DHL Retoure Online

Installing the DHL Retoure Online plugin with the help of the Integrations assistant

You need a plugin to link PlentyONE to DHL Retoure Online. Complete the Integrations assistant in the Setup » Assistants » First steps menu to easily and quickly install the DHL Retoure Online plugin.
As an alternative, you can download the plugin from plentyMarketplace.

1. Registering with DHL

DHL Retoure Online allows you to generate return labels for orders with various countries of delivery. You can generate the labels automatically with an event procedure or a process. As an alternative, you can generate and download the labels in the shipping centre. Afterwards, you can set up an event procedure that sends the labels as email attachment to your customers in an automated way.

To set up and use the interface for DHL Retoure Online in your PlentyONE system, you have to register with DHL and your account has to be activated for DHL Retoure. The new DHL Retoure Online interface is completely integrated in the DHL business customer portal. You receive the data from DHL that you need for the settings in PlentyONE.

2. Setting up DHL Retoure Online in PlentyONE

Once your account is activated for DHL Retoure and DHL sent you the appropriate data, you can start with the setup. To do so, proceed as described below.

3. Carrying out the preparatory settings

First, you have to carry out some preparatory settings in the PlentyONE back end:

3.1. Installing the plugin with the help of the Integrations assistant

Go to Setup » Assistants » First steps and open the Integrations assistant. In the step Shipping services, select () the option Install DHL Retoure Online in the section DHL Retoure Online.

If you complete the Integrations assistant, the DHL Retoure Online plugin will be downloaded automatically in the background and installed in your plugin set. Once this process is completed, the assistant DHL Retoure Online is available in the Setup » Assistants » Plugins menu in the relevant plugin set.

3.2. Setting up a warehouse

You need to have a warehouse in order to save the information about returns that you receive from DHL. The warehouse is then selected in the assistant.

Each item is assigned to a warehouse. It is important that you select this warehouse also in the assistant. Otherwise, an error message occurs saying that there no connection exists between the warehouse and the country: No settings found for the warehouse x and the country y.
If you would like to select additional warehouses, these must also be selected in the assistant. The assistant must then be executed again.

For further information about creating warehouses, refer to the Setting up a warehouse page of the manual.

3.3. Activating countries of delivery

Activate the countries of delivery for which you want to offer return shipments.

The countries of delivery have to have the setting Active or Backoffice is active. You can activate countries of delivery in the Setup » Orders » Shipping » Settings menu in the Countries of delivery tab.

For further information, refer to the Preparing the shipment page.

4. Completing the assistant

Once you have installed the plugin DHL Retoure Online with the help of the Integrations assistant, the assistant DHL Retoure Online is visible in the Setup » Assistants » Plugins menu in the relevant plugin set and you can start with the setup.

Important: You have to complete the assistant for each warehouse that you want to use for DHL Retoure Online.

This assistant has several steps to complete. These steps are explained in the following.

4.1. New configuration for DHL Retoure Online

Open the DHL Retoure Online assistant and add a new configuration for DHL Retoure Online by clicking on and select an existing warehouse and the client from the drop-down lists.

When you register a return, it will be registered based on the region, the warehouse and the client you selected.

4.2. Login details

In this step, enter the login details of the user who is activated for returns in the DHL business customer portal.

Activate the button (toggle_on) if you want that the password will be changed for all warehouse configurations with the same user.

4.3. Recipient of return

In this step, assign the recipients of return (receiver IDs) to the different countries of delivery. The countries of delivery that have the setting Active or Backoffice is active are shown here. You can activate missing countries of delivery in the Setup » Orders » Shipping » Settings menu in the Countries of delivery tab.

You can find the receiver IDs in the DHL business customer portal in the area Returns > Settings > Recipient and country overview.

In the Referrer combination area at the bottom of this step, you can add a new combination by clicking on . You can combine multiple referrers with a country and the receiver ID for each entry. To do so, select the desired referrers (). Afterwards, select the country from the drop-down list and enter the receiver ID in the corresponding field. Add further combinations by clicking on .

4.4. Validity of labels

In this step, determine how long the labels are available for download to your customers in your online shop. Assigned labels are those that have already been assigned to a return.

The settings that you carry out in this step are global and apply to each warehouse in your PlentyONE system.

4.5. Summary

In this step, a summary of all entries that you made in the single steps is listed. You can check the settings, adjust them in the single steps, if needed, and complete the assistant afterwards.

Completed DHL Retoure Online assistant

Which data is shown when the DHL Retoure Online assistant has been completed?

When you completed the DHL Retoure Online assistant and open it again, the following information is displayed:

  • In the tile view:

    • Warehouse name

    • User name

  • In the table overview:

    • Warehouse name

    • User name

5. Generating return labels

You have the following options to generate return labels and register the return with DHL Retoure Online:

  • Generate DHL Retoure Online label
    Registers the return with DHL Retoure Online. One label per order is generated, regardless of the number of packages.

  • Generate DHL Retoure Online label (1 label per package / 1 file)
    Registers the return with DHL Retoure Online. One label per package is generated. If multiple packages are available, one PDF file that contains all return labels is generated.
    Example: In a return order with 3 packages, one PDF is generated for each package that each contains all 3 return labels.
    In this case, note that you have to print the PDF file with the return labels only once and not three times.

  • Generate DHL Retoure Online label (1 label per package / multiple files)
    Registers the return with DHL Retoure Online. One label per package is generated. If multiple packages are available, one PDF file per return label is generated.

You can select the options mentioned above in the following areas of the PlentyONE back end:

  • in the procedure group Plugins of the event procedures

  • as Return type in the procedure Return label in the processes

  • in the Return tab of the shipping centre

5.1. International returns

It is possible to generate DHL Retoure Online labels not only for returns from Germany, but also for returns from Switzerland. The CN23 form is added as PDF file when the return is registered.

Furthermore, you can generate DHL enclosed return labels for international returns in the processes and in the event procedures:

  • In the processes, use the option DHL Retoure enclosed label international.

  • In the event procedures, select the procedure Generate DHL Retoure enclosed label international.

6. Adding a mobile return code to the email template

Insert the variable DHL Retoure Online QR code in your email templates to send your customers a QR code within the email. If your customers want to send back an item, they have to show the QR code on their smartphone to one of the employees in the post office and they will print the return label and attach it to the parcel.

Thus, your customers do no longer need a printer at home and you do no longer have to send the return label attached as PDF.

  • Way of proceeding with the new EmailBuilder

  • Way of proceeding via the “old” templates at the client

Create the email template in the CRM » EmailBuilder menu. Insert the variable DHL Retoure Online QR code. The QR code is shown as an URL in the email of your customers. After clicking on the URL, the QR code appears in a separate window on the smartphone that can be shown to the employees in the post office.

For further information about how to create email templates, refer to the EmailBuilder page.

Create the email template in the Setup » Client » [Select client] » Email » Templates menu.

  • In an email template of the type Plain text, the link to the QR code is displayed that your customer can click. To do so, insert the template variable $DHLRetoureOnlineQRCodeURL directly in the text.

  • In an email template of the type HTML-formatted text, the QR code is displayed as an image. To do so, insert an image and enter the template variable $DHLRetoureOnlineQRCodeURL as an URL in the image properties in the tabs Image info and Link.

For further information about how to create email templates, refer to the Emails page.