How to Handle and Prevent OpenCart eCommerce Returns

Overview of OpenCart eCommerce Returns

Returns are one of the many things that can hurt your eCommerce brand. If you're aware of the best practices to tackle them, you'll be sitting at a good spot. Knowing how to deal with returns can quickly become beneficial to your store. 

Returns alone cause global eCommerce brands billions (U.S Dollars) in losses annually. Those are numbers that no online store owner can ignore. There are several eCommerce platforms out there that face a decent amount of returns. OpenCart is no different. 

Being home to over 200,000 eCommerce sites, OpenCart needs to deal with the increase in the rate of returns. While OpenCart does provide solutions with its wide range of plugins, only some may be aware of them. Today, we've brought you this article that answers how returns work on OpenCart.

What is OpenCart?

We understand that there may be readers who have yet to learn what OpenCart is and how it came into existence. Before dwelling on the returns aspect, we'll brief you on the platform itself.

OpenCart is a free and open-source platform that offers businesses easy and customizable tools to set up their eCommerce store. It uses elements of HTML and is PHP-based. To put it in simpler terms, anyone can set up an online store on this platform at zero expense. 

The founder of this platform is Daniel Kerr, who released it in 2009. What's interesting is that Daniel isn't the first developer to work on OpenCart. Another individual by the name of Christopher Mann was the original developer. 

Not able to progress, Christopher publicly announced in 2000 that he could not work on the platform any longer. After the domain expiry in 2005, Daniel Kerr revived the site and released his version of the software years later. 

How do OpenCart eCommerce Returns Work? 

Now that you've got a good grasp of what OpenCart is, let's understand how the process of returns functions on it. 

1) Create a return order

The first order of business is to create a return order. You can do this by navigating the 'Returns' option under Sales as a merchant. Customers can find the returns page at the bottom of an online store. 

For merchants, there will be a blue colored button designed in the shape of a plus sign located at the right corner of the returns page. This will be labeled as 'Add new.' Once you click on it, you can create a new return order. 

Customers are immediately directed to the return form, where they can fill in their necessary details. 

2) Fill in the order details

After creating a new return order, you'll be shown multiple empty boxes. This is where you'll have to enter all the order details. These include (but are not restricted to) the order ID, order date, customer's name, email, etc. 

Some fields are mandatory to fill, while others are optional. For instance, the order ID field cannot be left empty. 

3) Add product details

The 'Product Information & Reason for Return' is directly below the order details section. As the name suggests, this segment requires more information about the product itself and the reason for its return.

Towards the end, you have a blank space wherein you can add any other details you think should be mentioned.

4) Edit the order as required

Any time a customer submits a return form, an order is automatically added to your 'Returns' dashboard. From here on out, you can edit the status of a return accordingly. Whenever you (as a merchant) update the rate of a return, your customers can view it too.

Why Is OpenCart A Suitable Choice for Online Stores? 

Here comes the real question. Is OpenCart the right choice for setting up an online store? Based on its features and functionalities, let's take a closer look at the answer to this question.

1) Open-source 

Interestingly, as the website is open-source, you can modify its code to customize your website's template, including the small details. 

However, if you're a novice, it's wise to keep things the way they are in lieu of messing up with the code. 

2) Payment Gateways 

One of the strongest suits of OpenCart is its ability to work with several payment providers. In addition, there's no additional nor hidden charge for transactions. 

This allows your store to be flexible and receive payments from various sources instead of one. Regions such as North Korea, Haiti, etc., can benefit from this due to restrictions in payment providers such as PayPal. 

3) Wide range of integrations 

With more than 13000 modules and themes, you can tweak your store's appearance and expand its functionality through add-ons. OpenCart also integrates with some of the most popular shipping methods and supports SEO enhancements. 

These features help OpenCart prove itself as an all-in-one solution for all online stores. 

Is OpenCart Better Than Magento?

One of the questions that can strike any eCommerce brand owner is where OpenCart works better than Magento. Magento has established itself quite well in the eCommerce sector. 

Both eCommerce platforms have their respective pros and cons. However, depending on the type of store you have, either one can prove to be a better option. 

If you're a startup and have just stepped into the world of eCommerce (with even a little technical knowledge), then OpenCart is the better option. This is because Magento requires more knowledge of coding than OpenCart. 

For businesses that have seen substantial growth, Magento is the better option. Magento is a more robust platform overall and, rightfully so, requires more technical experience. Mid-large-sized firms are the only ones who can afford such elements at their disposal. 

How Do Platforms Like ClickPost Help eCommerce Stores Manage Returns? 

ClickPost's app: ClickPost Return Plus is one of the best solutions for any brand out there. Available on the official Shopify app store, it automates every return order on your store. 

Other than the app, you can also visit ClickPost's official website and try out their eCommerce Product Returns Management Software.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, dealing with thousands of return requests is a common phenomenon for retailers. However, store owners can manage the return orders seamlessly with OpenCart. Plus, you can customize it to convert returns to exchanges to minimize return rates. There are several integrations and modules you can explore to add salient features, satisfy customers and build an efficient return system.

FAQs

1) How helpful is OpenCart with SEO?

Ans: OpenCart enables merchants to edit Meta titles, URL structures, etc. Although, there are extensions available that will be of more help than just using OpenCart alone. 

2) Is handling returns on OpenCart easy? 

Ans: For the most part, OpenCart has a straightforward dashboard for returns. Once you use it a couple of times, things become more manageable. You can also use plugins on the platform or use solutions such as ClickPost to automate every return.