ASOS Marketplace returns: what UK sellers need to know in 2026

ASOS Marketplace has changed, and so have the returns responsibilities for brands selling through the platform.

Since the integration of the former ASOS Marketplace into ASOS.com in 2025, third-party sellers operate through two fulfilment models: Partner Fulfils and ASOS Fulfilment Services.

The difference matters. Depending on the model, returned products may go directly to the brand or through ASOS, while refund obligations and customer expectations still need to be managed.

This guide explains how ASOS returns work in 2026, what UK sellers are responsible for and what to check before selling across borders.

In this article:

• ASOS Partner Fulfils vs ASOS Fulfilment Services.
• Return shipping, refund deadlines and seller responsibilities.
• UK consumer rights and cross-border EU returns.
• Practical steps to manage ASOS returns more efficiently.

Why this matters now

The former ASOS Marketplace was integrated into ASOS.com in 2025, making older seller guides and marketplace policies potentially outdated.

In 2026, brands also need to account for changes in ASOS returns practices and new EU requirements affecting online withdrawals and low-value imports.

For sellers, the priority is understanding which fulfilment model applies, who handles returned products and which contractual and legal obligations must be met.

Which ASOS model are you actually selling through?

Partner Fulfils (PF). ASOS describes it this way: “Partners can hold their owned stock at their fulfilment centres and sell directly through our platform, fulfilling the orders directly to the customer.” Former Marketplace boutiques and vintage sellers were moved onto this model, which runs on Mirakl marketplace technology. The customer sees the item as sold and shipped by an ASOS Brand Partner.

ASOS Fulfilment Services (AFS). Here ASOS says: “We hold stock in our warehouses on behalf of our partners, who maintain ownership of the inventory.” The customer sees the item as sold by the brand and shipped by ASOS.

Who the contract is with. ASOS’s customer terms state: “When the seller is an ASOS Brand Partner, you enter into a contract to buy products with the respective ASOS Brand Partner.” Returns law therefore lands on the partner in both models, even where ASOS handles the parcel.

Is it open to new sellers? Not as a self-serve sign-up. We found no public application page or published partner terms, and the current application route and eligibility criteria for new UK Partner Fulfils sellers are not publicly disclosed by ASOS.

Who handles the return, and to what address?

Partner Fulfils: the return goes to the brand. ASOS’s UK help page tells customers that items sold and shipped by a Brand Partner must be returned directly to the brand, warning that “returning them to ASOS will cause delays with your refund.” The customer uses a pre-printed label or generates one from a partner-specific returns link on the ASOS help page. Specific operational details, such as whether ASOS mandates a specific returns portal, carrier, or UK return address for PF partners, are not publicly disclosed by ASOS.

AFS: the return goes to ASOS. The same page says: “If you purchased an item sold by an ASOS Brand Partner and shipped by ASOS, all ASOS returns options will apply to it as well.”

Required return information. ASOS says instructions come with partner-shipped orders, but the exact paperwork ASOS requires PF partners to include (such as a returns note, label, or order reference format) is not publicly disclosed by ASOS.

Worth a mention: the UK help page lists returns links for vintage names such as 28Vintage alongside adidas, Puma and The North Face. A small vintage business now sits in the same returns flow as a global sportswear brand.

Return window, postage and refund deadlines

Return window

ASOS offers customers 28 days from delivery to return eligible items. However, for orders sold and shipped by Partner Fulfils brands, the return policy is set by the individual brand.

ASOS does not publicly disclose whether partners must offer the same 28-day window. UK statutory cancellation rights still apply.

Who pays for return shipping?

ASOS states that returns of items sold by Brand Partners are free for customers.

Customers use the partner’s return label, but ASOS does not publicly confirm whether the partner covers the full shipping cost or shares it with ASOS.

Refund processing time

According to ASOS’s UK customer guidance, partner returns can take up to 10 calendar days to be received and processed, or up to 15 days for some brands.

The contractual refund deadlines for Partner Fulfils sellers and the process for triggering refunds are not publicly disclosed.

Return tracking and proof of postage

ASOS advises customers to keep proof of postage, as tracking may not be available for partner returns.

This is particularly important for sellers. Under UK consumer law, the refund deadline can begin when the customer provides evidence of sending the item back, even if the parcel has not yet arrived.

What sellers should check

Before processing returns, confirm your contractual return window, responsibility for shipping costs, refund deadlines and tracking requirements in your ASOS partner agreement.

Change of mind and faulty items: what UK law requires

Because the sale contract is with the partner, these rules bind you whatever the ASOS agreement says.

Change of mind. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 a consumer can cancel a distance contract within 14 days of receiving the goods, without giving a reason. They then have 14 days from telling you to send the goods back, so a parcel can lawfully be posted 28 days after delivery. You must refund within 14 days of receiving the goods or evidence of return. The refund includes outbound delivery, capped at the least expensive common delivery option you offer.

Deductions. You may deduct for value lost through handling beyond what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods. You cannot charge a fee for making the refund.

Faulty or not as described. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives a short-term right to reject within 30 days. If the consumer rejects, the trader “must bear any reasonable costs of returning them” and must refund “without undue delay, and in any event within 14 days beginning with the day on which the trader agrees that the consumer is entitled to a refund”.

Commission, performance metrics and disputes

ASOS does not publicly disclose all the commercial and operational requirements for Partner Fulfils (PF) and ASOS Fulfilment Services (AFS). Sellers should confirm the following details in their partner agreement.

Commission on refunded orders

ASOS does not publish commission rates for PF or AFS partners. Sellers should check whether commission is refunded in full, partially retained or subject to additional charges when an order is returned or refunded.

Returns performance metrics

ASOS monitors partner performance, including sales volumes, return rates and customer satisfaction. However, the specific returns-related targets, reporting requirements and consequences of missing them are not publicly disclosed.

Sellers should confirm which returns and refund metrics are included in their ASOS scorecard.

Customer disputes and refunds

Customers are directed to ASOS Customer Care when they need assistance with partner returns. However, ASOS does not publicly explain how disputed returns are resolved, who makes the final refund decision or whether refunds can be charged back to the partner.

Sellers should clarify these procedures before handling customer disputes.

What to confirm before selling

Before launching or expanding on ASOS, make sure your partner agreement clearly defines return costs, refund responsibilities, performance targets and dispute procedures. These requirements should not be assumed from ASOS’s standard customer returns policy.

International orders from a UK seller

First, check whether this applies to you. Trade press reported in 2023 that Partner Fulfils covered 23 brands across the UK and Europe. However, whether a UK-based PF seller’s offers are shown to EU customers, and who acts as the importer and handles VAT and duty on those orders, are not publicly disclosed by ASOS.

The €3 duty. Since 1 July 2026 goods in B2C consignments worth €150 or less entering the EU attract a €3 customs duty, charged per tariff line. In the European Commission’s example, T-shirts plus a watch incur €6. Irish advisers RBK describe the duty as non-refundable unless the goods are faulty, so on a change-of-mind return that cost is lost.

EU withdrawal rights. Under the Consumer Rights Directive an EU consumer has 14 days to withdraw, 14 more to send goods back, and is owed reimbursement within 14 days. Since 19 June 2026 traders selling online to EU consumers must also offer a two-step electronic withdrawal function. Exactly how ASOS passes withdrawal notices to partners is not publicly disclosed by ASOS.

The return leg. A parcel coming back from the EU to Great Britain crosses a customs border. UK Returned Goods Relief can remove import duty and VAT, but HMRC requires the goods to be re-imported within three years, unaltered, with evidence of the original export, and for VAT relief the exporter and importer must be the same person.

ASOS’s own returns policy is not the seller rulebook

ASOS’s customer returns policy (28 days from delivery) governs items ASOS ships. Its Fair Use Policy deducts £3.95 per returned parcel where a customer’s return rate is 70% or higher over three or more orders, and adds a further £3.95 handling fee at 80% or higher over five or more orders. None of that sets what a Partner Fulfils seller must do, and whether partner-shipped returns count towards a customer’s ASOS return rate is not publicly disclosed by ASOS.

What this looks like inside the business

The late parcel. A customer cancels on day 13 and posts on day 26. Your warehouse wants to reject it. Under the Regulations it is in time.

The missing return. The customer sends ASOS Customer Care a proof of postage. Nothing has reached your returns desk. The refund clock is already running.

The mixed-reason return. A dress comes back marked “changed my mind” with a broken zip. Which legal route applies decides who pays the postage.

What to check before you scale on ASOS

• The return window in your partner agreement against the statutory 14 plus 14 days
• Who pays for the return label and at what rate
• The refund SLA and what starts the clock in the partner portal
• How commission is treated on refunded and part-refunded orders
• Which scorecard metrics include returns, refund speed or customer contacts
• How you handle proof of postage claims on untracked returns
• A separate inspection path for faulty and not-as-described claims
• Whether your offers reach EU customers, and who is the importer
• Export records good enough to support Returned Goods Relief

How ShopReturns helps

For UK brands selling to EU customers, managing international returns can create additional transportation costs, customs complexity and delays in recovering inventory.

ShopReturns provides local return addresses in nine European markets, allowing customers to send products to a domestic return destination.

Returned items are verified within 48 hours at our Wrocław hub using barcode scanning and photo-documented inspection. Depending on the product’s condition and the brand’s instructions, items can be returned to stock, prepared for resale, donated or disposed of.

Where appropriate, returned products can also be consolidated for bulk transportation instead of being shipped individually across borders.

The result is a more organised returns process, better inventory visibility and greater control over cross-border return costs.

FAQ

Is ASOS Marketplace still open to sellers in 2026? Not as a standalone site. ASOS integrated Marketplace sellers onto ASOS.com in 2025 under its Partner Fulfils model, and marketplace.asos.com now redirects to the main site.

Who pays for returns on ASOS Partner Fulfils orders? ASOS tells customers that returns of Brand Partner items are free. How the label cost is split is set in the partner agreement, which is not public.

How long do ASOS brand partners have to refund a return? ASOS tells UK customers partner returns take up to 10 calendar days to be received and processed, and up to 15 with some brands. UK law separately requires a refund within 14 days of receiving the goods or evidence of return.

Can an ASOS seller set a shorter return window than ASOS? ASOS’s terms say the returns policy for partner-shipped orders is at the brand’s discretion. It cannot go below the statutory right to cancel within 14 days of delivery and return within a further 14.

Does the ASOS Fair Use Policy apply to marketplace sellers? It is a policy between ASOS and its customers about fees on returns. ASOS states the returns fee does not apply to Brand Partner items.

Not sure what your current setup is costing you?

Send us your numbers and we'll run them against the new regime - where the duty is hitting twice, what your return freight actually costs against the goods you recover, and how much of it is avoidable. One working session, and you leave with the figures either way.