Can Processing a Return Cost 66% of Its Price?
Optoro's 66% figure is an upper bound that varies by product, industry, weight and distance—not an average return cost.
Short answer: Yes, in some cases. Optoro said a return can cost as much as 66% of the item's original price, but it presented 66% as an upper bound—not the average cost of every return.
Last updated: August 2026
What Optoro actually said
In an article about retail returns, Optoro explained that costs vary across products and industries because of factors including weight and distance. Its director of sustainability said a return can cost as much as 66% of the original price. The example was $33 of cost for an item originally priced at $50.
“As much as” is the important qualifier. The source did not report 66% as a mean or median across retailers, and the page did not provide a sample from which a universal average could be calculated. The earlier version of this page changed an upper bound into an average. That was not supported.
What can be included in return-processing cost?
A return can create costs before, during and after transport. Keep the components separate so a change in one step is not mistaken for a saving across the whole workflow:
- Customer support: eligibility, status and exception handling.
- Return transport: the carrier label and any pickup or handoff charge.
- Receiving: opening, inspection, grading and system updates.
- Disposition: restocking, refurbishment, markdown, liquidation or disposal.
- Payment effects: non-refundable fees, fraud and the timing of the refund.
- Lost product value: the gap between the original value and the amount recovered.
How to calculate your own cost per return
Choose one period and divide the total eligible reverse-logistics cost by the number of completed returns in that same period. Keep refunds out of the cost total unless you are explicitly measuring lost revenue; otherwise the item's selling price can be counted twice.
For example, if 200 completed returns create $1,800 in labels, $1,200 in receiving labour, $600 in support time and $1,400 in lost product value, the measured cost is $25 per completed return. Compare that amount with the returned items' original prices to obtain a rate. Record exclusions and use the same rules in the next period.
Where Forthroute fits
Forthroute gives Shopify merchants a branded return portal with QR labels, exchange support, merchant-issued refunds and return-leg tracking. It has no software subscription or monthly return limit. Optional prepaid labels are billed through Shopify at carrier cost plus a 1% handling markup, rounded up to the next $0.10; merchants may instead connect their own carrier account.
Those workflow and pricing facts do not guarantee that a merchant's total return cost will fall. Measure the same cost components before and after any process change.
Frequently asked questions
Is 66% the average cost of processing a return?
No. Optoro used “as much as 66%,” which describes a possible upper bound, and said cost varies by product, industry, weight and distance.
What was Optoro's example?
The source gave an example of $33 in return cost for an item with an original retail price of $50.
Does Forthroute issue refunds automatically?
No. Forthroute supports the return workflow, but the merchant issues the refund.