Return merchandise authorization

A return merchandise authorization (RMA) or return goods authorization (RGA) is the process of having a product repaired or replaced in order to receive a refund or credit for another product from the same retailer or corporation within the product's warranty period. The RMA process and the issuance of an RMA is a key gatekeeping moment in the reverse logistics cycle. This term is often used in the electronics industry as a part of service agreements, according to which the customer returns the product back to the company and gets a new or repaired product back, generally with an additional warranty on the returned product.

The term also applies to returning license of a proprietary operating system preinstalled on a computer, when a consumer wants to install another OS (see also: Windows refund).

See also

• Returning