System and method for international merchandise return service

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors associated with a server interconnected to a network and a database, causes the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

• receiving identifying information of a user in a first country desiring to return merchandise associated with a merchant;
• accessing address information for a merchandise returns location in a second country based on information associated with the merchant;
• performing a real-time web service call via the network to the database or a third-party shared database to obtain information for use to track the return merchandise;
• receiving, in response to the web service call via the network, the information from the database or the third-party shared database for use to track the return merchandise;
• producing a tracking code based on the information obtained from the database or the third-party shared database;
• generating a machine readable identifier in accordance with requirements of at least one of the first country or a first country carrier and the second country or a second country carrier, for use in tracking delivery in returning merchandise based at least on the user information and the tracking code;
• accessing merchant and user information in the database and determining if the second country carrier is a same carrier for both an origination shipment of the merchandise from the merchant and for a return shipment to the merchandise returns location in the second country;
• determining if a return shipping fee is required for merchandise being returned from the user in the first country to the merchandise returns location in the second country and an amount of the return shipping fee if the return shipping fee is required, wherein the determining includes determining that the merchant is not to be charged for the merchandise return based on utilizing the same second country carrier for both the origination shipment of the merchandise and the return shipment of the merchandise return based at least on the accessed merchant and user information in the database;
• generating a return label for merchandise being returned from the user in the first country to the merchandise returns location in the second country, the return label including the machine readable identifier, a customs declaration for the merchandise, and return shipment payment information, if any return shipment information is applicable;
• storing information from the return label in the database;
• querying the database storing the information from the return label;
• determining that a customs service location for the second country received a package with the return label affixed thereupon and did not assess customs fees, wherein a determination whether to assess custom fees is based on the query of the database having the return label information;
• deducting the return shipping fee due from an account of the merchant or charging a credit card of the merchant if the second country carrier is not the same carrier for both the origination shipment of the merchandise and the return shipment of the merchandise based at least on the accessed merchant and user information in the database;
• and
• compensating a first country carrier for service rendered by the first country carrier.

A system for processing return merchandise being returned from a user in a first country to a merchant of the merchandise in a second country, the system comprising:

• a network interconnecting a plurality of user computing devices, the plurality of user computing devices being in data communication with the network;
• a server including one or more processors and a data connection to a database, the server being interconnected to the network;
• wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
• receive identifying information of a user in a first country desiring to return merchandise associated with a merchant;
• access address information for a merchandise return location in a second country based on information associated with the merchant;
• generate a first machine readable identifier in accordance with requirements of at least the first country or a first country carrier for use in tracking delivery in returning merchandise based at least on the user information;
• generate a second machine readable identifier in accordance with requirements of the second country or a second country carrier for use by the second country carrier based at least on information to route the return merchandise;
• determine if the second country carrier is a same carrier for both an origination shipment of the merchandise from the merchant and a return shipment to the merchandise return location in the second country;
• determine if a return shipping fee is required for merchandise being returned from the user in the first country to the merchandise return location in the second country and an amount of the return shipping fee if the return shipping fee is required, wherein the determination of whether the return shipping fee is required is based at least in part on whether the second country carrier is the same carrier for both the origination shipment of the merchandise and the return shipment for the merchandise return;
• generate a return label for merchandise being returned from the user in the first country to the merchandise return location in the second country, the return label including the first machine readable identifier, the second machine readable identifier, a customs declaration for the merchandise, and return shipment payment information;
• store information from the return label in the database;
• query the database storing information from the return label;
• and
• determine that a customs service location for the second country received the package with the return label affixed thereupon and did not assess customs fees based on the query that the customs declaration portion of the return label indicates a return and one or more tariff codes indicative of returned merchandise.