A return pickup is a courier booked to collect an approved return or exchange from the shopper's address and bring it back to you. Mercayo books it through your own Shiprocket account (the one that books your deliveries; Shipway is coming), keeps its AWB and scans on the return, tells the shopper, and marks the return received when the parcel is back with you. Anyone who can see orders can see the pickup; booking, cancelling and recording a parcel need the right to process orders (the owner, admins and Order Manager).
Before You Start
- Connect Shiprocket in Settings › Delivery Rates and PIN Codes, and add at least one pickup address there: returns come back to it.
- Return pickups are on by default. Their settings are in Settings › Returns and Exchanges › Return Pickups:
| Setting | Default | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Return pickups by courier | On | Shows BOOK RETURN PICKUP on approved returns and exchanges |
| Book the pickup when you approve | Off | Books the courier the moment you press APPROVE |
| Mark received when it is back | On | Marks the return or exchange received when the courier delivers it to you |
| Ask the courier to check the item | Off | Sends Shiprocket's quality check fields: the courier checks the item's name and size before collecting |
| Where returns come back to | Empty | A pickup address's name (Shiprocket) or warehouse id (Shipway); empty: the address your parcels leave from |
The shopper's Return pickup email is in Settings › Notifications, on by default.
Book a Pickup
- Open Orders › Exchanges › Returns and click the return (for an exchange, open the exchange's page).
- Press APPROVE. The Return Pickup card appears: "No courier is booked yet."
- Press BOOK RETURN PICKUP. The button shows Booking… at once; after three seconds it says "Talking to Shiprocket…".
- The card shows Booked with the Courier, the AWB, Booked Through, Comes Back To and the Weight, and the shopper gets an email with the courier and AWB.
Mercayo asks your account which couriers collect from the shopper's PIN code, then chooses by your Courier Rules when they pick one, else the cheapest. If a courier refuses, the next one is tried (up to three). If none takes it, the card shows Not booked: with the courier's words, and the button stays so you can try again.
Follow It Back
The card's Scans list the courier's updates, newest first. The pickup's state:
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Booked | The courier has the pickup; the return waits as Pickup to arrange or Shopper sends it |
| Pickup Missed | The courier came but could not collect it; "The courier said: …" and Missed Pickups |
| On Its Way Back | Collected; the return moves to On its way back on its own |
| Back With You | Delivered to you; the return moves to Received: refund it (unless you switched that off) |
After a missed pickup the shopper gets an email that the courier will try again; each attempt is counted once.
Cancel a Pickup
Before the courier collects it:
- Press CANCEL RETURN PICKUP on the card.
- The sheet Cancel the Return Pickup? says: "The courier booking and its AWB are cancelled. The return stays approved: book again, or let the shopper send it." Add a reason if you like.
- Press CANCEL PICKUP. KEEP IT leaves it booked.
Once the courier has collected the parcel it can no longer be cancelled: "The courier has already collected this parcel; it can no longer be cancelled."
When the Shopper Sends It
For a shopper who ships it themselves (or a store without a courier account):
- Press SHOPPER SENDS IT BACK.
- Choose the Courier (India Post, DTDC, your own couriers, or Another courier… to type a name) and type the Tracking Number from their receipt.
- Press SAVE PARCEL. The return moves to On its way back; press MARK RECEIVED when it arrives.
The shopper can also add their own parcel from their order page, unless a courier pickup is booked.
Find Returns by Pickup
Under the tabs of Returns, the chips filter by pickup: Any Pickup, Not Booked (approved, nothing booked or sent), Booked, Missed, On the Way, Back and Shopper Sending. Each row shows its pickup's state beside the reason.
What the Shopper Sees
On their order page, under Your Return: "A courier (Delhivery Surface) will collect it from your address. Keep the item packed and ready. AWB …", then "Collected by …, on its way back to the store." and "Delivered back to the store." After a missed pickup: "The courier could not collect it and will try again." Exchanges show the pickup the same way under Your Exchange.
Good to Know
- Pickups use your courier account and its rates; Mercayo adds no charge and never books for a sample store.
- A marketplace seller's part goes back to the seller, who arranges its pickup.
- Pickups are booked through Shiprocket today; Shipway is coming. With Shipway only, SHOPPER SENDS IT BACK records the shopper's own parcel.