Returnly vs AfterShip Returns
Creating a fantastic eCommerce return and exchange experience is essential if retailers want to build long-term relationships and scale efficiently. This page dives into the differences between AfterShip Returns and Returnly, two popular online returns management solutions, and helps you choose the best platform for your business.
Overview
When looking for a powerful and user-friendly post-purchase solution with advanced features for operations and warehouse teams, AfterShip and Returnly are two of the best options in the market. Both companies provide different approaches to returns and exchanges, especially when comparing tech stack integration, automated workflows, exchange support, and pricing. This page will help you understand the differences between AfterShip and Returnly and help you choose the best-fit returns solution for growing your business.
What does AfterShip Returns do?
AfterShip is an end-to-end, omnichannel solution that sparks loyalty and optimizes customer touchpoints to boost efficiency for global brands and retailers. Its solutions include shipment tracking, returns management, estimated delivery prediction, multi-carrier shipping, shipping protection, and carbon footprint accounting software. AfterShip users only need one suite for all their fulfillment needs. With a team of 450 people, with 66% comprised of engineers and product managers, AfterShip ensures that each solution is easy to use, reliable, and frequently gets new feature releases. AfterShip works with over 20,000 customers, including large retailers and Fortune 500 companies. As of March 2023, AfterShip Returns partners with over 4,000 paid customers to provide advanced returns and exchange capabilities. Being platform agnostic, AfterShip Returns connects to custom experiences, Shopify, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and more. AfterShip Returns plugs directly into an extensive partner ecosystem of over 68 carriers and 25 technology partners, such as Klaviyo, Gorgias, and Salesforce. Lastly, AfterShip provides in-depth API and webhook documentation for quick and easy connectivity.
An overview of AfterShip Returns
AfterShip Returns is a returns management software that uses automation to help eCommerce retailers deliver a positive returns and exchange experience, optimize return costs, and retain more revenue. AfterShip Returns provides retailers with branded returns page, incentivized exchanges, partial returns for bundles, store credits, in-store returns, rule-based automation, automated resolutions, label generation, drop-off, green returns, and an analytics dashboard. AfterShip Returns supports auto-label generation and package tracking for exchanges and new orders without additional connectors or apps. This means that brands on AfterShip can save on additional costs and time by using a single platform. AfterShip Returns allows brands to leverage 310,000+ drop-off locations worldwide, including label-free and box-less returns.
What does Returnly do?
Returnly is a returns management tool for eCommerce brands on Shopify and Shopify Plus. Although acquired in April 2021 by Affirm, a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) company, Returnly continues to offer automated returns process management and exchanges. Returnly also provides essential tracking services for its exchanges and requires integration with EasyPost, a third-party broker to manage all shipping and label generation needs. Returnly employs less than 100 employees to manage the solution and roll out features. As of March 2023, Returnly supports over 1,800 paid customers. Currently, Returnly connects to only 9 carriers and can plug into over 40 integrations and solutions. Returnly can also be used via API with in-depth documentation.
An overview of Returnly
Returnly is a returns management platform that offers BNPL options for payment. It provides branded returns page, RMA-based email notifications, instant exchanges, exchange for anything, instant credit, keep-the-item green returns, international returns, and in-store returns. Returnly is a good fit for brands that want to issue instant refunds. Their add-on Instant Credit feature pays for refunds first and only charges business after receiving the returned item. Returnly relies on a third-party shipping broker, EasyPost, to generate labels for all returns via an API. EasyPost may require an additional account and implementation to be effective. Returnly also provides order tracking for exchanges and QR-code drop-off to USPS and FedEx locations.
Pricing comparison
To better understand the difference in cost between AfterShip Returns and Returnly, let's compare their pricing models and decide which is ideal for your business.
AfterShip Returns
AfterShip Returns' pricing is transparent on their website and is flexible to business needs. It offers plans for businesses of different sizes, adjusting for the number of returns, carriers, routing rules, and routing zones. AfterShip Returns' pricing already includes features such as a branded returns page, email notifications, exchange solutions, and bonus credit — at no additional cost.
Returnly
Returnly splits their offering into their App and Premium Plans. They do not display their pricing information on their site and require visitors to contact their sales team to learn more, requiring more time to get basic information. Returnly may need customers to purchase its advanced features, like exchanges and in-store returns, on top of their Premium Plan to unlock the solutions' capabilities. Additionally, its BNPL Instant Credit feature may charge per transaction.
A quick company overview
Regardless of your company's size, you need a reliable and flexible solution. Discover how AfterShip and AfterShip Returns can support your post-purchase offering and how it stacks up against Loop Returns.
AfterShip | Returnly | |
Year founded | 2012 (source) | 2014 (source) |
Number of employees | 450 (source) | 200+ (source) |
Number of customers | 20,000+ paid customers (source) | 1,800+ client brands (source) |
Number of carriers integrated | 68 carriers (source) | 9 Carriers via EasyPost (source) |
Number of platforms supported | 10+ eCommerce platforms (source) | 2 platforms (source) |
Number of drop-off locations | 310,000+ global locations (source) | Unspecified, options available for FedEx and USPS locations (source) |
Switching from Returnly to AfterShip Returns
AfterShip provides a dedicated Solutions Architect to help ensure a seamless transition from Returnly to AfterShip without data loss.
Step 1. Plan
Formulate a plan to build the post-purchase system you need. Think about your desired features and the integration with your current tool.
Step 2. Migrate
Move your data to AfterShip with the help of a Solutions Architect. You can include customer data, workflows, and reports.
Step 3. Test
Set up the system the way you want, then test, and preview the design before rolling it out. You can configure workflows, dashboards, and more.
Step 4. Scale
Once everything is running smoothly, you can duplicate your custom settings as needed to meet the demands of your growing business.
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