Key stat: Paying for return shipping is the hardest part of returning an online order for 25% of US digital shoppers, nearly double the share who cite waiting for a refund (18%), according to a November 2025 survey from Locus and Dynata.

Beyond the chart:

• The shipping cost pain shows up in satisfaction data beyond this survey, too. For over 4 in 10 consumers, unexpected return fees are the most common friction point, and shipping inconveniences rank second at 41%, according to Ada.
• The catch for retailers is that frictionless returns carry real risk. Some 15% of all returns are fraudulent, and over a third of consumers admit to at least one form of return-related fraud, according to LiquiDonate.

Use this chart: Drop this in your next ecommerce or customer experience meeting to show where the returns process breaks down first. Use the friction breakdown to benchmark your current returns policy against what shoppers actually find hardest, and make the case for free return shipping as a conversion tool, not just a perk.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• US Fashion Ecommerce 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Retail Mobile App Shopping 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from a January 2026 Locus report titled "2026 Consumer Survey" conducted by Dynata. 1,000 digital shoppers ages 18+ in United States were surveyed online during November 2025.

We prepared this article with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.