Example · Part of the order

One of three back: a refund to the cent.

With a partial return most of the order stays with the customer. So the refund only takes the product sent back, and what happens to the shipping costs is your decision per return.

The question

How do I refund only part of an order, with a share of the shipping costs, and keep the order right in Shopware?

The situation

Laura Schmitt from Münster orders a summer dress, a knit sweater and a backpack on 29 October. The sweater is too long in the sleeves, she keeps dress and backpack. As a goodwill gesture the shop refunds, for partial returns, the share of the shipping costs that falls on the product sent back.

  • Order 12034: dress 79.95 €, sweater 89.95 €, backpack 89.95 €, shipping 5.90 €, 265.75 € in total
  • Return 50471: one Knit Sweater Fjell in M, 34 % of the order
  • Invoice for the order exists, one tax rate of 19 %

What arrives in the admin

The head card shows which part of the order comes back

Return 50471 names the value of the sweater and its share of the order. After the check with “Refund” it is ready in the card “Refunds”.

  • 89.95 € value of goods, 34 % of the order.

  • The order value stays 265.75 €; the return itself does not change the order.

The refund

Price from the order, one third of the shipping costs by hand

“Trigger refund” presets the line of the sweater with 89.95 €, price times pieces from the order. “Add shipping costs (5.90 €)” adds the full shipping costs as a line; the team changes it by hand to 1.97 €, one third. The plugin does not calculate this share itself. Every line, tick and message of the window is shown under Refund.

Refund for return 50471

Knit Sweater Fjell (M)€89.95

Shipping costs, one third of 5.90 €€1.97

including 19 % VAT (14.36 € + 0.31 €)€14.67

Total excl. VAT€77.25

Refund€91.92

Two ways for the document:

  • Create document “Refund” for invoice: a document of its own with its own number, here 1047; the order stays at 265.75 €.
  • Add minus positions to the order: two positions “Refund 50471: …” with a minus amount, the order total drops to 173.83 €, and as in Shopware the document is called “Credit note”.

What Laura sees

On the page of her return the refund stands with amount, date and the document to download.

  • 91.92 € refunded on 05/11/2026.

  • She downloads the document “Refund 1047” with one click.

The order in Shopware

“Returned (partially)” instead of “Returned”

On completion the window “Delivery status of the order” asks whether the order shall count as returned in Shopware as well. Because only one piece of three is back, it suggests “Returned (partially)”; positions and total of the order stay unchanged.

  • From “Shipped” to “Returned (partially)”.

  • The sentence names the reason: 1 of 3 pieces of the order is back.

  • Change delivery status sets it; Do not change leaves the order as it is.

If Laura later sends dress and backpack back as well, the window suggests “Returned” after the next return.

Common questions

Can I refund only part of an order?

Yes. A refund only contains the products checked with “Refund”, with the price from the order. Every product stands in one refund at most.

Does the plugin calculate the shipping costs pro rata?

No. “Add shipping costs” adds the full shipping costs of the order as a line; you enter a share by hand, or you leave the line out.

Can I deduct something, for example for a missing tag?

Yes, with “Add line” and a minus amount. Only the total of the refund must not drop below 0.

Does the refund change the order?

Only with the tick “Add minus positions to the order”. Without it the order stays unchanged, and a document “Refund” of its own is created.

What is the difference between “Returned” and “Returned (partially)”?

These are delivery states of the order in Shopware. After completion the plugin suggests “Returned” when every piece of the order is back, otherwise “Returned (partially)”.

Does the plugin pay the money back?

No. It records amount, document and email; the payout runs through your payment provider or your bank.

More examples

ExampleWithdrawal and returnShopware’s withdrawal form takes the withdrawal, the plugin then runs the return with label, check and refund.Read on → ExampleLowering the return rateFrom the rate of the shop to the reasons, products and customers behind it, and which lever helps with which finding.Read on → ExampleA return without an accountGuests send goods back without registering: order number and email address or postal code open the order.Read on →

Try it in the demo shop.

The demo shop shows the customer account and the administration fully set up. The manual shows every setting.

In the Shopware Store To the demo shop Manual