> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.arcuserp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Retrieve a return

> Returns the full detail of a return, including its line items, inspection notes, disposition decisions, and originating order. Pass `expand[]=items` or `expand[]=timeline` to hydrate nested collections inline; requires `returns:read` scope.



## OpenAPI

````yaml /openapi.yaml get /returns/{id}
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: Arcus ERP Public API
  version: 1.0.0
  description: >
    Arcus ERP public REST API. Designed for external integrations and data
    migration.


    **Authentication.** Bearer token (API key) via the `Authorization` header.

    Format: `Authorization: Bearer ark_live_ent_<code>_<random>` (or
    `ark_test_*` for sandbox).

    API keys are issued per-entity in **Settings > Developers > API Keys**.


    **Entity scoping.** The entity is encoded in the API key prefix; routes are
    flat

    (e.g. `/v1/accounts`, `/v1/orders`, `/v1/products`). A small set of platform
    endpoints

    (migration, reconciliation, events, webhook endpoints, API keys) use the

    `/v1/entities/{entity_id}/...` form -- those are noted in their tags.


    **Key capabilities.**
      - Related-resource hydration via `?expand[]=` (see `x-arcus-expand` on each resource).
      - Cursor-based pagination (`starting_after` / `ending_before` / `limit`).
      - Idempotency via the `Idempotency-Key` header.
      - Webhook events for asynchronous notification.
      - Conditional requests / ETag for cache validation.

    **Changelog.** Entries are dated and name every published contract whose
    MEANING moved, not

    only the ones whose field names changed. The narrative version of the same
    entries, written

    for integrators, is published at https://arcuserp.mintlify.app/changelog.


    **2026-09-22 (planned 2026-09-21), REORDER-BUYER-TRUTH: demand changed what
    it MEANS on three

    published contracts, with no field renamed.** An integrator that pins field
    names sees no

    breakage and different numbers, which is why this entry exists.

      - **Demand now counts build consumption.** `demand_avg_per_day` on the public product, kit
        and inventory-balance objects, and `daily_demand` / `demand_basis` / `net_suggested_qty`
        on `GET /v1/purchasing/reorder-report`, are composed from fulfilled sales lines PLUS
        posted `build_consume` inventory draws: each physical decrement of a product counts
        exactly once. The previous rule adopted an internal-consumption basis only when the sales
        blend was exactly zero, so a product both sold AND consumed into work orders planned as
        if the build draws did not exist. Products drawn into work orders move; on one
        production-shaped dataset five did, the largest from 0.05/day to 14.95/day.
      - **`demand_basis` now carries four values, not two:** `sales`, `sales_and_builds`,
        `builds` and `consumption`. A consumer with a two-branch reader (anything that is not
        `consumption` is `sales`) silently hides the two new ones.
      - **`current_demand_units` on `GET /v1/inventory/balances/:id` moved, by a second rule.**
        It counts committed-but-unshipped CUSTOMER demand, and it now counts a kit component's
        own line rather than its parent kit line, and excludes non-sales documents. On one
        production dataset 269 of 1,043 balance rows changed, 227 of them downward; the largest
        single move was 1,941 to 25, on a product whose open PURCHASE order line had been
        reported as customer demand. Re-baseline anything that alerts or reorders off this field.
      - `run_rate_30/90/180/365` and `blended_daily` on the same balance object move for the
        first reason above.
      - **Added, not changed:** `GET /v1/purchasing/reorder-report` accepts `demand_window` and
        returns the unit, cover-through and reorder-point-provenance fields documented on that
        operation; `order_multiple` is accepted and returned on the product-vendor doors.
      - **Volume note.** The `inventory.low_stock`, `inventory.out_of_stock` and
        `inventory.back_in_stock` webhook events are population-gated on
        `on_hand <= reorder_point`, and reorder points move with the demand above, so
        subscribers should expect a one-time step change in event volume around the release.
servers:
  - url: https://api.arcuserp.com/v1
    description: Arcus ERP API (accepts both live `ark_live_*` and test `ark_test_*` keys)
  - url: https://dev-api.arcuserp.com/v1
    description: >-
      Dev sandbox API (test-only data, accepts `ark_test_*` keys against dev
      RDS)
security: []
paths:
  /returns/{id}:
    parameters:
      - name: id
        in: path
        required: true
        schema:
          type: string
          format: uuid
    get:
      tags:
        - Returns
      summary: Retrieve a return
      description: >-
        Returns the full detail of a return, including its line items,
        inspection notes, disposition decisions, and originating order. Pass
        `expand[]=items` or `expand[]=timeline` to hydrate nested collections
        inline; requires `returns:read` scope.
      operationId: getReturn
      parameters:
        - name: expand[]
          in: query
          schema:
            type: array
            items:
              type: string
              enum:
                - items
                - items.product
                - refunds
                - original_order
                - gl_entries
                - return_label
                - vendor_return
          style: form
          explode: true
      responses:
        '200':
          description: RMA object
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Return'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
        '403':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
        '404':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
      security:
        - ApiKeyAuth: []
components:
  schemas:
    Return:
      type: object
      description: >-
        RMA (return merchandise authorization). Phase A -- refund_amount is
        readOnly via PATCH; written only by POST /v1/returns/{id}/refund.
      properties:
        id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
        object:
          type: string
          enum:
            - return
        entity_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          readOnly: true
        return_number:
          type: string
          readOnly: true
        status:
          type: string
          enum:
            - authorized
            - expected
            - received
            - inspecting
            - restocked
            - written_off
            - closed
            - sent_to_vendor
            - cancelled
          readOnly: true
          description: >-
            Use action endpoints to transition status; PATCH cannot write
            status.
        original_order_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
        account_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
        vendor_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
        vendor_rma_number:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        inspection_required:
          type: boolean
        restocking_fee:
          type: number
          nullable: true
        refund_amount:
          type: number
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
          description: >-
            SSOT: written only by POST /v1/returns/{id}/refund (refundReturn
            canonical). PATCH cannot write this field.
        return_to_vendor:
          type: boolean
        refund_hold:
          type: boolean
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
          description: >-
            The refund hold. null = never held; true = accounting put the refund
            on hold with a question for the office, and POST
            /v1/returns/{id}/refund answers 409 `refund_on_hold` until the
            office answers; false = the office answered and the hold is
            released. Set and released in the Arcus app only; nothing is
            refunded and no amount owed changes while it is held.
        refund_hold_note_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
          description: >-
            The note that holds the hold's question; kept after the hold is
            released.
        refund_hold_by:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
          description: Who put the refund on hold; kept after release.
        refund_hold_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
          description: When the refund was put on hold; kept after release.
        source:
          type: string
          enum:
            - csr
            - customer_portal
            - marketplace
          nullable: true
        notes:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        metadata:
          type: object
          nullable: true
        received_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        closed_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        cancelled_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        created_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          readOnly: true
        updated_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          readOnly: true
    ErrorEnvelope:
      type: object
      description: |
        Canonical error response envelope. All API errors use this shape.
      required:
        - error
        - code
      properties:
        error:
          type: string
          description: Machine-readable error key
          example: not_found
        code:
          type: string
          description: Machine-readable error code (often same as error)
          example: not_found
        type:
          type: string
          enum:
            - validation_error
            - permission_error
            - not_found
            - conflict
            - rate_limit
            - internal
            - expand_error
            - not_implemented
          example: not_found
        hint:
          type: string
          description: Human-readable one-sentence explanation (English)
          example: >-
            The requested order does not exist or does not belong to this
            entity.
        param:
          type: string
          description: The parameter that caused the error, if applicable
          example: expand[0]
        required:
          type: string
          description: The scope required (only on insufficient_scope errors)
          example: accounts:read
        request_id:
          type: string
          description: >-
            Unique request ID for support tracing (maps to CloudWatch log
            stream)
          example: req_abc123
  responses:
    Error:
      description: Error response (400/401/403/404/409/422/429/500)
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorEnvelope'
  securitySchemes:
    ApiKeyAuth:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer
      description: |
        API key issued per entity via Settings > Developers > API Keys.
        Each key carries scopes (e.g. orders:read, products:write).
        Bearer token format: Authorization: Bearer ark_live_ent_<code>_<random>
        Test keys use ark_test_ent_<code>_<random>. Both are issued per entity
        via Settings > Developers > API Keys.

````

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