Open protocol and tooling for e-commerce returns and exchanges.
OpenReturn defines a machine-readable standard for the return lifecycle that any e-commerce platform, headless commerce tool, or AI agent can integrate with. The protocol includes an extensible return method interface for third-party services, a self-hostable reference portal (Next.js), and modular carrier and platform adapters using retailer-owned API keys. No intermediary touches the retailer's data or takes a margin on their shipments.
Built by It Goes Forward, with research grounding from a peer-reviewed study on return logistics (Omega 128, 2024) co-authored with VU Amsterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam.
REST API + MCP server. Discoverable via /.well-known/openreturn or UCP profile. Designed to be compatible with UCP.
🌐 openreturn.io · 📄 Protocol spec · 💬 Discussions