Return management: Handle returns with confidence

Processing customer returns has traditionally been a messy, manual process for many businesses. From juggling spreadsheets to manually updating stock levels and issuing refunds, teams often found themselves stuck between tools, risking errors and inefficiencies.

Without a structured system, returns became a source of inventory inaccuracies, accounting headaches, and frustrating delays for both businesses and their customers.

That’s why we’re excited to introduce Return Orders in Katana — an all-in-one solution designed to bring clarity, control, and automation to your returns management.

What’s new with return orders?

Return Orders empower teams to handle returns just like any other essential part of order management, ensuring every return is processed accurately and efficiently. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect.

Full sales order traceability

Every return is linked to its original sales order, with support for multiple return orders from a single sale. Whether you’re managing partial returns, multilocation fulfillments, or batch-tracked inventory, Katana keeps your records organized and fully traceable, eliminating the need for manual cross-checking or fragmented systems.

Detailed return item control

Return Orders allow for granular control over each return. Add or remove products from a return, adjust quantities, and even specify return reasons. If you’re dealing with batch-tracked inventory, Katana ensures precise item handling throughout the return process.

Flexible restocking options

Not every returned item is resale-ready, and now you have the flexibility to choose. Decide whether to restock items immediately, after inspection, or selectively approve items for restocking based on their condition. Plus, you can restock items to any location, giving your warehouse teams full operational flexibility.

Automated refund and credit handling with QBO

If you’re connected to QuickBooks Online, Katana can automatically trigger credit note creation based on the status of your return orders, saving your finance team valuable time and minimizing errors.

This seamless sync ensures your accounting stays up-to-date as returns are processed, without needing to manually create credit memos outside your workflow.

Seamless Shopify returns integration

If you’re using Shopify, customer-initiated returns flow directly into Katana. Line items, return reasons, and warehouse locations are all captured automatically, ensuring real-time visibility across your sales and fulfillment operations.

Open API for custom workflows

Want to take it even further? Katana’s open API allows you to build custom return workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and integrate return management into your broader ecosystem, tailored exactly to your business needs.

How to get started

Returns management is available on all Katana plans, so you can start using it right away. You’ll find the Returns on your Sales Screen. To learn more about how it works, check out our Knowledge Base article here.