How does returnPolicyCountry differ from applicableCountry?

Definition: applicableCountry identifies the country where a merchant return policy applies, including where the product is sold and returned from. returnPolicyCountry identifies the country where the product must be sent for a return.

Key facts

• As of 8 September 2026, Google's merchant return policy documentation defines applicableCountry as the country where the product is sold and will be returned from.
• Google's documentation defines returnPolicyCountry as the country where the product has to be sent for returns, which can differ from the country where it was originally shipped or sent.
• Schema.org's applicableCountry definition describes a country where a particular merchant return policy applies and gives the two-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code as an example.
• Schema.org's returnPolicyCountry definition also allows a country name or a two-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code.

What does each field describe?

applicableCountry selects the geographic scope of the policy. In Google's wording, it covers the place where the product is sold and will be returned from. This field answers, “Which country does this policy cover?” The organization-level documentation allows up to 50 countries and asks for two-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 formatting.

returnPolicyCountry selects the return destination. It answers, “Where must the product be sent when it is returned?” Google states that this destination may differ from the country where the product was originally shipped or sent. The Schema.org description gives “Ireland” as a country-name example and also supports the same two-letter code format.

How can the two values appear together?

The two properties describe different points in the return journey, so their values can differ. Google's example covers customers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and sends mailed returns to Ireland. Its reduced form is:

{
  "@type": "MerchantReturnPolicy",
  "applicableCountry": ["DE", "AT", "CH"],
  "returnPolicyCountry": "IE"
}

Here, DE, AT, and CH identify the countries covered by the policy, while IE identifies the country receiving the returns. The example is part of an OnlineStore markup sample and pairs the fields with a 60-day return window, free returns, full refunds, and new products only.

Where should the fields be placed?

Google documents a standard business policy as MerchantReturnPolicy nested under Organization through hasMerchantReturnPolicy. The same technical guidance recommends a single page describing the business return policy. A different policy for a specific product is placed under Offer, and Google documents a smaller set of supported properties for offer-level policies.

The fields describe the MerchantReturnPolicy object itself. They do not replace the policy category or the return-window fields. For example, Google's organization-level option pairs applicableCountry with returnPolicyCategory; when the category is MerchantReturnFiniteReturnWindow, merchantReturnDays is also required.

How can the markup be checked?

Google recommends the Rich Results Test for validating the markup and identifying critical errors. After deployment, its documentation points to URL Inspection for checking how Google sees the page. The return-policy page also needs to be accessible to Google and free of blocking robots.txt, noindex, or login requirements.

Related terms

• MerchantReturnPolicy structured data
• How can return markup distinguish remorse returns from defective items?

FAQ

Which field identifies the country covered by the policy?

Use applicableCountry. Google's definition ties it to the country where the product is sold and will be returned from. A policy can list up to 50 two-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes.

Which field identifies the return address country?

Use returnPolicyCountry. It identifies the country where the product has to be sent for a return, and Google's example uses IE while the applicable countries are DE, AT, and CH.

Can both fields contain the same country code?

Yes. The source definitions give each field a different role, and Google's example shows that they can also contain different codes. The values should reflect the policy's coverage and the actual return destination.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Merchant return policy (MerchantReturnPolicy) structured data", 8 September 2026
2. Schema.org, "applicableCountry", undated
3. Schema.org, "returnPolicyCountry", undated

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