1
Identify the products and services this policy covers
List every product category or service type you sell. Decide whether the no-refund rule applies to all of them or only specific ones — digital goods, completed services, event tickets, and memberships are the most common candidates.
💡 Physical goods sold to consumers in the EU, UK, or Australia carry statutory return rights that cannot be excluded — tag those categories for a separate return policy.
2
Enter your company name, website URL, and effective date
Replace all [PLACEHOLDERS] in the header with your registered business name, the URL where the policy will be published, and the date it becomes active.
💡 Use the date you plan to publish, not the date you drafted the document — the effective date is what customers and payment processors will reference.
3
Define your exceptions precisely
Write out the specific conditions that qualify for a remedy — material defects, duplicate charges, and unauthorized transactions are the standard three. Add any industry-specific exceptions your business genuinely honors.
💡 Narrow exceptions reduce disputes more than broad ones. Every vague exception is an invitation for a customer to argue their situation qualifies.
4
Decide on your alternative remedy
Choose whether to offer store credit, a replacement, or nothing beyond the statutory minimum. If you offer store credit, set a specific expiry period — 12 months is standard — and document it in the policy.
💡 Store credit with a 90-day expiry drives repeat purchases and reduces the accounting liability of indefinite credit on your books.
5
Set your remedy request window and response commitment
State how many days after purchase a customer must submit a claim (14–30 days is typical) and commit to a response timeframe on your end (3–5 business days prevents premature chargebacks).
💡 A shorter claim window — 14 days — is enforceable in most jurisdictions if it is prominently disclosed at checkout.
6
Add your governing law and consumer-rights reservation
Insert the state or country whose law governs disputes, then include the standard reservation clause confirming that statutory consumer rights are not affected by the policy.
💡 If you sell globally, use your home jurisdiction for governing law but make the consumer-rights reservation broad — 'applicable law' covers foreign mandatory protections without requiring you to list every country.
7
Publish and link the policy at every purchase touchpoint
Post the policy on a standalone page, link it in your website footer, embed a checkbox on your checkout page requiring affirmative acknowledgment, and include it in your order-confirmation email.
💡 A checkbox at checkout — 'I have read and agree to the No Refund Policy' — is the strongest evidence of customer consent and the most effective chargeback defense.
