Blocking and Allowing Returns with the Allow/Block List

The Allow List and Block List let you control return eligibility for specific orders, customers, and products. Use the Block List to stop returns that shouldn't happen, and the Allow List to make one-off exceptions for orders or customers that would otherwise be ineligible. 

Block List versus Allow List

The Allow List and Block List can be used to allow exceptions and prevent returns in specific situations. To view them, go to Returns > Allow/Block List in your Cahoot merchant panel.

Blocklisting lets you prevent specific return requests based on the following criteria:

• A customer email address. Blocks every item on every order placed with that email.
• An order number. Blocks every item in that order.
• A specific product (SKU). Blocks that product on all past and future orders.
• A specific product within one order (Order Number + SKU). Blocks that product in that order only. Other items in the order stay returnable.

Allowlisting lets you make an exception for a specific order, customer email address, or product, using the same criteria. This overrides ineligibility within Cahoot and lets the customer submit a return through the returns portal normally. Examples of when your team may decide to offer exceptions are:

• Products set as non-returnable.
• Orders outside of your return window.
• Customers, orders, or products that were previously added to the Block List. For example, an allowlisted order is returnable even if the customer's email is on the Block List.

How to Add an Allow List or Block List Entry

1. In your Cahoot merchant panel, go to Returns > Allow/Block List.
2. Click the Allow List or Block List tab.
3. Click Add New.
4. Enter at least one of Order Number, Customer Email, or SKU, based on what you want the entry to cover.
5. Click Save.

The entry appears in the list and applies the next time a customer looks up that order in the returns portal.

How to Edit or Remove an Allow List or Block List Entry

1. Go to Returns > Allow/Block List and click the Allow List or Block List tab.
2. To find a specific entry, fill in Order Number, Customer Email, or SKU at the top of the page and click Go. Click Reset to clear the filter.
3. Click Edit to change the entry, or Delete to remove it.

Removing a Block List entry makes the order, customer, or product eligible for return again under your normal return rules. Removing an Allow List entry returns the order, customer, or product to your normal return rules.

What Customers See When a Return Is Blocked

When a customer looks up a blocked order or item in the returns portal, the portal shows a message that the order or product isn't available for return. The message is the same whether you blocked the order or the customer's email, so the customer can't tell which one applies. If the customer contacts you and you decide to accept the return, add the order to the Allow List.

Best Practices for Using the Allow List

Should I allowlist by order number, customer email, or SKU?

Use the narrowest entry that covers the exception. Order Number, or Order Number + SKU for a single item, is best in most cases. A Customer Email or SKU-only entry applies to all past and future orders, which is usually broader than the exception you meant to make.

Should I leave an Allow List entry in place permanently?

No. Treat Allow List entries as temporary. Add the entry, let the customer submit their return, then delete the entry once the return has been submitted.