The useful number in a return is not just the postage quote. It is how much of your original payment you will actually get back. Even an item advertised with free delivery may involve a return charge under the seller’s terms. Four entries make the cost visible before you order.
Calculate spending left after a return
Include verified discounts and taxes in refundable amounts. This tool does not determine legal refund rights.
These are fictional example values. Replace them with values you have checked.
Include verified discounts and taxes in refundable amounts. This tool does not determine legal refund rights.
Inputs are calculated only in this browser, without being sent to or stored on our server. The CSV is saved on your device.
- Write down the checkout total
- Separate refundable and deducted amounts
- Check how return postage is charged
- Compare payment with final refund
Record payment and refund separately
Save the item price, original delivery charge, discounts and amount charged at checkout. Then read the return terms for the item refund, whether original delivery is refunded, who pays return postage and any other stated deductions. Free delivery at checkout does not itself promise a free return.
A change-of-mind return and a faulty or wrongly delivered item can have different rules. Check the actual policy and law that apply to your transaction, and ask the seller to confirm disputed terms in writing. US FTC and Korean consumer guidance both point shoppers toward checking return costs before buying.
Calculate what the return costs you
Use net cost = amount originally paid + return postage paid separately − final refund received. If the seller already deducted postage from the refund, do not add it a second time. Record whether a coupon is restored, a delivery fee refunded or a credit issued instead of cash.
For international orders or bulky furniture, add questions about collection, packaging, duties and installation. A spreadsheet cannot decide who is legally responsible for a defect; it only shows which amounts still need to be resolved.
Keep the evidence that fixes the numbers
Save the listing, return terms and their date, order number, delivery date and photos relevant to the problem. Keep the return request confirmation and tracking number. Check whether the deadline is for requesting a return or for the parcel to arrive.
If the proposed deduction differs from what you expected, request an itemized explanation before accepting it. Consumer rights and dispute channels depend on the seller, platform and jurisdiction; the sources below illustrate US and Korean guidance, not a universal refund rule.
A worked example
Hypothetical figures: you paid ₩39,000 for an item plus ₩3,000 initial delivery, so ₩42,000 left your account. The seller refunds only the ₩39,000 item price and you pay ₩5,000 for return postage. Net cost = ₩42,000 + ₩5,000 − ₩39,000 = ₩8,000. If delivery is refunded, the answer changes.
Common questions
Does free delivery mean a free return?
No. Read the return terms and the reason-specific allocation of costs.
What if postage is deducted from the refund?
Use the amount actually refunded and do not count that same postage twice.
What if the refund looks too small?
Ask for the item-price, original-shipping, return-postage and other-deduction breakdown; use the applicable local complaint route if unresolved.
Official sources checked
This is general information; individual circumstances and product or agency instructions may differ.
What to check next in this situation
- Is Free Shipping Worth Buying More? A Total-Cost Calculator
If you added goods to qualify for free shipping, also keep separate records of the original checkout total and the total after adding them.
- Dimensional weight calculator: compare two parcel sizes
If you need your own quote for an international return, check the packed dimensions, actual weight and the dimensional-weight rule for that service. This calculator does not establish return eligibility or shipping charges.