Merchant refund policy template — copy, adapt, publish

Copy the template below, replace every [BRACKETED] placeholder, delete the sections that do not apply, and publish it at /refund-policy. Link it from your site footer and your checkout page.

Who this is for. Merchants preparing a website for payment-processor review — Stripe’s website requirements expect a visible refund and dispute policy — and platforms whose sellers keep asking what “returns terms and conditions” should say.

Before you copy: three decisions

1. Refund window. 14 and 30 days are the common anchors. Shorter than 14 reads as hostile in review; longer than 60 complicates your accounting.
2. Condition standard. Physical goods: unused and in original packaging, or any condition? Digital goods: refundable until download/activation, or within X days regardless?
3. Who pays return shipping. Say it explicitly. Silence here is the single most common gap we see in scans.

The template

Everything below the line is the document. Replace placeholders, keep the section order.

Refund & Returns Policy

Effective date: [DATE] · Applies to: purchases made on [YOURSTORE.COM]

1. Summary

We offer a [14/30]-day refund window on [all products / the product types listed below]. Refunds are issued to the original payment method within [5–10] business days of approval.

2. Eligibility

• Request made within [14/30] days of [delivery / purchase].
• [Physical goods] Item is [unused, in original packaging / in resalable condition].
• [Digital goods] Refunds are available [before download or license activation / within [X] days of purchase regardless of download status].
• [Services / subscriptions] The current billing period [is / is not] refundable; see section 5.
• Proof of purchase (order number or receipt email) is required.

3. How to request a refund

Email [SUPPORT@YOURSTORE.COM] with your order number and the reason for the request. We respond within [1–2] business days. [If a return is required, we will send a return authorization and the return address in that reply.]

4. Returns & shipping

• Return shipping is paid by [the customer / us / us only for defective items].
• Items must be shipped back within [14] days of the return authorization.
• We recommend a tracked service; lost return shipments without tracking are the sender’s responsibility.

5. Subscriptions & trials

• You can cancel anytime from [ACCOUNT SETTINGS URL / by emailing support]; cancellation stops the next billing cycle.
• Charges already billed for the current cycle [are not refunded / are refunded pro rata].
• If you started a free trial, the first charge occurs on [trial end date shown at signup]. Cancel before that date to avoid the charge.

6. Non-refundable items

[LIST: gift cards, downloadable items after activation, custom orders, consumed services — or delete this section.]

7. Defective or not-as-described items

If your order arrives damaged, defective, or materially different from the listing, contact us within [7] days of delivery with photos or a description. We will offer a replacement or a full refund including shipping, regardless of the standard conditions above.

8. Chargebacks & disputes

If you believe a charge is incorrect, contact us first at [SUPPORT@YOURSTORE.COM] — most issues are resolved within [2] business days, which is faster than a card dispute.

9. Contact

[LEGAL BUSINESS NAME] · [BUSINESS ADDRESS] · [SUPPORT EMAIL] · [SUPPORT HOURS]

Why these sections are there

Each section maps to something a processor reviewer or a card-network dispute analyst looks for:

• Sections 1–2 answer the reviewer question “is the refund promise visible and specific?” Vague policies (“contact us and we’ll see”) score as missing in most review rubrics.
• Section 3 creates the pre-dispute contact path. When a dispute does arrive, “we told the customer how to reach us, here is the policy they accepted” is usable representment evidence.
• Section 5 is the subscription clarity requirement embedded where customers actually look for it.
• Section 7 separates goodwill refunds from obligation refunds, which keeps your standard conditions enforceable.
• Section 8 measurably reduces disputes: a visible “contact us first, we answer in 2 days” line gives frustrated customers a faster path than their bank.

After you publish

Run the free scan — it checks that the policy is reachable, linked from your footer, and substantial enough that a reviewer will not flag it as thin.