The 7 Best Happy Returns Alternatives & Competitors In 2025

Are you looking for Happy Returns alternatives to automate and optimise your returns process to offset costs?

The software, a UPS company, offers a returns solution that helps your consumers return their products to 8,000+ return bar locations.

Despite that, some retailers mention that the return bars network is not as extensive in some areas as others, and that there’s hardly any visibility over the return process.

We researched 30+ returns management systems, looked at verified reviews on G2, and talked to e-commerce leaders to create a list of the seven best Happy Returns alternatives on the market.

In this guide, we will cover each tool’s features, pricing, pros/cons, and use cases to help you make a more informed decision.

Before we start, let’s go over why retailers are considering switching from Happy Returns: ⤵️

#1: The Return Bars network is not as extensive in some areas (in-store returns)

According to customers of the platform, the returns bar network of Happy Returns (i.e., their in-store returns) is not as extensive in some areas.

That means shoppers outside of the big cities in the UK would struggle with their returns.

The review below is perhaps a little harsh but it does point to the frustrations of consumers trying to find a convenient drop-off location.

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Even if the above review is harsh, the complaint regarding inconvenient locations is shared by others.

‘’One aspect that might be less favourable about Happy Returns is that their network of Return Bars might not be as extensive in some areas compared to others. This could potentially limit convenience for customers who rely on in-person returns but don't have a nearby Return Bar location.’’ – G2 Review.

This issue has been re-stated by another customer of the platform, who complains about the limited availability of the drop-off locations in certain areas.

‘’One aspect I dislike about Happy Returns is the limited availability of drop-off locations in certain areas, which can be inconvenient for customers who do not live near a designated spot. I used the service through ASOS, and the post office was the only drop-off point (long wait).’’ – G2 Review.

#2: Slow refund process

It can take a while for retailers to get their returns back through Happy Returns, leading to delays in the refund process and unhappy customers.

#3: No visibility over the return process

Next up, retailers have not been the happiest with the lack of visibility of the returns process provided by Happy Returns.

That means smaller businesses aren’t able to confirm if the package has been received.

‘’There's no visibility to the return process as we can't truly confirm the package has been received.’’ – G2 Review.

#4: Difficulties getting to customer support

Last but not least, users of Happy Returns are not satisfied with the level of customer service that they’ve been provided with.

➡️ That was definitely a trend in smaller businesses, but we believe that smaller enterprises should also be given adequate support and service to ensure that there are no operational bottlenecks.

‘’I've had some difficulties with getting help from the customer support team.’’ – G2 Review.

What Factors To Consider When Searching For The Right Alternative To Happy Returns?

When evaluating the best Happy Returns alternatives for returns management, we looked at the following criteria:

• Return tracking capabilities: The returns platform should give your customers and your brand real-time updates on where the packages are.
• Drop-off locations: As this is one of Happy Returns’ weaknesses, we wanted to find tools that would enable your customers to easily drop off their returns in convenient locations.
• Total global network: The international coverage of these platforms in terms of countries served by international retailers.
• Reporting capabilities on returns:  This will help you better understand return behaviour and be able to spot return fraud as it happens.
• Pricing model: The returns platform’s pricing model should align with your budget and expected returns per year.
• Customer support and dedicated account management: If there are issues with returns or you have any questions about the returns platform, there should be support for your store that responds quickly.
• Ease of use and set-up: We looked at G2 reviews to see if retailers think of the platforms as easy to use and set up.
• Range of return options: A good range of return options will give your consumers more choices and allow your brand to retain revenue and offset costs, such as free return-to-store returns and paid returns.
• Depth of carriers: Returns solutions with a bigger range of carrier options would help you optimise your logistics operations, reduce expenses, and give you access to discounted rates.

Let’s now go over the best returns solutions that meet this criteria:

#1: ZigZag Global

ZigZag Global (that’s us) offers the most comprehensive Happy Returns alternative for global and UK-based retailers looking to optimise and automate their returns process.

Unlike Happy Returns, ZigZag offers:

• Best-in-class key account management and customer support that will help you set up the returns portal and promptly answer questions, even if you’re a smaller retailer!
• 500,000+ drop-off locations worldwide with the option to install a convenient in-store return kiosk for returns.
• Access to our own carrier accounts, so you would not have to use your carrier account.
• A bigger range of return options for shoppers, including paid returns and in-store returns, not just returns and exchanges.
• A comprehensive range of international carrier integrations so you can scale your returns management abroad, instead of using multiple returns management tools for the different markets.

Note: Even though ZigZag Global is our returns management system, we’ll aim to provide an unbiased perspective on why we offer the best Happy Returns alternative in 2025.

Our returns solution lets you build a custom returns portal and offers your shoppers different return options that help you keep capital in the business and offset the costs of returns.

We also provide retailers with access to 220 localised warehouses and over 1,500 international carrier services, all across 170+ origin countries.

Let’s go over the features that retailers like SportsDirect, Ted Baker, Puma and Swarovski love about ZigZag Global: 👇

Customisable Returns Portal

ZigZag offers a customisable returns portal that lets you change returns rules alongside white-labelling the portal to reflect your brand’s image.

Your team can adapt various new return solutions (such as a gift card, exchange, or cash refund) depending on customers’ reasons for returning.

Reasons could be that the product was faulty, did not fit, or was unsuitable.

Get a feel of how ZigZag’s platform works in our guided demo: 👇

Single-Click Shopify Integration

Our returns solution can also be set up on Shopify with as little effort as a single click.

Here’s why retailers love our Shopify returns management integration:

• One-click installation: You can install the ZigZag plug-in with a simple click and offer hassle-free returns to your customers.
• Save the sale with exchanges: Offer exchanges or refunds to gift cards instead of a full refund.
• Cut the costs of your returns: You can save up to 57% in your return costs with our consolidation and efficient routing of e-commerce returns.

💡 Our in-house research on returns found that 57% of customers who are considering returning items would accept a gift card as a refund.

This return option helps you keep money in your business while benefiting consumers with a quick gift card option they can use in your store.

International Returns To 170+ Countries With 1,500+ Carrier Services.

The ‘’Global’’ part of ZigZag Global is because our returns software is ideal for international returns, as our tool facilitates international returns in 170+ countries by connecting you with 1,500+ global carriers.

➡️ Our returns portal can accept multiple currencies & provides different language settings for international shoppers, which is ideal for international brands.

Instead of using multiple return management platforms for the USA, Europe, and other regions, you can use ZigZag Global as a global return logistics solution.

Comprehensive Range of Return Options For Consumers

Unlike Happy Returns, our global returns platform does not only exist to manage your returns but to help you save time, money and improve the loyalty of your shoppers.

This is why ZigZag Global offers the following return options for your customers:

In-Store Returns

In-store returns are when your shoppers return the product to your store in person to save the costs of a paid return online.

You can implement free in-store returns to slash shipping costs, boost foot traffic to your physical store, and give shoppers more ways to get a refund.

💡 ZigZag Global also offers in-store drop-off kiosks for companies that are hassle-free for your shoppers.

Store Credit To Save the Sale

Return to store credit is when customers get a refund in the form of a gift card to your online store, instead of a monetary refund to their bank account.

As customers are happy to accept store credit instead of a refund (since it’s usually of greater value), we added the option of this return to our retailers’ portal so you can keep capital in the business.

➡️ Return to store credits allows you to increase and maintain the customer lifetime value.

Paid Returns

We found that 48% of consumers are happy paying for returns, which is not surprising, considering that there has been a 32% rise in paid returns since last year.

We’ve started recommending retailers to implement paid returns in their stores, as the behaviour towards paid returns has changed.

Put simply, paid returns are asking consumers to pay a small fee to return their products.

Here are a few reasons why merchants have been offering paid returns:

• Returned costs are covered, so your company is not on the losing end.
• Consumers can’t exploit the free returns policy to engage in wardrobing.
• Customers are likely to make better buying decisions.

💡 You can check out our recent article on how merchants can deal with wardrobing, as we went over how paid returns are the solution to wardrobing.

➡️ Are you interested in how much money ZigZag’s paid returns save your organization? You can check out our ROI Calculator.

Here’s a scenario where you have 5,000 returns per month, and 20% of them are paid returns of £3.

That’ll save you a total of £3,000 per month.

Advanced Returns Analytics

Unlike Happy Returns, our returns management solution offers advanced reporting that tracks everything for our retailers to view and manage from one portal, such as:

• Comparing the popularity of refund solutions.
• Evaluating the most common reasons why consumers return products.
• Reviewing revenue generated from paid returns.
• Detecting suspicious return behaviour from shoppers.

➡️ The retailers who use ZigZag Global can reduce their returns in the long run after evaluating the common reasons why people return products.

Case Study: How SportsShoes Revolutionised Its Post-Purchase Experience With ZigZag Global

SportsShoes partnered with ZigZag to deal with slow refund times and costly return solutions.

With over 1,500 carrier services across over 170 countries, partnering with ZigZag to manage the international returns experience meant that SportsShoes could tap into our vast logistics network.

SportsShoes can now bring returns back in a time-efficient and cost-effective manner to its warehouses.

The online retailer transformed its returns experience and has:

• Set up a returns portal that can be completed by customers in under 60 seconds.
• The ability to track orders and identify mistakes quickly helps the brand to process refunds fast and send out replacement items just as quickly.
• Introduced reliable and trackable carriers to their network to appeal to more consumers.

Book a demo

To learn more about smarter returns with ZigZag, book a demo to see the portal in action and discuss tailoring a solution for your business.

ZigZag Pros & Cons

✅ 1,500+ global carriers to manage international returns.

✅ Advanced reporting and returns analytics to uncover why customers return products.

✅ Wide range of returning options for your customers, such as paid returns, return to store, and return to gift card.

✅ 500,000+ drop-off locations worldwide.

✅ Customisable returns portal with multiple currencies.

❌ Shipping back from the EU might take some time, according to a G2 review.

❌ Some merchants note that some of the carriers can be slower than others.

#2: ReturnGO

ReturnGO offers a sustainable returns management platform, which focuses on enabling merchants to save money from returns while tackling waste.

The returns software is a nice alternative to Happy Returns for organizations looking to set up an automated and environmentally friendly return experience.

Features

• Exchanges: You can upsell shoppers as they are making a return to increase revenue.
• Send out branded order tracking notifications for any shipment to improve customer loyalty.
• Return automations, such as ‘’request approval’’ automation and ‘’mark as done’’.

Pricing

ReturnGO bases its pricing on a tiered pricing structure that includes features and an annual returns allowance.

There are 3 paid plans for retailers:

• Premium: Starts from $121/month for up to 2,000 annual returns and gives you access to variant and product exchanges, and branded email notifications.
• Pro: Starts from $297/month for up to 5,000 annual returns and adds white-labelling options, item validation features, and packaging slips.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing, which adds an order tracking portal and notifications, advanced automations, and multi-store plans.

Pros and Cons

✅ Refunds, gift cards, and store credit return options.

✅ Customisable returns portal that can be set up with up to 5 languages.

✅ Advanced returns automations when compared to other competitors.

❌ Starting price may not be very small-business-friendly, which is not ideal for smaller businesses looking to switch from Happy Returns.

❌ Premium and Pro plans support only Shopify, which is why merchants have been looking for alternatives to ReturnGO.

#3: Sendcloud

Sendcloud offers a returns management and reverse logistics platform that helps retailers automate label creation and streamline their e-commerce returns.

The returns software offers a ‘’Free Forever’’ plan that appeals to smaller online stores, making it a viable alternative to Happy Returns for start-ups.

Features

• Automated reverse logistics workflow: You’ll be able to automate label creation to save time and improve your site’s returns experience.
• Notifications of the status of the return via SMS: Keep your consumers happy and spend less time answering WISMO emails.
• Generate customs docs automatically for international returns. You can also build trust by offering a localised returns experience.

Pricing

Sendcloud has a free version of its solution that lets you get access to up to 2 shop integrations, 50 shipments per month and API access to the platform.

To access the platform’s better shipping discount rates and get access to more shipments per month, you’d need to be on their Lite plan, which starts from £21/month.

The tool’s Growth (£63/month) and Premium (£125/month) plans offer more shipments per month and cheaper price/label rates if you exceed your monthly limit of returns.

Pros and Cons

✅ Advanced return analytics with data-driven insights.

✅ Real-time return shipment tracking.

✅ Generous freemium plan.

❌ The analytics dashboard is only available in the Premium plan, which costs £125/month.

❌ There are fewer carrier options than other Sendcloud alternatives on the market.

#4: ShipStation

ShipStation offers a returns management solution that helps online stores set up a branded returns portal to manage cross-channel returns.

The platform is a nice alternative to Happy Returns for larger organizations looking to save money with pay-per-use return labels, which is ShipStation’s ‘’bread and butter’’.

Features

• Set up a branded returns portal that lets your shoppers to easily return products and request exchanges.
• Send return labels with orders to speed up your returns process and manage returns centrally.
• Create and process RMAs to reduce administrative tasks and provide visibility to your customers.
• The tool also lets you get access to label discounts to protect your returns budget.

Pricing

ShipStation’s pricing is primarily based on shipments per month:

• Starter plan: $9.99/month for 50 shipments/month.
• Growth plan: $29.99/month for 1,000 shipments/month.
• Scale plan: $99.99/month for 7,500 shipments/month.
• High-volume plan: $399.99/month for unlimited shipments/month.

Pros and Cons

✅ Branded labels and tracking of returns.

✅ SME-friendly pricing with a generous plan for Enterprises with unlimited shipments.

✅ You can send return labels with your orders, which is a good way of dealing with staging in e-commerce.

❌ Carrier rates are not as good as other ShipStation alternatives on the market, according to G2 reviews.

❌ Does not support FedEx.

#5: nShift

nShift offers a returns management platform that offers a suite of products to help you manage the post-purchase customer experience.

The platform is a viable alternative to Happy Returns for enterprises looking to get insights into why products are being returned.

Features

• Advanced analytics into why your products are being returned, enabling you to gain a deeper understanding of product faults and returns trends.
• Delivery management: nShift optimises multi-carrier shipping processes and works with the world’s largest carriers to help you better meet shopper needs.
• Emissions tracking and reporting: The brand tries to lower its carbon footprint by providing retailers with emissions tracking and reporting.

Pricing

Similar to Narvar’s pricing, nShift does not publicly disclose its pricing, so you’d have to request a call-back or schedule a demo with them.

Pros and Cons

✅ Emissions tracking and reporting for environmentally-conscious retailers.

✅ Can be set up within a few days on its lowest-paid plan.

✅ Good network of international and local carriers.

❌ Not as many return options as Loop and ZigZag Global.

❌ Customer support is not as good as other nShift alternatives on the market.

#6: EasyShip

EasyShip is a returns management solution that can be connected to Shopify, TikTok Shop, WooCommerce, and Squarespace.

The software is a proper alternative to Happy Returns for SMEs that want to introduce pre-paid return labels to their return experience, so consumers can easily return items in their delivery if they want to.

Features

• A good option for US-based retailers due to the platform’s affordable shipping rates with USPS, UPS, and FedEx.
• Easily create pre-paid return labels: Consumers can print and attach their own labels for fast return processing.
• A worldwide network of 3PL and fulfilment warehouses that helps you improve transit times and reduce tariff exposure.

Pricing

EasyShip has a free plan that offers up to 50 monthly shipments with discounted shipping rates.

To get access to more monthly shipments and advanced features, you’d have to be on one of their three paid plans that start from £23/month when billed annually.

Pros and Cons

✅ A good option for international retailers.

✅ A free forever plan that lets you send up to 50 shipments per month.

✅ Easy to be integrated and set up with a user-friendly interface.

❌ Not very good for larger order volumes due to technical limitations.

❌ The interface does not allow copying of previous shipments, which is time-wasting.

#7: Parcel Perform

Parcel Perform is a Singapore-based returns inventory management software that helps you reduce shipping costs and improve customer satisfaction.

The platform is an ideal solution for brands looking for an all-in-one post-purchase solution.

Features

• Stop the ‘’where is my order’’ complaints by upselling consumers while they are waiting for their orders.
• Different return options, such as return to store credit, improve customer loyalty and lifetime value.
• ‘’VIP’’ returns tracking that is tailored to your shoppers and offers transparent delivery dates. The tool provides the estimated time of arrival and issues a new date if there are order delays.

Pricing

Parcel Perform does not disclose its pricing, so you’d have to contact their team for a quote and a product demo.

Pros and Cons

✅ Personalised return tracking.

✅ Good range of return options, such as return to store credit.

✅ GDPR compliant, adhering to the highest levels of security regulations to keep customer data safe.

❌ Some users report glitches in the platform, which have made some aspects of the software hard to use.

❌ Issue resolution can be slow at times.

Next Steps: Offset Costs On International & Domestic Returns With ZigZag Global

We went over the 7 best alternatives to Happy Returns that can help you minimise your cost of returns and offer a better customer support experience when you need it.

Each return tool that we reviewed has its strengths, weaknesses, and pros & cons.

Built for merchants who operate globally, ZigZag offers an all-in-one returns platform that is designed to take over any company’s post-purchase experience.

If you’re looking for a returns management platform that offers:

• A customisable returns portal that can be personalised for your customers.
• Wide range of return options, such as paid returns, return to store credit, and return to gift card.
• Access to detailed analytics and reports on what drives consumers to return products.

Book a demo

Then you can book a demo to learn more about ZigZag Global.

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