Process a return or exchange

Take items back from a counter sale, choose whether they go back to stock, and refund the customer to their original payment, store credit or a replacement sale.

In the sidebar, open Sales & Billing, then Counter Sales (POS), then Returns. The page address is /pos/returns. The page heading reads Returns and exchanges.

Before you start

• Creating a return and completing an exchange are separate permissions. Ask your admin if Complete return stays greyed out.
• For an exchange, ring up the replacement sale first on the lane (see Ring up a sale at the register) so you can link it.

Steps

1. Type into Search receipt number, sale number, or customer and press the original sale. A panel opens with the Source sale, the customer and the Original total.
2. For each item coming back, set the Quantity, pick the Restock outcome (Restock, Discard, Quarantine, Return to vendor or Customer kept) and, if it differs from the overall reason, a Line reason.
3. Under Policy and refund rules, pick a Workflow reason. Tick Treat this as a no-receipt return if the customer has no receipt.
4. Choose how the money goes back:
   • Refund back to the original tender returns it the way they paid.
   • Issue store credit and a Store credit amount keeps it on their account.
   • Otherwise pick a Manual refund tender (Cash, Card record or Manual) and type the Manual refund amount.
5. For an exchange, search under Optional exchange link for the replacement sale and pick it. Clear replacement sale removes it.
6. Press Preview. Nova shows the Return total, Refund plan, Store credit, Outstanding amount, any Exchange delta and the Approval checks.
7. Press Complete return, or Complete exchange when a replacement sale is linked. Stock and the refund are written only now.

Note: Amounts on this page are typed in cents, so $25.00 is 2500.

What you see

• The list shows past sales with their receipt, customer, Status, total, Completed date and Payment. Each row's menu offers Open workflow and Open receipt history.
• Filter by Status: Completed or Voided.
• The counts above the list show Matches, Page total and the Reason codes available to you.

If something looks different

• An item does not appear in the panel: every unit of it was already returned.
• Preview says the return needs manager approval: a manager approves it under Manager approvals on the lane, then you press Complete return again.
• Complete return is greyed out: your role cannot create returns or complete exchanges.
• The original payment was taken as an invoice payment rather than at the counter: see Refund a payment instead.

Open POS Returns