> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.firmhouse.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Cancellation & returns

> Set up cancellation and product return flows for rental subscriptions, including return orders, customer self-service returns, cancellation strategies, and automatic return creation.

Use this guide when customers rent physical products that need to be returned when they cancel. A complete cancellation and returns setup can let customers request cancellation, create return orders, keep billing active while products are out, and finalize the cancellation after the products are returned.

Returns are not enabled by default. Decide which behavior you need, then enable the matching settings below.

## Setup overview

| What you need                                              | Who can enable it today | Where to enable it                                                                   |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Return orders in the portal                                | Merchant                | **Settings > New Features > Return Orders**                                          |
| Customer-initiated returns                                 | Merchant                | **Settings > Self Service Center > Self service center returns**                     |
| Customers can cancel their own return orders               | Merchant                | **Settings > Self Service Center > Self service center returns**                     |
| Plan-level cancellation behavior                           | Merchant                | **Settings > New Features > Plan-Level Cancellation Strategies**, then edit the plan |
| Automatic return order creation when a cancellation starts | Firmhouse support       | Ask Firmhouse support to enable this for your project                                |

## Choose the flow

### Use return orders without changing cancellation behavior

Use this when you want to manage product returns manually, or when customers should be able to return products from the Self Service Center, but cancellation does not need to wait for the returned product.

1. Go to **Settings > New Features**.
2. Enable **Return Orders**.
3. To let customers start returns themselves, go to **Settings > Self Service Center** and enable **Self service center returns**.
4. If customers should be allowed to cancel in-progress return orders themselves, enable **Customers can cancel return orders by themselves**.

With this setup, you can create return orders from a customer subscription page and customers can create return orders from the Self Service Center when self-service returns are enabled.

### Make cancellation wait for returned products

Use this when the customer should keep being billed until the rented products are returned and the cancellation can be finalized.

1. Go to **Settings > New Features**.
2. Enable **Return Orders**.
3. Enable **Plan-Level Cancellation Strategies**.
4. Open the relevant plan and set **Cancellation strategy** to **Cancel at the end of the billing period**.
5. Ask Firmhouse support to enable **Automatic return creation** for your project.
6. To let customers start returns themselves, go to **Settings > Self Service Center** and enable **Self service center returns**.

When automatic return creation is enabled, Firmhouse creates a return order when a cancellation is initiated. The subscription remains active while products still need to be returned. After the products are confirmed as returned, the cancellation can be completed according to the plan's cancellation strategy.

## Merchant setup

### Enable Return Orders

1. Go to **Settings > New Features**.
2. Find **Return Orders**.
3. Click **Enable**.

After this is enabled, the Return Orders section appears on customer subscription pages and return orders can be created from the portal.

### Enable customer returns in the Self Service Center

1. Go to **Settings > Self Service Center**.
2. Enable **Self service center returns**.
3. Add the return instructions that customers should see after creating a return order.
4. Optional: enable **Customers can cancel return orders by themselves**.
5. Save the settings.

Customers can then select products to return from their Self Service Center.

### Configure cancellation behavior on plans

1. Go to **Settings > New Features**.
2. Enable **Plan-Level Cancellation Strategies**.
3. Go to **Plans**.
4. Open the plan used for the rental subscription.
5. In **Cancellation strategy**, choose one of:
   * **Cancel immediately**: the cancellation is processed as soon as the customer is allowed to cancel.
   * **Cancel at the end of the billing period**: the subscription enters pending cancellation and is finalized later.
6. Save the plan.

Use **Cancel at the end of the billing period** when the subscription should remain active while the return is still open.

## Ask Firmhouse support to enable automatic return creation

Automatic return creation is currently enabled by Firmhouse support.

Ask Firmhouse support to enable **Automatically create a return order when a cancellation is initiated** for your project.

Use this when a rental cancellation should automatically create a return order for active products. Without this setting, return orders can still be created manually or by the customer, but Firmhouse will not automatically create one when cancellation starts.

## Recommended checklist

For a rental proposition where cancellation should wait for product return:

1. Enable **Return Orders** in **Settings > New Features**.
2. Enable **Plan-Level Cancellation Strategies** in **Settings > New Features**.
3. Set the rental plan to **Cancel at the end of the billing period**.
4. Ask Firmhouse support to enable **Automatic return creation** for the project.
5. Enable **Self service center returns** if customers should create return orders themselves.
6. Review cancellation and return emails so customers receive the right instructions.

## Related articles

* [Rental subscriptions](/use-cases/rental)
* [Introduction to returns](/manage/returns/introduction-to-returns)
* [Manage Return Orders](/manage/returns/manage-return-orders)
* [Set up product returns from the Self Service Center](/configure/my-account-portal/set-up-product-returns)
* [Plan cancellation strategy](/manage/plans/cancellation-strategy)