GLS QR Returns: Set up return labels and send them automatically

With GLS QR Return, your customers can return an item without having to print a label themselves. They receive a QR code via email, show it on their phone at a GLS PakkeShop, and the staff scans it and prints the label for them. It’s the same return experience many people are familiar with from PostNord, and you can enable it with a single selection in your shipping settings. Here’s the entire setup process, step by step.

Choose the format for your GLS return labels

You select the format in one place, and it applies to all GLS returns in your online store:

1. Go to Delivery → Setup
2. Scroll down to the GLS section
3. Find the “Format for GLS Return Labels” dropdown
4. Select the format you want to use (see below)
5. Click Save

You have three options:

• PDF label (printable) is the default option. The customer receives a label that can be printed at home and attached to the package. The PDF label also includes a built-in QR code.
• A QR code means the customer doesn’t need a printer at all. The customer shows the QR code on their phone at a GLS PakkeShop, where the staff scans it and prints the label.
• Both options (PDF label and QR code) provide both the printable PDF label and the QR code, so the customer can choose whichever works best for them.

Automatically send the return label to the customer

The format you choose determines what is generated by GLS. To ensure the customer also receives the return label or QR code automatically via email, you must enable two settings in the Return Center:

1. Go to Return Center
2. Enable “Automatically create return labels ”
3. Enable “Automatically send return label to the customer”

Once both are enabled, Shoporama will generate the return label and send it to the customer as soon as a return is created. The QR code is attached to the email as an image that the customer can view on their phone. If you select "Both," both the printable PDF label and the QR image will be attached to the same email.

Here’s how the customer sees it

Once a return is created, the customer receives an email at the address listed on the order. If you’ve selected the QR code option, the code is included as an attached image. The customer opens the image on their phone, goes to a GLS PakkeShop, and shows the QR code. The staff scans the code and prints the label on the spot. This means the customer doesn’t need a printer or to write anything down. If you’ve selected “Both,” the customer can instead choose to print the PDF label from home.

How to Test the Workflow

There is no separate field where you can enter a test recipient. The confirmation email is always sent to the email address listed on the order itself. If you want to see what it looks like to the customer, follow these steps:

1. Create or find an order with your own email address on it
2. Make sure the order uses GLS as the shipping carrier
3. Initiate a return for the order, either from the online store’s returns center or directly on the order in the admin panel
4. Check your inbox: the return email with the QR code (or PDF label) will be there

Difference between GLS and PostNord QR Returns

If you’re already using PostNord’s QR Return, the good news is that the customer experience remains the same: the customer scans a QR code at a package shop without having to print anything. However, there’s a difference behind the scenes that’s worth knowing:

• PostNord sends the QR code to the customer itself via email or text message. This is handled within PostNord’s own system.
• GLS does not send the QR code itself. Instead, Shoporama retrieves the QR code from GLS and attaches it to your own return email (return_label.html). That’s why it’s especially important for GLS that your theme includes the return_label.html template and that automatic forwarding is enabled in Returcenter.

For you as a store owner, the difference in practice simply means that you need to remember these two Return Center settings and the template when using GLS QR Return. Everything else works as you’re used to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to do anything manually every time a customer wants to return an item?

No. Once you’ve selected “QR Code” or “Both” under “Delivery” and enabled “Automatically create return labels” and “Automatically send return label to the customer” in the Return Center, everything happens automatically. The customer receives their QR code via email without you having to lift a finger. If you’d rather manage this manually, you can instead create a GLS return for each individual order.

Does the format selection apply to the entire store or per order?

The format is set per online store and applies to all GLS returns in that store. You select it in one place under Delivery, Setup, in the GLS section. This means you don’t have to decide on the format for each individual order.

Can I offer both a QR code and a printable label to the customer?

Yes. Select the format “Both (PDF label and QR code).” The customer will then receive both in the same email and can choose to either print the PDF label at home or scan the QR code at a package drop-off location. The PDF label also has a built-in QR code scanner, so no customer is left without an option.

What happens to the order when a GLS QR return is generated?

The QR code is retrieved from GLS and saved to the order, and a separate return tracking number is assigned to the order at the same time. This is separate from the delivery tracking, so you can track the return shipment on its own. The QR code is also attached to the return email sent to the customer.

The return email isn’t being sent to the customer. What could be wrong?

Check three things. First, make sure that both “Automatically create return labels” and “Automatically send return label to the customer” are enabled in the Return Center. Second, verify that your theme includes the email template return_label.html; otherwise, the email won’t be sent. Third, make sure the label itself didn’t fail with GLS—for example, due to incorrect API information or an invalid address. You can view the error message from GLS in the order queue, and the article “Errors when transferring to GLS” provides guidance on this issue.

Are customers already familiar with QR returns?

Yes, for most of them. It’s the same type of QR Return that many have already tried with PostNord, where you show a QR code at a package shop without having to print anything. It’s very familiar, so lengthy explanations are rarely needed, and that makes the return process simple and hassle-free for the customer.