When a customer swaps a size or colour, the work splits across two systems. Your returns platform handles what comes back. Your shipping software handles the replacement going out. If the two aren't connected, someone on your team bridges the gap by hand.
That gap is where exchanges go wrong. A replacement sent before the original is back leaves you out of pocket if the return never arrives. Holding exchanges manually means checking incoming returns against open orders every day. Any exchange that slips past that check sits waiting while the customer chases it.
Zenstores connects with PostCo to take that check off your team. Exchange orders flow through Shopify into Zenstores, wait until the original item is back, then follow the same Zenstores Automations as every other order. Brands including Grace & Co and Armarex already run their exchanges this way. Zenstores has shipped 200 million+ orders for ecommerce brands.
Zenstores also works with Loop and other returns platforms. The Zenstores team can set up custom automations around however your platform creates exchanges.
- PostCo connects to the Shopify store that feeds Zenstores
Install PostCo on the same Shopify store that already sends your orders to Zenstores. Shopify sits in the middle of the two platforms. PostCo writes exchange orders to Shopify, and Zenstores imports them from it. With that in place, every exchange your customers request has a route through to dispatch.
- The customer requests an exchange through your branded portal
Your customer opens your PostCo returns portal, chooses the item they're sending back and picks the replacement. PostCo applies your exchange logic and generates the return shipping label for the customer. Once PostCo approves the exchange, it creates the replacement order.
- The replacement order arrives in Zenstores as a new order
The exchange passes back into Shopify and imports into Zenstores like any other new order. It sits in the same queue as your orders from Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, eBay and Etsy. Your team works from one list, with no separate exchanges spreadsheet to keep in step.
- Zenstores holds the exchange until the original item is back
Zenstores keeps the exchange order from being dispatched while the original item is still on its way to you. Your team doesn't need to cross-check incoming returns against open exchanges. Once the original is received back, the exchange moves on to dispatch like any other order.
- Shipping Rules assign the carrier and service, ready to print
Zenstores Automations apply your Shipping Rules to the exchange using the same conditions as standard orders, such as weight, destination, sales channel and order tags. A domestic exchange might go out on Royal Mail Tracked 48 or DPD, depending on your rules. EU exchanges get customs documentation generated automatically from product data, including the customs description, HS code and country of origin. Your team then prints the shipping label, or Zenstores prints it automatically, and the replacement is dispatched.
We’ve been using Zenstores for over a year, and it has been an incredible help for our fulfilment operations. It has saved us countless hours and made the entire fulfilment process far more efficient and streamlined The Zenstores team has also been extremely responsive and helpful whenever we’ve contacted them with questions or issues. Our setup includes fairly complex automation rules, and no other solution we looked at offered the same level of granular automation and flexibility as Zenstores. I would highly recommend them, not only for the platform itself but also for the excellent customer support.
Grace & Co.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different returns platform?
Yes. Zenstores integrates with PostCo, Loop and other returns platforms. The Zenstores team can set up custom automations to suit how your chosen platform handles exchanges, so replacement orders follow the right Shipping Rules whichever platform creates them.
Can I send exchanges on a different service from standard orders?
Yes. Zenstores Shipping Rules can act on order tags, delivery method and other order fields. If your returns platform gives exchange orders a tag or a dedicated shipping method, a rule can route them to a specific carrier and service.
What happens when the exchange is going to the EU?
Zenstores generates the customs documentation automatically, just as it does for any international order. The customs description, HS code and country of origin come from your product records, and the item value comes from the item price. Your team doesn't re-enter anything because the order started as a return.
Who creates the return shipping label, PostCo or Zenstores?
PostCo creates the return shipping label the customer uses to send the original item back. Zenstores handles the outbound side, booking the replacement with your carrier and producing its shipping label. Each platform covers one direction of the exchange.
Which carriers can I use for exchange orders?
Any carrier connected to your Zenstores account, including Royal Mail, DPD, Evri and DHL. Exchanges follow the same Shipping Rules as your standard orders, so they use the carriers and services you've already set up. There's no separate carrier setup for exchanges.
