AfterPay now offers simple and convenient returns management

Nowadays, online shoppers often order products in various versions. They return what doesn’t fit or what they don’t like, but the large number of returns presents a significant challenge for retailers. Apart from the costs of dispatch, packaging and handling, returns mean retailers have to deal with additional expenses in the payment process especially. It takes several days, if not weeks for returns to be received and processed. During this time, the original invoice is still considered as unpaid. In the worst case, these will automatically go to the dunning process although the customer does not need to pay it, or only needs to pay for a portion. This can lead to frustration and irritation for the consumer.

"The majority of customer inquiries to us concerns returns and credit notes for invoices as well as payment terms," knows Jan-Peter Radtke, Product Manager at AfterPay Germany, who got the solution off the ground with his international colleagues. AfterPay users will in future be able to mark their returns via their MyAfterPay account. The original invoice will be paused until the return is successfully verified by the retailer, so that the customer does not receive payment reminders although they have already sent the goods back long before.

"In the further development of our product, we are always close to the retailer, but above all the consumer too. As only if we put ourselves in the customer’s position and understand their problems, can we develop solutions to improve the user experience," explains Sebastian Kespohl, Vice President AfterPay DACH, the development of the new feature.

With the new returns management system, which will now be gradually rolled out to all AfterPay customers in Germany and later in other markets, Kespohl believes they have created a win-win situation. "Retailers therefore receive fewer customer inquiries and also retain their customers. With AfterPay, customers only pay for what they actually want to keep without receiving unnecessary payment reminders."