Average Cost of Cross-Border E-Commerce Returns: Approx. 40% Answer '3,000 to Under 5,000 Yen'. Biggest Challenges are 'High Return Shipping Costs' and 'Time for Condition Checks'

■ 'Handling Returns in Cross-Border E-Commerce': Where Do the Frontlines Struggle? 'Cross-border e-commerce' delivers products to customers overseas. While highly attractive as a sales channel, when a 'return' occurs, the process is quite different from domestic transactions. Shipping costs, customs duties, language barriers, and time differences present various challenges for even a single return. What specific aspects do those on the frontlines find burdensome? To find out, we conducted a survey on 'handling returns in cross-border e-commerce' in collaboration with the global return solution 'Return Helper Inc.', targeting 20 men and women nationwide who answered 'I have work experience related to cross-border e-commerce' in a preliminary screening. *When quoting the contents of this press release, please ensure the following: - State that the source is a 'Survey by NEXER Inc. and global return solution Return Helper Inc.' - Provide a link to Return Helper Inc. (https://www.returnhelper.co.jp/) - Provide a link to the relevant article (https://www.returnhelper.co.jp/post/survey-painpoints-return-cost) 'Survey on Handling Returns in Cross-Border E-Commerce' Overview Survey Method: Internet survey Survey Period: May 18 - May 24, 2026 Target Audience: Men and women nationwide who answered 'I have work experience related to cross-border e-commerce' in a preliminary screening Valid Responses: 20 samples Questions: Q1: What is the average cost (shipping + handling fees) per return from overseas? Q2: What is the average number of days it takes to complete the return handling flow? Q3: What do you find most troublesome or burdensome about overseas returns? Q4: How high do you feel the return costs are compared to domestic e-commerce? Q5: Are there any measures you are considering or implementing to improve return handling? (Multiple answers allowed) Q6: What kind of service would you find helpful for handling returns? (Multiple answers allowed) Q7: Please tell us about any challenges or ideal services regarding cross-border e-commerce return handling. *As figures are generally rounded to one decimal place, the total may not equal 100%. ■ 40.0% Answered the Average Cost per Overseas Return is '3,000 to Under 5,000 Yen' First, we asked about the average cost incurred per return from overseas. The most common answer was '3,000 to under 5,000 yen' at 40.0%. This was followed by '1,000 to under 3,000 yen' at 35.0%, 'under 1,000 yen' at 15.0%, and '5,000 to under 10,000 yen' at 10.0%. Looking at the responses, over 70% fall within the range of 1,000 to under 5,000 yen per case. On the other hand, there are cases costing over 5,000 yen, indicating that return costs vary depending on product size, shipping method, and destination country/region. Although returns do not generate sales, they incur logistics costs on the scale of several thousand yen per case. The accumulation of these costs is likely one of the factors gradually squeezing the profits of cross-border e-commerce. ■ 40.0% Answered the Average Days to Complete Return Handling is '3 Days to Under 1 Week' Next, we asked about the average number of days it takes to complete the return handling flow. The most common answer was '3 days to under 1 week' at 40.0%. This was followed by 'under 3 days', '1 to under 2 weeks', and '2 weeks to under 1 month', all tied at 20.0%. While some cases are completed in a few days, others take nearly a month, showing a disparity in the days required. For returns crossing borders, shipping, confirmation, and various procedures can take time, making the flow to completion less predictable than domestic returns. If the time taken for a return is prolonged, the product cannot be counted as inventory or sales during that period, leading to an invisible loss for the business. ■ 30.0% Answered the Biggest Trouble with Overseas Returns is 'High Return Shipping Costs' Next, we asked what they find most troublesome or burdensome about overseas returns. The most common answers were 'high return shipping costs' and 'time-consuming condition checks of returned products', both at 30.0%. This was followed by 'complex customs/duty handling' at 20.0%, and 'language/time difference in customer support' and 'difficulty in judging whether a return is acceptable' at 10.0% each. The cost of return shipping, the effort of condition checks, and the complexity of customs. All of these occur in the logistics process until the product returns from overseas. Unlike domestic returns, cross-border e-commerce requires handling across countries and regions. Therefore, the burden on the logistics side seems to be a major challenge for overseas returns. ■ 50.0% Answered Return Costs are 'High' Compared to Domestic E-Commerce Next, we asked how high they feel return costs are compared to domestic e-commerce. As a result, 10.0% answered 'very high' and 40.0% answered 'somewhat high', totaling 50.0% who felt it was 'higher' than domestic e-commerce. On the other hand, 30.0% answered 'not much different' and 20.0% answered 'domestic e-commerce is higher'. While half feel the return costs of cross-border e-commerce are high, the other half answered 'not much different' or 'domestic e-commerce is higher'. Even within cross-border e-commerce, return logistics costs vary greatly depending on the products handled and shipping routes. Therefore, it cannot be said that 'cross-border e-commerce returns are uniformly high', and how accurately a company grasps its own logistics conditions may affect the perceived burden. ■ 40.0% Answered They are Considering/Implementing 'Clarification of Return Policy' to Improve Return Handling Next, we asked what measures they are considering or implementing to improve return handling. The most common answer was 'clarification of return policy' at 40.0%. This was followed by 'improvement of size charts, images, and videos' and 'review of refund/exchange flow' at 30.0% each, and 'introduction of a return management system' at 20.0%. The top answers were initiatives to organize return rules, product information, and the flow of refunds and exchanges. It seems many businesses are trying to reduce the burden of return handling by first reviewing areas that are easy to improve internally. By organizing return policies and size charts, the occurrence of returns might be suppressed to some extent. On the other hand, the logistics burden of 'transportation, inspection, and reshipment' after a return actually occurs cannot be fully resolved by internal ingenuity alone. ■ 'Services That Would Be Helpful' for Return Handling: Inspection, Resale, and Multilingual Support Top at 30.0% Each Next, we asked what kind of services they would find helpful for handling returns. The most common answers were 'inspection and condition checks of returned products', 'agency for resale and reshipment', and 'multilingual customer support', all at 30.0%. This was followed by 'support for customs/duty handling' at 20.0%, and 'receipt at local return hubs' and 'disposal/recycling handling' at 10.0% each. It is noteworthy that while 'time-consuming condition checks of returned products' ranked high among the troubles with overseas returns, 'inspection and condition checks of returned products' also ranked high among the desired services. Additionally, 'multilingual customer support' is desired for the burden of language and time differences, and 'agency for resale and reshipment' is desired for handling returned products. The troubles on the frontlines and the desired support seem to overlap. It is clear that there is a need to outsource tasks like inspection, resale, and multilingual support in cross-border e-commerce return handling. ■ What are the 'Challenges' and 'Ideal Services' on the Frontlines? Finally, we asked about challenges and ideal services regarding cross-border e-commerce return handling. Please tell us about any challenges or ideal services regarding cross-border e-commerce return handling. - Because it's handled through translation, there are times when I don't know exactly what they want me to do. It would be great if someone who can translate could step in and handle everything. (Male, 30s) - Someone to negotiate with the other party (in a foreign language). (Female, 50s) - As an ideal service, I thought it would be nice to have a specialized return company. (Female, 20s) - Language differences. (Male, 50s) - I want returns to be handled professionally. (Female, 40s) - Communication is difficult. (Female, 50s) Looking at the feedback, many challenges related to 'language' were raised. Even if you want to check the condition of a product, communication with the other party is through translation. It is difficult to judge whether the intention is accurately conveyed, and some frontlines feel the difficulty in handling it. Also, voices like 'I want someone to negotiate' and 'I want returns to be handled professionally' suggest the heavy burden of handling returns solely in-house. Not only costs like return shipping, but also the burden of communication, including language and negotiation, seems to make cross-border e-commerce return handling difficult. ■ Summary In this survey, the average cost per cross-border e-commerce return was most commonly '3,000 to under 5,000 yen' at 40.0%. Also, the average number of days to complete return handling was most commonly '3 days to under 1 week' at 40.0%. The biggest troubles with overseas returns were 'high return shipping costs' and 'time-consuming condition checks of returned products', tied at 30.0% each. Regarding return costs, it was also found that 50.0% feel they are 'higher than domestic e-commerce'. Because it is difficult to completely avoid returns in cross-border e-commerce, utilizing specialized services instead of handling everything in-house may become an option to continue operations smoothly. - State that the source is a 'Survey by NEXER Inc. and global return solution Return Helper Inc.' - Provide a link to Return Helper Inc. (https://www.returnhelper.co.jp/) - Provide a link to the relevant article (https://www.returnhelper.co.jp/post/survey-painpoints-return-cost) [About Return Helper Inc.] Company Name: Return Helper Inc. Location: 2F Nishi-Shinjuku Mizuma Bldg., 3-3-13 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023 Representative Director: Shumpei Shibata URL: https://www.returnhelper.co.jp/ Business Description: Provision of return and international logistics solutions for cross-border e-commerce. We aim to enable sellers in the Asian region to solve the challenges and pain points they face with cross-border returns through our services. We have established overseas warehouses in 15 countries, including the US, UK, Australia, Germany, and France, providing comprehensive support to sellers engaged in cross-border sales. At the same time, we collaborate with logistics providers worldwide to reduce logistics operating costs. Sellers do not need to negotiate directly with service providers in multiple countries. Through us, you can achieve optimal return handling in a one-stop manner. [About NEXER Inc.] Head Office: 11F Rise Arena Bldg., 4-5-2 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0013 Representative Director: Yuya Miyata URL: https://www.nexer.co.jp Business Description: SEO, Web branding, Web advertising, site creation, media