Set Up Instant Exchanges

Overview

Approving exchange requests manually can delay replacements and create a poor customer experience. Customers expect quick approvals, especially when exchanging for low-stock items that may sell out before the request is reviewed. This often forces merchants to resolve out-of-stock exchanges manually, resulting in refunds instead of successful replacements.

AfterShip Return's Instant Exchange feature removes this friction by allowing customers to place their exchange order immediately during the return process. Customers enter their credit card details, and AfterShip Returns creates the replacement order right away. A temporary authorization hold, or the full item value (based on your settings), is placed to secure the card. The card is not charged if the original item is returned within the configured return window. If the item is not returned in time, the customer is automatically charged for the new product.

What you’ll learn

In this tutorial, we will show you:

• Demo
• Set up instant exchange

1. Replace with the same item
2. Exchange for other items: Stripe checkout

• Customer experience
• Charge-reminder-email

Demo

Set up instant exchange

Merchants can enable instant exchange for customers when they are replacing the product with the same item or when they are exchanging the product with a completely different product.

Let’s understand each scenario one by one and see how the features in both cases.

1. Replace with the same item (Variant exchange)

Prerequisite

• You need to enable the Variant exchange options and configure whether you want to offer customers an exchange for variants at the same price, below, above or the ones they desire from your product catalogue.

• You must install and add Stripe checkout on your online store to send a card authorization request. Follow this article for full instructions.

How to set up

1. Go to Refunds and exchanges in the AfterShip Returns admin.
2. Move to the Exchanges section and enable the Variant exchange.
3. Click Edit to configure the customer-facing content, including the title and description.
4. On the same configuration window, you can set up the variants options settings and the cost of return checkout.

A. Variant options

Enable and configure the variant options settings.

B. Instant exchange

Move the toggle to the right to enable Instant exchange and set up the following settings:

Hold amount

Merchants need to put an authorization amount hold on the customer’s credit card in order to collect credit card information to charge customers if needed

• Equivalent of $1 USD: $1 authorization allows AfterShip Returns to collect the credit card information needed to charge the customer if necessary, without putting a big hold on the customer's card for 7 days.

• Full value of return items: Full return value authorization will place a hold on the customer's card for the full amount of the return item. Since a hold will fail if the card doesn't have enough funds, this can prevent Instant Exchanges from using cards that may not have the funds necessary to cover the cost of the product.

Card charge

Merchants can use this setting to extend the time period customers have to return their products before the card gets charged.

The time to return is based on the status of the returned item. The customers will be charged if the return is not:

• In transit
• Delivered

• Marked as received
• In X number of days after the request approval

2. Exchange for other items (Shop now)

Prerequisite

• The instant exchange feature is only available for exchange orders placed on your store via Stripe checkout.
• You must install and add Stripe checkout on your online store to send a card authorization request. Follow this article for full instructions.

How to set up

• On the Exchange resolutions section, click Edit to access the Exchange on your store resolution settings page.

Check out this guide to set up an exchange for other item resolution method on your store via Stripe checkout.

• Move to Instant exchange and configure the Authorization amount hold and Trigger charge settings the same as the variant exchange.

Customer experience

The customer experience with Instant exchange is the same as a normal return request until the final Review page before submitting the request.

1. Exchange

When a customer wants to replace their purchase with a different variant of the same item, they’ll be presented with the choice to opt for Instant exchange or process their request again at the final page of the return submission process i.e., the Review page.

If the customer selects Instant exchange and hits Submit, they’ll be prompted to add their credit card details for AfterShip Returns to temporarily put a hold on their card for $1 or the total amount of the exchange item(s) as set by you.

The hold will stay in place for 7 days and will drop, regardless of whether the product is returned or not. If the return request is not in transit, delivered, or marked as received (as set up by you) within the configured return window after the request is approved, AfterShip Returns will charge the card the full value of return items.

Once, the credit card details are processed by Stripe, the exchange order will be created immediately in your store. On the return confirmation page, you can see the exchange order being created along with other shipping and order details.

2. Shop now

Now the case where a customer wants to replace their purchase with a different product altogether, two scenarios can arise.

1. The customer selects an expensive product for exchange and wants an instant exchange

In this case, the customer needs to pay the upsell amount before they can submit the instant exchange request. The credit card details the customer will be prompted to add to temporarily put a hold on their card will also be used for charging the customer the excess amount. The excess amount will be charged immediately, while the hold for $1 or the total amount of the exchange item(s) as set by you will stay in place for 7 days and will drop, regardless of whether the product is returned or not.

If the return request is not in transit, delivered, or marked as received (as set up by you) within the configured return window after the request is approved, AfterShip Returns will charge the card the full value of return items.

Once, the credit card details are processed by Stripe, the exchange order will be created immediately in your store. On the return confirmation page, you can see the exchange order being created along with other shipping and order details.

2. The customer selects a cheaper product for exchange and wants an instant exchange

In this case, the refund amount will be initiated to the customer’s selected mode of payment immediately, while the credit card details the customer will be prompted to add will be used to temporarily put a hold on their card for $1 or the total amount of the exchange item(s) as set by you which will stay in place for 7 days.

If the return request is not in transit, delivered, or marked as received (as set up by you) within the configured return window after the request is approved, AfterShip Returns will charge the card the full value of return items.

The rest of the settings will remain the same as the first scenario.

Charge reminder email

You can enable a charge reminder email notification to be sent to customers as a reminder to return their merchandise to avoid being charged.

1. Go to Notifications in the AfterShip Returns admin and move down to the Charge reminder email.
2. There are two emails that will be triggered as reminders

• 7 days after the instant exchange request submission and order creation
• 3 days before the charge date (as set up you while setting up instant exchange settings)

Find More info on customizing AfterShip Returns email notifications here.

Supported platforms

• Instant exchange for replace with the same item exchange resolution (Variant exchange) method is available for Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Salesforce users.
• Instant exchange for exchange with other items resolution (Shop for refund value) method is available for Shopify users using Stripe checkout.

Learn more

• How to manage instant exchange return requests

For any further questions or help, please contact our chat support team or reach out to us at support+returns@aftership.com.

Updated on: 23/02/2026