Guide
Performance dashboard: Return Rate
Last updated on Jan 28, 2026
Reading time: 2 min
Overview

The Return Rate is a Seller Performance Standard that tracks the percentage of delivered items that are returned by the customer. In this guide, you’ll learn how the Return Rate is calculated and how it can be used to improve your performance.

Notes:

If you use Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS), most performance metrics will be met for you, including the Return Rate.

What is the policy?

The Return Rate is the percentage of items in the past 60 days that are returned by the customer due to the seller’s fault. Maintaining a low Return Rate helps ensure a positive customer experience and protects your performance metrics. High Return Rates can indicate issues with product quality, listing accuracy or fulfillment practices. Frequently monitor your Return Rate from the Performance dashboard in Seller Center and ensure you maintain a rate of less than or equal to 6%.

Additional guidelines

This table provides a list of Return Rate performance drivers, along with recommendations for improvements:


Driver

Definition

Recommendations

Defective

Your account has a high rate of defective orders shipped to customers.

Review items to ensure all parts are included as advertised, the quality of the product is
as shown on Walmart.com, no
manufacturer defects exist and
that product photos and descriptions accurately match what the customer ordered.

Damaged

Your account has a high rate of damaged orders shipped to customers.

Review the packaging used for your products and ensure they’re sufficient given the product type and weight.
 

  • Review the packaging used for your products and ensure they’re sufficient given the product type and weight.

  • Review your chosen carriers to evaluate if a particular carrier is causing repetitive issues. 

Incorrect item

Your account has a high rate of incorrect items sent to customers. 

  • Review your offers to ensure that product photos and descriptions accurately represent what the customer will receive. 
  • Review your inventory to ensure that UPCs are accurately associated with the correct products. 

Arrived late

Your account has a high rate of items that arrived late to customers. 

Review your chosen carriers to evaluate if a particular carrier is causing repetitive issues. 

Notes:

The third-party information found within this policy and the related hyperlinks is for general informational purposes only and is not considered legal advice. This policy may contain links to third party content, which Walmart does not warrant, endorse, or assume liability for and your reliance on such content is solely at your own discretion. 

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