GET/marketplace/{marketplace_id}/get_return_policies
This method returns the eBay policies that define whether or not you must include a return policy for the items you list in the categories of a specific marketplace, plus the guidelines for creating domestic and international return policies in the different eBay categories.
By default, this method returns the entire category tree for the specified marketplace. You can limit the size of the result set by using the filter query parameter to specify only the category IDs you want to review.
Tip: This method can potentially return a very large response payload. eBay recommends that the response payload be compressed by passing in the Accept-Encoding request header and setting the value to gzip.
Input
Resource URI
This method is supported in Sandbox environment. To access the endpoint, just replace the api.ebay.com root URI with api.sandbox.ebay.com
URI parameters
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| marketplace_id | string | This path parameter specifies the eBay marketplace for which policy information is retrieved. See HTTP Request Headers for a list of supported eBay marketplace ID values. Occurrence: Required |
| filter | string | This query parameter limits the response by returning policy information for only the selected sections of the category tree. Supply categoryId values for the sections of the tree you want returned. When you specify a categoryId value, the returned category tree includes the policies for that parent node, plus the policies for any leaf nodes below that parent node. The parameter takes a list of categoryId values and you can specify up to 50 separate category IDs. Separate multiple values with a pipe character ('|'). If you specify more than 50 categoryId values, eBay returns the policies for the first 50 IDs and a warning that not all categories were returned. Example: filter=categoryIds:{100|101|102} Note that you must URL-encode the parameter list, which results in the following filter for the above example: filter=categoryIds%3A%7B100%7C101%7C102%7D Occurrence: Optional |
HTTP request headers
All requests made to eBay REST operations require you to provide the Authorization HTTP header for authentication authorization.
The table below shows additional HTTP request headers that are either required, conditionally required, or strongly recommended for this method. Other standard HTTP request headers- opens rest request components page (not in this table) can also be used, but they are optional.
| Header | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Accept-Encoding | string | This header indicates the compression-encoding algorithms the client accepts for the response. This value should be set to gzip. For more information, refer to HTTP request headers. Occurrence: Strongly Recommended |
OAuth scope
This request requires an access token created with the client credentials grant flow, using one or more scopes from the following list (please check your Application Keys page for a list of OAuth scopes available to your application):
https://api.ebay.com/oauth/api_scope
See OAuth access tokens for more information.
Request payload
This call has no payload.
Request fields
This call has no field definitions.
Output
HTTP response headers
This call has no response headers.
Response payload
Response fields
| Output container/field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| returnPolicies | array of ReturnPolicy | A list of elements, where each contains a category ID and a flag that indicates whether or not listings in that category require a return policy. Occurrence: Always |
| returnPolicies.categoryId | string | The category ID to which the return policies apply. Occurrence: Always |
| returnPolicies.categoryTreeId | string | A value that indicates the root node of the category tree used for the response set. Each marketplace is based on a category tree whose root node is indicated by this unique category ID value. All category policy information returned by this call pertains to the categories included below this root node of the tree. Occurrence: Always |
| returnPolicies.domestic | ReturnPolicyDetails | This complex type defines the category policies related to domestic item returns. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.domestic.policyDescriptionEnabled | boolean | If set to Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.domestic.refundMethods | array of RefundMethodEnum | A list of refund methods allowed for the associated category. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.domestic.returnMethods | array of ReturnMethodEnum | A list of return methods allowed for the associated category. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.domestic.returnPeriods | array of TimeDuration | A list of return periods allowed for the associated category. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.domestic.returnPeriods.unit | TimeDurationUnitEnum | A time-measurement unit that specifies a singular period of time. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.domestic.returnPeriods.value | integer | An integer that represents an amount of time, as measured by the time-measurement unit specified in the unit field. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.domestic.returnsAcceptanceEnabled | boolean | If set to Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.domestic.returnShippingCostPayers | array of ReturnShippingCostPayerEnum | A list of allowed values for who pays for the return shipping cost. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.international | ReturnPolicyDetails | This complex type defines the category policies related to international item returns. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.international.policyDescriptionEnabled | boolean | If set to Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.international.refundMethods | array of RefundMethodEnum | A list of refund methods allowed for the associated category. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.international.returnMethods | array of ReturnMethodEnum | A list of return methods allowed for the associated category. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.international.returnPeriods | array of TimeDuration | A list of return periods allowed for the associated category. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.international.returnPeriods.unit | TimeDurationUnitEnum | A time-measurement unit that specifies a singular period of time. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.international.returnPeriods.value | integer | An integer that represents an amount of time, as measured by the time-measurement unit specified in the unit field. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.international.returnsAcceptanceEnabled | boolean | If set to Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.international.returnShippingCostPayers | array of ReturnShippingCostPayerEnum | A list of allowed values for who pays for the return shipping cost. Occurrence: Conditional |
| returnPolicies.required | boolean | If set to Occurrence: Always |
| warnings | array of ErrorDetailV3 | A list of the warnings that were generated as a result of the request. This field is not returned if no warnings were generated by the request. Occurrence: Conditional |
| warnings.category | string | The category type for this error or warning. It takes an ErrorCategory object which can have one of three values:
Occurrence: Conditional |
| warnings.domain | string | Name of the domain containing the service or application. Occurrence: Conditional |
| warnings.errorId | integer | A positive integer that uniquely identifies the specific error condition that occurred. Your application can use error codes as identifiers in your customized error-handling algorithms. Occurrence: Conditional |
| warnings.inputRefIds | array of string | Identifies specific request elements associated with the error, if any. inputRefId's response is format specific. For JSON, use JSONPath notation. Occurrence: Conditional |
| warnings.longMessage | string | An expanded version of message that should be around 100-200 characters long, but is not required to be such. Occurrence: Conditional |
| warnings.message | string | An end user and app developer friendly device agnostic message. It explains what the error or warning is, and how to fix it (in a general sense). Its value is at most 50 characters long. If applicable, the value is localized in the end user's requested locale. Occurrence: Conditional |
| warnings.outputRefIds | array of string | Identifies specific response elements associated with the error, if any. Path format is the same as Occurrence: Conditional |
| warnings.parameters | array of ErrorParameterV3 | This optional complex field type contains a list of one or more context-specific Occurrence: Conditional |
| warnings.parameters.name | string | Name of the entity that threw the error. Occurrence: Conditional |
| warnings.parameters.value | string | A description of the error. Occurrence: Conditional |
| warnings.subdomain | string | Name of the domain's subsystem or subdivision. For example, checkout is a subdomain in the buying domain. Occurrence: Conditional |
HTTP status codes
This call can return one of the following HTTP status codes. For an overview of the status codes, see HTTP status codes in Using eBay RESTful APIs.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 200 | Success |
| 204 | No content |
| 400 | Bad Request |
| 404 | Not found |
| 500 | Internal Server Error |
Error codes
For more on errors, plus the codes of other common errors, see Handling errors.
| Code | Domain | Category | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46000 | API_METADATA | APPLICATION | There was a problem with an eBay internal system or process.Contact eBay developer support for assistance. |
| 46001 | API_METADATA | REQUEST | The specified marketplace ID was not found. |
Warnings
For more on warnings, plus the codes of other common warnings, see Handling errors.
| Code | Domain | Category | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46002 | API_METADATA | REQUEST | The filter value is invalid. Sample supported values: filter=categoryIds:{catId1|catId2|catId3}. |
| 46003 | API_METADATA | REQUEST | The specified categoryId was not found for the marketplace. |
| 46004 | API_METADATA | REQUEST | Only 50 Category IDs specified in the filter are considered. |
Samples
New to making API calls? Please see Making a Call.
Note: Identifiers, such as order IDs or user IDs, and personal data in these samples might be anonymized or may no longer be active on eBay. If necessary, substitute current, relevant eBay data in your requests.
Sample 1: Get category return policies
The response from getReturnPolicies defines the configuration settings accepted by specific marketplace categories, giving you the guidelines for how to set up the seller return policies for the items you list.
This example retrieves the policies for two specific categories, 173677 and 173678.
Input
This method does not use a request payload.
By default, this method returns the leaf nodes of the entire category tree for the specified marketplace. When you retrieve the entire tree, be sure to get the result as a GZIP file (see the top of the call page for syntax).
Limit the response, specify up to 50 category IDs using the filter query parameter.
Note that you must URL-encode the category ID filter parameter value. This example uses the parameter:
filter=categoryIds:{173677|173678}
GEThttps://api.ebay.com/sell/metadata/v1/marketplace/EBAY_MOTORS_US/get_return_policies?filter=categoryIds%3A%7B173677%7C173678%7D
Output
If the call is successful, the response body contains the policies that dictate whether or not you must specify a return policy for items listed in the categories specified in the request, plus the seller return-policy values supported by the associated category.