What Is the Refund Report?
The Shopify Refund Report brings return-related activity into a single view. It shows the date, order name, product title, returned quantity, and the monetary values recorded for net, shipping, tax, and total returns.
The premade report is filtered by Kind = Return, so regular sales rows do not appear alongside returned items. Choose a reporting period to review which products were returned and the amounts associated with that activity.
Use it for refund reviews, customer-service follow-up, and sharing a consistent returns summary with your bookkeeping team. It is a returns-focused report, not a complete sales, profit, or payout statement.
Report Overview
- Report period
- Select the date range you want to review.
- Included data
- Eight fields spanning order identifiers, returned products, quantities, and return amounts.
- Report filter
- Kind = Return; return-related rows only.
- Best for
- Reviewing item returns and associated net, shipping, tax, and total returns.
- Delivery
- Save the premade report; export or schedule it using your configured Data Export options.
What Can You Learn from Your Refund Data?
1. Which products appear most often in returns
Product Title and Returned Quantity help you spot items with frequent or large-volume returns within the selected period.
Example: A hypothetical jacket shows 18 returned units while another style shows 3.
What you can do: Review product details, sizing guidance, or support notes for the item with more returns.
2. How much is being returned
Total Returns provides the recorded overall return amount, while Net Returns gives a more specific monetary component. Read their definitions before using them in financial reconciliations.
Example: In a sample week, the report lists $2,400 in Total Returns.
What you can do: Compare reporting periods on a consistent basis and investigate unusual changes.
3. Whether shipping and tax returns are material
Shipping Returns and Tax Returns let you identify the return amounts recorded in those categories instead of treating every return as a single figure.
Example: A hypothetical month includes $120 in Shipping Returns.
What you can do: Pass the category breakdown to your accountant for review against other financial records.
4. Which orders need a closer look
Order Name and Date provide a starting point for finding the related Shopify order when a return amount or quantity needs explanation.
Example: An order shows two returned units and an unexpectedly high Total Returns value.
What you can do: Open that order in Shopify to review its return context and confirm the figures.
What Should You Check First in This Report?
Start with these four checks before sharing or interpreting the results:
- Total Returns — scan the return amount for the selected period and identify unusual rows.
- Returned Quantity — look for repeated products or unexpectedly large quantities.
- Shipping Returns and Tax Returns — examine these separately when preparing a return breakdown.
- Date and Order Name — verify the reporting period and locate individual orders for investigation.
When Should You Use This Report?
| When to Use It | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Reviewing return amounts and units for a period | See return amounts and units for the chosen period. |
| Following up on a returned order | Find returned items using Order Name and Product Title. |
| Investigating products with notable returned quantities | Identify products with notable returned quantities. |
| Checking the components of reported returns | Review Net, Shipping, Tax, and Total Returns as separate fields. |
| Scheduling recurring returns summaries | Save and distribute the same return-only view on a regular schedule. |
How to Create This Report in Data Export
The premade Refund Report already has the core columns and return filter in place.
- Open Data Export and locate the premade Refund Report.
- Open the report and confirm the eight fields and Kind = Return filter.
- Select the date range you want to review; adjust columns or additional filters if needed.
- Choose Save to retain your report configuration.
- Export the report or set a daily, weekly, or monthly email schedule if your workflow needs recurring delivery.
Make the Most of This Report
Four small setup decisions make the report easier to interpret and share.
01 / PERIOD 02 / FILTER
Use consistent date ranges: Compare the same length of time when reviewing changes in returns. Keep returns separate: Preserve Kind = Return to avoid mixing standard sales with returns.
03 / DETAIL 04 / SHARING
Check individual orders: Use Order Name to verify a notable item or amount in Shopify. Share only what is needed: Remove unnecessary detail before sending a refund extract to others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this report show only returns?
Yes. The premade report uses Kind = Return, which restricts the displayed rows to return-related activity.
Which refund amounts can I review?
The included money fields are Net Returns, Shipping Returns, Tax Returns, and Total Returns.
Can I find the product and order associated with a return?
Yes. Product Title and Order Name are included, alongside Date and Returned Quantity.
Can I change the report before exporting it?
Yes. Review the premade columns, choose a date range, and adjust the available fields or filters before saving.
Can I receive a recurring refund report?
You can save the report and configure a schedule in Data Export, including daily, weekly, or monthly delivery where available.
