A claim is a request to put things right when something goes wrong with a protected order. If a customer added Onward Checkout+ to their order and their package was lost, stolen, damaged, or had another covered issue, they can file a claim to get it resolved.
Who Can File a Claim?
A claim can be filed when:
The order has active Onward protection — The customer opted in to Checkout+ at checkout (or the merchant purchased protection on their behalf).
The issue is a covered cause — The problem falls within one of the supported claim categories (see below).
The claim is within the submission window — The customer files inside the allowed window for that particular cause (see below).
If any of these conditions aren't met, the customer will see a message explaining why they can't file at this time.
Covered Claim Causes
Onward supports the following claim types. The options shown to a customer depend on their order's delivery status and which causes your store has enabled.
Shipping Protection Claims
Cause | When to File | Typical Evidence |
Stuck in Transit | Package hasn't had a tracking update for an extended period and appears lost in the carrier's network | None required |
Damaged | Package arrived with items broken or damaged during shipping | Photos of the damage |
Stolen | Package was marked as delivered but was never received (porch piracy) | Shipping address confirmation, ID, or Police Report (depending on $ amount) |
Missing Items | Package arrived but one or more items were missing from the shipment | Photos of what was received |
Wrong Item | A different product was shipped than what the customer ordered | Photos of the wrong item received |
Late Delivery | Package was delivered, but well outside the expected delivery window | None required |
Returned to Sender | Carrier returned the package to the merchant without delivering it | None required |
Quality Claims (Satisfaction Guarantee)
Cause | When to File | Typical Evidence |
Not Satisfied | Customer isn't happy with the product's quality, fit, or how it matches its description | Photos of the product |
The Not Satisfied option only appears if the Satisfaction Guarantee is enabled for your store and the order is still within the guarantee window (30 days by default).
The Submission Window
There is no single claim filing deadline. The window is built from two values, and both are resolved per claim cause:
Minimum wait — how long the customer must wait before filing. This stops premature claims on a package that simply hasn't arrived yet.
Maximum window — how long they have before filing closes for good.
These are set by Onward, not in your store's settings, and they can also vary by claim source, destination region, and whether the shipment is international. The defaults are:
Cause | Must wait | Window closes after |
Damaged | No wait | 15 days |
Stolen | 2 days | 15 days |
Missing Items | 1 day | 15 days |
Stuck in Transit (domestic) | 7 days | 30 days |
Stuck in Transit (international) | 20 days | 30 days |
Any other cause | No wait | 45 days |
The stolen, missing, and stuck-in-transit waits above apply to claims a customer files themselves. When your support team files on the customer's behalf, or Onward does, different rules can apply.
If a customer tries to file too early, they'll see a message asking them to wait, and it will tell them how many days are left. If they try after the window has closed, they'll be told the claim period has ended.
This article is the single source for these numbers — other articles link here rather than repeating them, so there's only one place to check.
Evidence Requirements
Depending on the claim type, customers may need to upload photo evidence:
Damage claims — Photos showing the damage to the product or packaging.
Missing items — Photos showing what was received (to confirm items are missing).
Wrong item — Photos of the incorrect item that was received.
Not satisfied — Photos showing the product condition or quality concern.
For claims like stolen packages or stuck-in-transit shipments, photo evidence is typically not required.
ID Verification
In some cases, customers may be asked to verify their identity before a claim can be processed. This is a security measure we put in place to prevent fraudulent activity through the program, and to protect merchants' revenue.
When ID verification is required, the customer is guided through a quick embedded identity check (powered by Persona) as part of the claims process.
What Happens If a Customer Can't File?
If a customer doesn't meet the eligibility requirements, they'll see a clear message explaining why:
"Too soon to file" — The minimum wait for that cause hasn't passed yet.
"Outside the claim window" — The submission window has closed.
"Not covered" — The order doesn't have active Onward protection.
"Return or exchange available" — For quality issues, the customer may be directed to the merchant's returns process instead.
Can Merchants File Claims on Behalf of Customers?
Yes. Merchants can file claims for their customers directly from the Onward merchant dashboard. This is useful when a customer contacts the merchant's support team about an order issue and the merchant wants to initiate the claim process for them.