How can I do a return without receipt?

[julzanimalhouz]

The title of this thread has been edited from the original: Return without receipt

As a retail store I sometimes need to return and/or exchange an item. Although we do have a policy that states returns are required we sometimes to do waive this policy and do the return without the receipt. How do I do a return when I don't have any idea what transaction the purchase was on? We typically enter a customers name/phone number and can find the transaction but there are times when we simply do not have that information. 

[#2]

Hi @paulmontaperto,

Thanks for writing back in to the seller community! 

You can look up transactions using the last four digits of the card your customer used in app, or via the dashboard. At the moment the workaround to issuing a refund as store credit, would be to refund the amount to a gift card. Take a look at this article to learn how to issue a refund onto a gift card. Please let us know how you go 🙂 

[WOOF]

We switched over to Square recently after 15 years with QB POS.  We couldn't bring any of our clients' legacy data, and now, when they need to return an item that we know they had previously bought from us, we have no way to issue a credit or refund?  Refunds are among the most basic of sales and POS functions.  Why would you make this basic transaction such a difficult process?

[Laurenc06]

Why won't they fix this or respond to us at least?

[bradrsi]

This feature still isn't available in Square Register?

[Ria]

Hi @bradrsi - Welcome to The Seller Community, it's always nice to see a new face 😊

Great Question.

I can totally see the need for a feature like this and how beneficial it could be for customers and sellers. I'll be happy to move this over to a feature request board so that our engineers have visibility of your suggestion. We appreciate you sharing your request. While there is no time frame for when it will be implemented, i'm happy to make sure our engineers have eyes on your request. 

As always, feel free to stop by The Community with question, concerns and even feature requests. We are more than happy to assist. ✨

[outdoorcheflubb]

Im new to Square for Retail and this is A MUST!!!!  especially after the holidays. returning an item for store credit or even exchanging without a receipt is essential in the retail process. While it is nice to be able to search a receipt and refund amount based on that for the purchasing customer, you have completely left out an entire population of people that received something that didn't work. This in turn makes our employees and us look dumb as we stand there trying to figure out a way to take care of the customer appropriately and efficiently. This should be on the TOP of the programing list.!

[dpeterson101]

It's March 2022 and I have no way to process a return without a receipt. It appears that this issue has been around for a long time. So maybe they just don't know how to do it, easily. 

The two other POS systems that I have used over the past nine years (Microsoft RMS and VEND) both did it this way... In the "adjust price", simply allow for the user to place a "-" in front of the amount. Example $36.99 can become -$36.99 and ensure that negative sales tax number is added to it. Use Cash or ANY credit card to process the return (ie Wife bought it with her CC, Husband returns it to his CC). 

Yes, this can be a loser for the retailer since any discounts applied are not known, but today, March 10th, 2022, there is no way to make this happen, and this tread continues.

Come on square, get some of your folks in the field.

[paulmontaperto]

Please, please, please. Can we find a solution to this problem? As a small, customer-focused business I need the ability to provide returns in exchange for store credit – even without a receipt! This is a HUGE gap by Square. This thread is 2 years old and still going and still no official comment from Square. Tell me its going to get done or tell me it won't so I can move on to a new system. Please.

[Arie]

Hi @paulmontaperto,

Thanks for writing back in to the seller community! 

You can look up transactions using the last four digits of the card your customer used in app, or via the dashboard. At the moment the workaround to issuing a refund as store credit, would be to refund the amount to a gift card. Take a look at this article to learn how to issue a refund onto a gift card. Please let us know how you go 🙂 

[paulmontaperto]

On what planet is this a helpful response?? This ENTIRE thread— which has been running for years now— is focused on how to process returns (usually gifts) in which we do NOT have a receipt or customer info. Please, nothing is more frustrating than responses like like yours that disregard the issue that is being discussed and instead post a completely unrelated "fix". You either did not read any of this thread or you just don't care. It makes you look like a fool and only makes the situation worse.

[MichiganFarmsta]

How to  refund without the original Transaction!!!

[Abigails_stl]

Unfortunately as of right now there isn't a way to do this. 

[Laurenc06]

This is so true. It is ridiculous that they can't fix this issue and I will be switching systems because of it. 

Not helpful at all. 

[julzanimalhouz]

It’s been over three years since I asked this question and Square hasn’t fixed this issue nor have they evolved much in the way of being a good POS for retail. This issue is only one of many. Invoices sent and paid mess up inventory and although numerous retailers have complained, it goes ignored, minimal in the way of reporting, fees for things most other programs don’t charge for and on and on and on. We are currently in process of finding a better POS system. Square may be good for some things but for a retail store, they suck. 

[MagicToybox]

Similar issue: Today is my first day using Square, switching from a different POS system. How do I process a return exchange for product purchased on a different system? I have to honor the product, but there is obviously nothing listed in Square's transaction history. 

[Abigails_stl]

You can't do a return. The only workaround I have found is to create a custom discount in the system for the price of the item(s) you are returning, and this discount can be used toward an exchange. You then just have to adjust your inventory accordingly for the returned item(s). 

[dpeterson101]

Hello, Square, is anyone listening?

[MagicToybox]

I just got off the phone with support, and they confirmed that this is still an issue. @Ria This is a customer service and workflow issue. Processing a refund or exchange should not be dependent on transaction history. I as the retailer and business owner should be able to simply take product back into inventory for any reason, and issue funds back in any appropriate fashion (cash, exchange, gift card, credit back) and process that in the register. This seems like such a basic function- I'm really disappointed that Square has not been able to figure this out yet.

[Ria]

Hi @MagicToybox - Welcome to The Seller Community, it's always nice to see a new face 😊

Great Observation. I totally understand your concern.

Our engineers would love to hear from you! Feel free to utilize our new Feature Request board to quickly get this suggestion over to our developers.

We appreciate you sharing your request. While there is no time frame for when it will be implemented, this is the best way to ensure our engineers have eyes on your request. 

As always, feel free to stop by The Community with question, concerns and even feature requests. We are more than happy to assist. ✨

[paulmontaperto]

 @Ria, uhmmm... this thread is almost three-years old!! Thanks for joining in and bringing absolutely no value to the conversation with that post. I think everyone on this thread is already keenly aware that "there is no time frame for when it will be implemented". We've been waiting for years.

I will continue to jump on the ridiculous, unhelpful boilerplate comments made by Moderators on here (at least until I get a new POS system). Why comment when you know it brings NO value whatsoever? You should know better!

[rse_tc]

We just started with Square this last weekend and the lack of this feature has been a huge frustration. Handling returns without a receipt or returns from purchases before we were on Square appears to be impossible within the system. Our staff now has to spend time filling out paperwork (!!) for each of these and it's a huge waste of time for what seems like the simplest of features.

It's disheartening to have searched for what I thought would be a simple solution, only to find this 3-year old thread with dozens of complaints and no acceptable response or workaround from Square.

[Highlow]

I keep coming back to this thread in hopes that this has been addressed!  I find it one of the most basic needs for a POS system, and can't believe it's an option, and is STILL not fixed.  Square, please make this change!!!  It's a must in retail.