Understanding Return-to-Sender Orders

This guide outlines the Return-to-Sender process, common causes, and how you can respond efficiently

February 8, 2026

Table of contents

• Things to keep in mind
• Process Flow

Return-to-Sender (RTS) occurs when a shipment fails to reach the customer and is returned to the sender. Common reasons include an incorrect or incomplete shipping address, the recipient refusing the package, or repeated failed delivery attempts.

This article explains what happens when an order is marked as RTS, how Portless handles it, and what steps you can take to resolve the issue efficiently.

Things to keep in mind

• Not all returned orders are eligible for re-dispatch. Whether a package can be resent depends on the logistics channel that handled the order and whether the re-dispatch feature is supported.

• Why packages are not returned to China or Vietnam:

  • Returned packages are not sent back to China or Vietnam by default. While package destruction is free of charge, returning items to the country of origin requires a retrieval fee. This fee applies to the entire batch, not just the individual order.
  • For example, if a batch contains over 1,000 orders and a return is requested, all remaining items in that batch incur the retrieval fee, which results in high costs. Because of this cost structure, packages are destroyed by default instead of returned.

Process Flow

The order is marked as RTS

A shipment is returned to the sender due to issues like:

• Invalid or incomplete address
• The recipient is unavailable for multiple delivery attempts
• Customer refusal or unreachability

The package is sent to the local warehouse

Returned parcels are redirected to a warehouse within the same region or country. Arrival can take 7 to 60 days.

Notification sent to the merchant

Once the package arrives, Portless notifies you to:

• Confirm whether redelivery is needed
• Request updated or complete shipping details from the customer

Next steps: Decision making

You may:

• Arrange redelivery (if possible)
• Ask the customer if they prefer placing a new order for faster reshipment from the Portless warehouse

Cost responsibility

Portless will not cover return or reshipment costs if the RTS was caused by:

• Insufficient or invalid address
• Repeated failed delivery attempts
• Unreachable customer