.
- Nobody tallies what each return decision actually cost.
How it works
- 01
Request comes in
Item, price, reason and customer history land in one inbox.
- 02
Costs are worked out
Label, handling, restocking fee and expected resale value per outcome.
- 03
Rules are applied
Your keep-it threshold, restocking fee and repeat-claim cap.
- 04
One recommendation
Refund & keep, exchange or return, with the saving shown.
- 05
You approve it
Approve or override. Every decision adds to the savings tally.
What you get
Keep-it threshold
Below a value you set, the customer keeps the item and gets a refund.
No more paying shipping to retrieve a $9 item.
Repeat-claim cap
Customers past your claim limit are flagged and always routed to a normal return.
Generous to most, firm with a few.
Exchange first
When a size or colour swap is cheaper than a refund, it's suggested first.
Keep the revenue on the books.
Damaged-item rule
Damaged items skip the threshold: send a replacement or refund, without paying to ship broken goods back.
No labels for items you will bin.
Savings tally
A running total of what each decision saved against returning everything.
Proof the policy is working.
Why it beats the usual setup
| If you use… | What happens today | With Return Math |
|---|---|---|
| Loop ($155–$340/mo) | Full returns portal with keep-item and exchange logic, priced for brands at scale. | The decision maths on its own, without a portal subscription. |
| ReturnGO ($147–$297/mo) | Rules engine inside a full returns platform. | Keep-it, exchange and abuse rules you can set in a minute. |
| AfterShip Returns ($19/mo for 20 returns; custom rules on $119/mo) | Cheap entry tier, but custom workflows sit on the higher plan. | Every rule included, no per-return cap. |
| Approving every return manually | Free, but every return is treated the same and costs go untracked. | A recommendation and a dollar saving for each request. |
Competitor prices are list prices checked 1 Nov 2026 (vendor pricing pages and Shopify App Store listings); they change often. Product names belong to their owners.
Current status
- Pre-revenue: 0 customers so far.
- The public demo uses sample return requests only; no store is connected.
- Store connection (Shopify orders and returns) is the main item a buyer would add.
- Return Math recommends outcomes; it does not issue refunds or labels.
Questions
Move the keep-it slider and watch the decisions change.
The demo runs in your browser with sample data. No sign-up, no store connection.
Open the live demo