# Returns report checklist

This checklist accompanies the InfiniSynapse returns report template. It is operational guidance, not accounting, legal, tax, or financial advice.

## Before importing data

- Pick one reporting month and document its timezone.
- Use a mature cohort when the return window makes recent sales incomplete.
- Confirm that `units_sold` and `units_returned` use the same item grain.
- Keep refunds, exchanges, and returns in separate columns.
- Remove names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, full customer comments, and other personally identifiable information.
- Review free-text cells for spreadsheet formula-injection characters before opening CSV files in a spreadsheet application.

## Required fields

- `report_month`: month represented as `YYYY-MM`.
- `channel`: normalized sales channel label.
- `sku`: product identifier with leading zeros preserved as text if needed.
- `units_sold` and `units_returned`: matching numerator and denominator.
- `orders_sold` and `orders_with_return`: matching order-level numerator and denominator.
- `refunds_count` and `exchanges_count`: outcome counts kept separate from physical returns.
- `gross_sales_usd` and `refund_amount_usd`: monetary fields in USD for this template.
- Cost fields: return shipping, handling, inventory value loss, and recovery value.
- Reason fields: mutually reviewed reason counts plus `missing_reason_count`.
- `source_updated_at`, `reviewer`, and `notes`: provenance and review trail.

## Monthly quality checks

- No count is negative.
- Returned units do not exceed sold units for the chosen cohort without a documented timing explanation.
- Reason counts plus missing reasons reconcile to returned units, or the exception is documented.
- Currency and cost boundaries are consistent across channels.
- Recovery value is subtracted once, not counted as both a cost reduction and revenue.
- Duplicated platform exports are removed.
- Current platform documentation is checked before interpreting statuses or fees.
- All worked examples are labeled synthetic.

## Review outputs

- Unit return rate = units returned / units sold.
- Order return rate = orders with at least one return / orders sold.
- Refund rate = refunded orders / orders sold, only when the source defines a refunded-order count.
- Reason share = returns assigned to one reason / returns with a known reason.
- Net operational return cost = selected incremental return costs - selected recovery value.

Document every denominator and cost inclusion. Do not add gross refund value and lost product revenue automatically; that can double count the same economic effect.