Refunding Shopify Orders from POS (In-Store)

For merchants offering in-store returns for online orders, DotApparel supports automatic refunds through Apparel21 POS. This process ensures refunds are correctly mapped and processed in Shopify without manual intervention.

A refunds.csv is required for this functionality. An Apparel21 Consultant can set this up for you for a one-time fee

How to Refund Shopify orders from POS (in-store)

1. Store staff processes the return in Apparel21 POS using the correct return reason.

2. A refunds.csv file is uploaded to SFTP at a set frequency (i.e., every 5 mins)

3. DotApparel receives and processes the refunds in Shopify when it's eligible for Auto-Refunds

Merchants must notify the DotApparel team about wanting the ability to refund via Apparel21 POS (In-store). An Apparel21 Specialist needs to generate the refunds.csv file

The refunds.csv consists of online orders that were refunded in-store via Apparel21 POS.

refunds.csv File Requirements

• The refunds.csv must only include refund transactions, not exchanges or store credits.

• The file must include the WEB_ORDER_NUMBER column for Shopify order mapping.

• Merchants must notify DotApparel if they want to enable POS refunds via Apparel21.

• An Apparel21 Specialist must generate the refunds.csv file.

Understanding refunds.csv

The refunds.csv contains online orders refunded in-store via Apparel21 POS. DotApparel uses this file to verify refund eligibility and process the refund in Shopify.

Each record must include:

• WEB_ORDER_NUMBER – The Shopify Order Number. DotApparel uses this to validate the order in Firestore.

• RETURN_REASON – The Apparel21 return reason code. It must match a pre-configured reason in DotApparel Core.

• Refund Amount – If multiple products were refunded in a single transaction, DotApparel will sum the refund amounts before processing.

Additionally:

• The same AP21 payment type (tender) used for web sales should be applied for refunds (e.g., "Shopify Payment").

• The Apparel21 Consultant will configure POS to surface the correct tender.

• The refund record should meet these conditions:

  • A retail transaction contains a negative amount (e.g., -$50), indicating a refund.

  • The original sale was an online (web) purchase.

  • The return (credit) value is correctly recorded.

For Web-Based Refunds

For refunds processed directly via Apparel21, DotApparel regularly downloads updated orders and checks for returned items. If the return reason matches the pre-configured settings in DotApparel, the system will automatically trigger the refund in Shopify.

ℹ️ Merchants using Auto-refunds & Yotpo Loyalty

If a future merchant is using both DotApparel Core; Auto-refunds and Yotpo Loyalty, they may require a refunds.csv to be sent to two different SFTP destinations.