Skip to main content

GET/return_policy/{return_policy_id}

This method retrieves the complete details of the return policy specified by the returnPolicyId path parameter.

Input

Resource URI

GET https://api.ebay.com/sell/account/v1/return_policy/{return_policy_id}

This method is supported in Sandbox environment. To access the endpoint, just replace the api.ebay.com root URI with api.sandbox.ebay.com

URI parameters

ParameterTypeDescription
return_policy_idstringThis path parameter specifies the unique identifier of the return policy you want to retrieve.

This ID can be retrieved for a return policy by using the getReturnPolicies method.

Occurrence: Required

HTTP request headers

All requests made to eBay REST operations require you to provide the Authorization HTTP header for authentication authorization.

All other standard RESTful request headers are optional. For more information on standard RESTful request headers, see the HTTP request headers- opens rest request components page table.

OAuth scope

This request requires an access token created with the authorization code grant flow, using one or more scopes from the following list (please check your Application Keys page for a list of OAuth scopes available to your application):

https://api.ebay.com/oauth/api_scope/sell.account

https://api.ebay.com/oauth/api_scope/sell.account.readonly

See OAuth access tokens for more information.

Request payload

This call has no payload.

Request fields

This call has no field definitions.

Output

HTTP response headers

This call has no response headers.

Response payload

Response fields

Output container/fieldTypeDescription
categoryTypesarray of CategoryType

This container indicates which category group that the return policy applies to.

Note: Return business policies are not applicable to motor vehicle listings, so the categoryTypes.name value will always be ALL_EXCLUDING_MOTORS_VEHICLES for return business policies.

Occurrence: Always

categoryTypes.defaultboolean

Note: This field has been deprecated and is no longer used.

  • Do not include this field in any create or update method.
  • This field may be returned within the payload of a get method, but it can be ignored.

Occurrence: Conditional

categoryTypes.nameCategoryTypeEnum

The category type to which the policy applies (motor vehicles or non-motor vehicles).

The MOTORS_VEHICLES category type is not valid for return policies. eBay flows do not support the return of motor vehicles.

Occurrence: Always

descriptionstring

A seller-defined description of the return business policy. This description is only for the seller's use, and is not exposed on any eBay pages.

Max length: 250

Occurrence: Conditional

extendedHolidayReturnsOfferedboolean

Important! This field is deprecated, since eBay no longer supports extended holiday returns. Any value supplied in this field is neither read nor returned.

Occurrence: Conditional

internationalOverrideInternationalReturnOverrideType

This container shows the seller's international return policy settings. This container is only returned if the seller has set a separate international return policy for the business policies. International return policies are optional, even if the seller ships to international locations. If a separate international return policy is not set, all of the domestic return policy settings also apply to international orders.

Occurrence: Conditional

internationalOverride.returnMethodReturnMethodEnum

This field sets/indicates if the seller offers replacement items to the buyer in the case of an international return. The buyer must be willing to accept a replacement item; otherwise, the seller will need to issue a refund for a return.

Occurrence: Conditional

internationalOverride.returnPeriodTimeDuration

This container indicates the number of calendar days that the buyer has to return an item. The return period begins when the item is marked "delivered" at the buyer's specified ship-to location.

You must set the value to one that's accepted by the marketplace and category where the item is listed. Most categories support 30-day and 60-day return periods. For a definitive list of return periods for one or more categories, call getReturnPolicies method of the Metadata API.

The TimeDuration type is used to set/indicate the return period, and you set the unit value to DAY and the value field to either 30 or 60 (or other value, as appropriate).

Note that this value cannot be modified if the listing has bids or sales, or if the listing ends within 12 hours.

This field is conditionally required if the internationalOverride.returnsAccepted field is set to true.

Occurrence: Conditional

internationalOverride.returnPeriod.unitTimeDurationUnitEnum

These enum values represent the time measurement unit, such as DAY. A span of time is defined when you apply the value specified in the value field to the value specified for unit.

See TimeDurationUnitEnum for a complete list of possible time-measurement units.

Occurrence: Conditional

internationalOverride.returnPeriod.valueinteger

An integer that represents an amount of time, as measured by the time-measurement unit specified in the unit field.

Occurrence: Conditional

internationalOverride.returnsAcceptedboolean

If set to true, the seller accepts international returns. If set to false, the seller does not accept international returns.

This field is conditionally required if the seller chooses to have a separate international return policy.

Occurrence: Conditional

internationalOverride.returnShippingCostPayerReturnShippingCostPayerEnum

This field indicates who is responsible for paying for the shipping charges for returned items. The field can be set to either BUYER or SELLER.

Depending on the return policy and specifics of the return, either the buyer or the seller can be responsible for the return shipping costs. Note that the seller is always responsible for return shipping costs for 'significantly not as described' (SNAD) issues.

This field is conditionally required if the internationalOverride.returnsAccepted field is set to true.

Occurrence: Conditional

marketplaceIdMarketplaceIdEnum

The ID of the eBay marketplace to which this return business policy applies.

Occurrence: Always

namestring

A seller-defined name for this payment business policy. Names must be unique for policies assigned to the same marketplace.

Max length: 64

Occurrence: Always

refundMethodRefundMethodEnum

If a seller indicates that they will accept buyer returns, this value will be set to MONEY_BACK.

Occurrence: Always

restockingFeePercentagestring

Important! This field is deprecated, since eBay no longer allows sellers to charge a restocking fee for buyer remorse returns. If this field is included, it is ignored and it is no longer returned.

Occurrence: Conditional

returnInstructionsstring

This text-based field provides more details on seller-specified return instructions. This field is only returned if set for the return business policy.

Important! This field is no longer supported on many eBay marketplaces. To see if a marketplace and eBay category does support this field, call getReturnPolicies method of the Metadata API. Then you will look for the policyDescriptionEnabled field with a value of true for the eBay category.


Max length: 5000 (8000 for DE)

Occurrence: Conditional

returnMethodReturnMethodEnum

This field is only returned if the seller is willing to offer a replacement item as an alternative to 'Money Back'.

Occurrence: Conditional

returnPeriodTimeDuration

This container indicates the number of calendar days that the buyer has to return an item. The return period begins when the item is marked "delivered" at the buyer's specified ship-to location.

Most categories support 30-day and 60-day return periods.

Note: Unless the seller has set a separate international return policy through the internationalOverride container, this return period will be valid for domestic and international returns (if the seller ships internationally).

Occurrence: Always

returnPeriod.unitTimeDurationUnitEnum

These enum values represent the time measurement unit, such as DAY. A span of time is defined when you apply the value specified in the value field to the value specified for unit.

See TimeDurationUnitEnum for a complete list of possible time-measurement units.

Occurrence: Conditional

returnPeriod.valueinteger

An integer that represents an amount of time, as measured by the time-measurement unit specified in the unit field.

Occurrence: Conditional

returnPolicyIdstring

A unique eBay-assigned ID for a return business policy. This ID is generated when the policy is created.

Occurrence: Always

returnsAcceptedboolean

If this field is returned as true, the seller accepts returns.

Note:Top-Rated sellers must accept item returns and the handlingTime should be set to zero days or one day for a listing to receive a Top-Rated Plus badge on the View Item or search result pages. For more information on eBay's Top-Rated seller program, see Becoming a Top Rated Seller and qualifying for Top Rated Plus benefits.

Occurrence: Always

returnShippingCostPayerReturnShippingCostPayerEnum

This field indicates who is responsible for paying for the shipping charges for returned items. The field can be set to either BUYER or SELLER.

Depending on the return policy and specifics of the return, either the buyer or the seller can be responsible for the return shipping costs. Note that the seller is always responsible for return shipping costs for SNAD-related issues.

Occurrence: Always

HTTP status codes

This call can return one of the following HTTP status codes. For an overview of the status codes, see HTTP status codes in Using eBay RESTful APIs.

StatusMeaning
200Success
400Bad Request
404Not Found
500Internal Server Error

Error codes

For more on errors, plus the codes of other common errors, see Handling errors.

CodeDomainCategoryMeaning
20403API_ACCOUNTREQUESTInvalid {fieldName}. {additionalInfo}
20404API_ACCOUNTREQUEST{fieldName} not found.
20500API_ACCOUNTAPPLICATIONSystem error.
20501API_ACCOUNTAPPLICATIONService unavailable. Please try again in next 24 hours.

Warnings

This call has no warnings.

Samples

New to making API calls? Please see Making a Call.

Note: Identifiers, such as order IDs or user IDs, and personal data in these samples might be anonymized or may no longer be active on eBay. If necessary, substitute current, relevant eBay data in your requests.

Sample 1: Get a Return Policy by ID

This example retrieves a return policy by the policy's unique eBay-assigned ID.

Input

Specify the policy you want to get using the returnPolicyId path parameter. This call does not use a request payload.

GEThttps://api.sandbox.ebay.com/sell/account/v1/return_policy/5********0

Output

A successful call returns an HTTP status code of 200 OK and a response body containing the specified return policy.