# Free Returns Policy Checker: UK, EU, US & Australia Rules

> Paste your returns policy and check it free against Google's requirements and consumer law in the UK, EU, US, Australia and 25+ more countries. Nothing stored.

Web page: https://www.certanza.app/returns-policy-checker

# Free returns policy checker for Google and consumer law

Paste your returns or refund policy, pick your country, and see in seconds whether it gives Google's reviewers what they look for and stays within your country's consumer law: the return window, refusals that go too far, and the details Google's return settings ask for. Free, no sign-up, and nothing you paste is stored.

Free tool · updated 30 October 2026 · 6 minute read

## The short version

- Google asks for a clear, easy-to-find returns policy, and its reviewers check that customers could follow it.
- In the UK and EU, online shoppers have 14 days to cancel most orders. A shorter window misstates their rights.
- In Australia and New Zealand, 'no refunds' wording is unlawful even for sale items: faulty goods are always covered.
- In the US there's no national right to cancel online orders, but Google still expects your policy to be clear.

## Key numbers

- **30+**: countries' rules, from the UK and EU to the US and Australia
- **14 days**: right to cancel online orders in the UK and EU
- **Seconds**: to check. No sign-up
- **0**: copies kept of anything you paste

## What the checker looks for

| Check | Why it matters |
| --- | --- |
| A return window in days | Google's reviewers look for a clear time limit, and Merchant Center's return settings ask for one. |
| A window shorter than the law allows | In the UK, Ireland and the EU, a window under 14 days for online orders misstates customers' rights. |
| 'No refunds' wording that goes too far | Blanket refusals misstate consumer rights in the UK, EU, Australia and New Zealand, which Google can treat as misleading. |
| Refusing returns on made-to-order items | In the UK and EU the right to cancel only falls away for genuinely personalised items, not standard designs printed to order. |
| Item condition, return postage and how to start a return | The details Google's return settings ask for, and what customers argue about most. |
| How long the refund takes and how it's paid | Good practice that reviewers and customers look for. |
| Statutory rights and template text | A line on statutory rights builds trust; leftover placeholders like [Your company] look unfinished. |
| The EU withdrawal function | Since 19 June 2026, shops selling online to EU consumers must offer a clearly labelled way to cancel online. |

> **The same rules as a full scan.** The checker uses the same refund rules as Certanza's [free website scan](https://www.certanza.app/), which also checks the rest of your site: contact details, delivery, prices and claims. It reads policies written in English.


## Returns rules by country

A short guide to the rules the checker applies. It's general information, not legal advice, and your obligations can depend on what you sell.

| Where | Right to cancel online orders | Worth knowing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| United Kingdom | 14 days, under the [Consumer Contracts Regulations](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/part/3) | Exceptions include personalised and perishable items, and sealed hygiene items once opened. Faulty goods are covered separately. |
| Ireland and the EU | 14 days, under EU consumer law | Since 19 June 2026, an online withdrawal function is required under [Directive (EU) 2023/2673](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/2673/oj). |
| Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey | Most shops follow the UK's 14-day standard, especially when selling to UK customers | Check the local rules for where you trade. |
| United States | No national right to cancel online orders: the [FTC's Cooling-Off Rule](https://consumer.ftc.gov/node/298689) doesn't cover online sales | Google still expects a clear returns policy. State laws can add requirements. |
| Australia | No right to a refund for change of mind | Faulty goods are covered by the consumer guarantees, so 'no refunds' signs are unlawful, even on sale items. |
| New Zealand | No right to a refund for change of mind | The Consumer Guarantees Act covers faulty goods, so blanket 'no refunds' wording misstates customers' rights. |
| Canada | No general national right to cancel online orders | Rules vary by province. Google still expects a clear policy. |


## What Google asks for in a returns policy

Google asks for clear and conspicuous refund and return information on your website. When you add a return policy in Merchant Center, its settings ask for:

- Your returns policy page's web address, and the countries it covers
- Whether you accept returns, and of what (all items or only faulty ones), and whether you offer exchanges
- The condition items must be in, and the return window in days
- How customers return items (by post, in store or at a drop-off point), and any restocking fee
- How long the refund takes

Make your website say the same as your Merchant Center settings: Google compares them. For the whole picture, see our guide to [getting approved first time](https://www.certanza.app/merchant-center-approval).


## Common questions

### Is the returns policy checker free?

Yes. It's free, there's no sign-up, and nothing you paste is stored. It checks the text and shows you the result straight away.

### Which countries does it cover?

Over 30, including the UK, Ireland and EU countries, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Pick your country and it applies that country's rules on top of what Google asks for.

### Does Google require a returns policy?

Google asks for clear and conspicuous refund and return information on your website, and its reviewers look for it. A missing or vague returns policy is a common reason Merchant Center accounts are flagged.

### Can I say 'no refunds'?

It depends where you are. In the UK and EU, online shoppers have 14 days to cancel most orders, so a blanket refusal misstates their rights. In Australia and New Zealand, faulty goods are always covered, so 'no refunds' wording is unlawful even on sale items. In the US there's no national rule, but your policy must still be clear.

### Is this legal advice?

No. It checks your wording against common rules and Google's requirements. For anything specific to your business, check with a legal adviser or your local consumer protection body.

### Does it work on policies that aren't in English?

Not yet: it reads English policies. Certanza's full website scan reads 12 languages.

## Sources

- [Google Merchant Center: Set up your return policies for Shopping ads and free listings](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/14011730)
- [UK: The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, Part 3](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/part/3)
- [European Consumer Centre: 14 days to withdraw](https://www.europe-consommateurs.eu/en/guarantees/withdrawal/)
- [EU: Directive (EU) 2023/2673 (online withdrawal function)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/2673/oj)
- [US Federal Trade Commission: The Cooling-Off Rule](https://consumer.ftc.gov/node/298689)
- [ACCC: action against misleading 'no refunds' signs](https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-action-against-westco-jeans-for-misleading-signs)

Check your own website for these problems with a free scan: https://www.certanza.app/

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Certanza is an independent tool and is not affiliated with Google. Reports are not legal advice and can't guarantee approval.
Site guide for AI assistants: https://www.certanza.app/llms.txt