Can my shop's policy be exchange only, with no refunds?

Not for the 14-day right. Article 17 gives the customer the choice between an exchange and a refund of the price, so a sign or a receipt that offers only an exchange or only store credit falls short of the law. A policy may give customers more than the law does, never less. Check the wording with a lawyer.

Does the customer need the receipt to return an item?

The law obliges the seller to give an invoice, and Article 11 lets a customer without one prove the purchase by any means. In practice the receipt is the fastest way: in PointLit the code printed on it opens the bill at the till in seconds.

Do items bought in a sale have the same rights?

The law's articles on returns make no exception for discounted goods. If you want different terms for clearance stock, ask a lawyer before you print them.

Is there a time limit for refunds in PointLit?

PointLit does not enforce a return window. Any bill with something still refundable can be refunded, so your written policy and your staff decide. Every refund is recorded with who made it and when.

What if the customer paid by card?

Refund to keeps The original payment unless you choose otherwise, so a card payment is refunded as a card refund. PointLit records card payments rather than processing them, so the money itself goes back through your card terminal.

What if the item comes back damaged?

Switch off Put the stock back. The money goes back, nothing returns to stock, and the decision is kept on the refund, so the gap between money and stock can be explained at the next count.

Shop rules guide

Return and exchange policy for shops in Egypt: the law, a sample and the till

Under Egypt's Consumer Protection Law No. 181 of 2018, a customer may exchange or return most goods within 14 days of receiving them, without giving a reason or paying anything, and within 30 days if the goods are defective. A shop must display these rights where it sells. Write your policy around the law, then train every cashier on it.

Last updated: October 19, 2026

What does Egyptian law say about returns and exchanges?

Egypt's Consumer Protection Law No. 181 of 2018 came into force on 14 December 2018, and its executive regulations were issued by Prime Minister's Decree No. 822 of 2019. Four of its articles shape a shop's return policy.

Article 17 gives the customer the right to exchange goods, or return them for a refund of their price, within 14 days of receiving them, without giving a reason and without paying any costs; the Consumer Protection Agency may set shorter periods for some goods, given their nature. Article 21 extends this to 30 days when the goods are defective, do not match their description, or do not do the job they were bought for. Article 18 obliges the seller to display the customer's rights to exchange and return in a visible place where the goods are shown or sold. Article 10 obliges the seller to give the customer an invoice.

What are the customer's rights, at a glance?

Return and exchange rights under Law No. 181 of 2018
Situation	Time limit	What the customer can ask for	Article
The customer changed their mind, and the item is as it was sold	14 days from receiving it	An exchange, or the price back, with no reason given and no charge	Article 17
The item is defective, not as described, or not fit for its purpose	30 days from receiving it	An exchange, or the price back, at no extra cost	Article 21
A durable item, such as an appliance, shows a manufacturing defect	At least 2 years from receiving it	The seller's guarantee against manufacturing defects	Article 22
The customer has no invoice	The time limits do not change	They may prove the purchase and its terms by any means	Article 11

Which goods can a shop refuse to take back?

Article 17 lists five cases in which the customer has no direct right to exchange or return an item, and lets the executive regulations add more. The Consumer Protection Agency's published guidance also names gold and jewellery, and underwear and wedding dresses once their wrapping is removed. These cases are exceptions to the 14-day right in Article 17. The right for defective goods is a separate article, Article 21, so ask a lawyer before you refuse a defective item.

Goods whose nature, characteristics, packing or wrapping prevent an exchange or return, or that cannot be put back in the condition they were sold in.
Perishable goods, such as fresh food.
Goods that are no longer in the condition they were sold in, for a reason that comes from the customer.
Goods made to the customer's own specifications, when they match those specifications.
Books, newspapers, magazines, software and the like.
In the Agency's guidance: gold and jewellery, and underwear and wedding dresses once their wrapping is removed.

What should a shop's return policy say?

Article 18 asks you to display the customer's rights where you sell, so print your policy and hang it by the till, and put a short version in the footer of your receipt. Here is a sample in plain words, based on the articles above. Adapt it to your goods, and have a lawyer read it before you rely on it.

You may exchange or return an item within 14 days of receiving it, without giving a reason and at no cost, if it is in the condition it was sold in.
If an item is defective or not as described, you may exchange or return it within 30 days of receiving it.
You choose: an exchange, or your money back.
Please bring your receipt, or tell us when and where you bought the item, so we can find the sale quickly.
Unless they are defective, we cannot take back perishable goods, goods made to your own measurements, books, magazines and software, gold and jewellery, or underwear once its wrapping is removed.
To change an item for a different one, we take the first one back and sell you the new one, so you pay or get back only the difference.

How do you take a return in PointLit?

In PointLit a refund is never an edit of the sale. The original bill stays as it was, and the refund is a new document against it, so the history stays readable. Refunds need the internet, and only roles with the refund permission can make them: the Owner and Manager roles have it as standard, the Cashier role does not. The help article on refunds and returns has the details.

Find the bill. At the till, press Open bill and type or scan the code printed on the receipt, or open Sales in Manage.
Press Refund and choose the items and quantities coming back. The screen shows how much of the bill can still be refunded.
Leave Put the stock back on if the goods can be sold again. Switch it off for damaged goods: the money goes back, the stock does not, and the decision is recorded on the refund.
Under Refund to, keep The original payment, or choose Cash or Card. Loyalty points and the customer's account are settled automatically.
Pick a Reason if your business keeps a list of refund reasons, then confirm. Cash goes out of the drawer of the shift open now at that branch, the Z report shows it under Refunds and Cash refunds, and you can print a refund slip for the customer.

How do you handle an exchange in PointLit?

PointLit has no exchange screen yet. An exchange is two steps: refund the item that comes back, with Put the stock back on, then ring the new item as a new sale. Money moves both ways, so the customer pays, or gets back, only the difference. Both documents appear on the shift's Z report and in the stock history, so the exchange can always be traced.

Who should be allowed to give refunds?

A refund takes money out of the drawer, so it is one of the acts that most needs a second person. Keep the refund permission with the owner and managers, ask for a reason on every refund, and read the Refunds line of each Z report. Our guide to preventing cashier theft covers refunds, voids and discounts together, and the page on staff roles and permissions shows how to decide who may do what.

Questions and answers

Can my shop's policy be exchange only, with no refunds?: Not for the 14-day right. Article 17 gives the customer the choice between an exchange and a refund of the price, so a sign or a receipt that offers only an exchange or only store credit falls short of the law. A policy may give customers more than the law does, never less. Check the wording with a lawyer.
Does the customer need the receipt to return an item?: The law obliges the seller to give an invoice, and Article 11 lets a customer without one prove the purchase by any means. In practice the receipt is the fastest way: in PointLit the code printed on it opens the bill at the till in seconds.
Do items bought in a sale have the same rights?: The law's articles on returns make no exception for discounted goods. If you want different terms for clearance stock, ask a lawyer before you print them.
Is there a time limit for refunds in PointLit?: PointLit does not enforce a return window. Any bill with something still refundable can be refunded, so your written policy and your staff decide. Every refund is recorded with who made it and when.
What if the customer paid by card?: Refund to keeps The original payment unless you choose otherwise, so a card payment is refunded as a card refund. PointLit records card payments rather than processing them, so the money itself goes back through your card terminal.
What if the item comes back damaged?: Switch off Put the stock back. The money goes back, nothing returns to stock, and the decision is kept on the refund, so the gap between money and stock can be explained at the next count.

Sources

Sources checked on October 19, 2026

Record every return, with its reason

Registration is closed for now. Leave your details and we will tell you the moment it opens.

Request early access