Return policy for an online store: handling returns on WhatsApp

10 October 2026

In A3malak you start a return from the order, or send the customer a return form inside WhatsApp where they pick the items and the reason. You approve or decline, receive and inspect the item, then close the return with a refund, an exchange or store credit. Every refund needs a staff approval, and the AI assistant never refunds.

Write your policy first

In Settings → Orders & delivery → Orders & returns, set the return window in days and the reasons, and write your "Return & exchange policy". A3malak requires it before you confirm your first order, and your customer sees it on their order page.

On each product page, mark items that can’t be returned, such as opened perfumes, as "Non-returnable".

How a return goes

1. From the order press "Start return", or "Send return form" so the customer picks the items and the reason inside WhatsApp.
2. A3malak flags it if an item can’t be returned or the order is outside the return window.
3. You approve or decline with a reason, and the customer gets a WhatsApp update at every step.
4. The item is picked up by your connected courier, or the customer drops it off.
5. You receive and inspect it, and it goes back into stock if it’s sellable.
6. You close the return per item: refund, exchange or store credit.

Ways to refund

• To the original payment method, such as mada or a card.
• Bank transfer: the customer gets a secure form to enter their IBAN, which helps for cash-on-delivery orders.
• Store credit: added to the customer’s profile for their next order, and it only expires if you set an expiry.

Every refund needs a staff approval within that role’s limit, and the AI assistant never approves a refund.

Common questions