Missing "hasMerchantReturnPolicy" or "shippingDetails": fix

What it usually looks like on a store

Most small stores have a return policy page and shipping rates at checkout, but nothing in the structured data, and no shipping or return settings in Search Console either. Search Console then lists missing-field warnings on every product, even though the policies exist in plain text.

What Google says

Google recommends declaring one store-wide return policy (MerchantReturnPolicy via hasMerchantReturnPolicy) and shipping policy (ShippingService via hasShippingService) under Organization markup. Offer-level hasMerchantReturnPolicy / shippingDetails should only override it or be used when there's no standard policy. Instead of markup, a store can set shipping and returns in Merchant Center or directly in Search Console (Settings > Shopping > Shipping and returns) with no Merchant Center account. Order of precedence, strongest first: Content API for Shopping settings, then Merchant Center or Search Console settings, then product-level markup, then Organization-level markup. Search Console return policies are checked by hand and take about 10-13 days. Merchants report the two "Missing field" warnings as non-critical items in the Merchant listings report; Google doesn't publish their exact wording on a public page.

We recommend you provide a global return policy for your business under Organization markup instead, as documented under the Organization documentation and the Merchant return policy documentation.Google, How To Add Merchant Listing Structured Data

We recommend you provide a global shipping policy for your business under Organization markup instead, as documented under the Organization documentation and the Merchant shipping policy documentation.Google, How To Add Merchant Listing Structured Data

A standard return policy for your business that applies to most or all products you sell can be specified using the MerchantReturnPolicy structured data type nested under the Organization structured data type using the hasMerchantReturnPolicy property.Google, Merchant Return Policy Structured Data (MerchantReturnPolicy)

A standard shipping policy for your business that applies to most or all products you sell can be specified using the ShippingService structured data type nested under the Organization structured data type using the hasShippingService property.Google, Merchant Shipping Policy Structured Data (ShippingService)

Also seen as: "Missing field "hasMerchantReturnPolicy" (in "offers")", "Missing field "shippingDetails" (in "offers")", "Shipping and return settings".

How to fix it

Based on Google's help pages, in plain language:

Publish a store-wide MerchantReturnPolicy (hasMerchantReturnPolicy) and ShippingService (hasShippingService) under your Organization markup.
Use Offer-level hasMerchantReturnPolicy / shippingDetails only for products whose policy differs; reference the global policy by @id where possible.
Or skip the markup: add shipping and return policies in Merchant Center, or in Search Console under Settings > Shopping > Shipping and returns (owner or full user; link Merchant Center if you have one).
Make sure the shipping costs you give Google exactly match the costs on your website.
Validate with the Rich Results Test and watch the Merchant listings report.

What to check on your website

3 of our checks relate to missing return policy and shipping markup, and a problem in any one of them can be enough:

Return and shipping markup: Your structured data states your return policy and shipping (store-wide under Organization, or per offer), or you've set them in Merchant Center or Search Console instead.
Return and refund policy: A return/refund policy page exists, is linked, and states the return window, item condition, how refunds are paid and how to start a return.
Shipping policy: A shipping/delivery page exists and states costs and delivery times.

Requesting a review

Search Console shipping details are approved automatically; return policies are verified by hand, show as "pending", and take about 10-13 days.

Questions

Can a website scan fix "Missing return policy and shipping markup"?

Partly. We check your product pages' markup for the related fields (return and shipping markup, return and refund policy, shipping policy), but the fix itself is in your product data in Merchant Center or your feed app. Fix the data first, then re-scan to confirm the page agrees with it.

Sources

Quotes checked against Google's pages. Listvane is an independent tool made by Great Work LLC. It isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Google. Google and Google Merchant Center are trademarks of Google LLC.

Why does Search Console say "Missing field hasMerchantReturnPolicy", and what fixes it?