Route, a post-purchase platform used by ecommerce brands for package protection and order tracking, said Monday it has acquired Frate Returns, a returns and exchanges provider, to create a single solution spanning tracking, protection, and returns. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Route said the deal is aimed at helping merchants consolidate post-purchase tooling while reducing refund-related losses and operating costs. The combined offering will pair Route’s package protection and visual order tracking with Frate’s “exchange-first” returns workflows, including AI-driven returns features such as image verification and configurable options across shipping, refunds, and payments.
Frate’s platform is used by brands including Caraway Home, Honeylove, and Monos, according to the companies. Route said integrating Frate will allow merchants to retain more revenue by steering shoppers toward exchanges instead of refunds, while improving the overall post-checkout experience and loyalty.
Route was founded in 2019 by Evan Walker and Mike Moreno and helped popularize shipping protection as a category in e-commerce. The company said it is trusted by more than 13,000 brands and has protected more than $20 billion in gross merchandise value to date.
KEY QUOTES:
“Acquiring Frate Returns builds on Route’s position at the center of the post-purchase experience to create shopper confidence that fuels merchant growth. The Frate team has built an exceptional product that turns a traditionally complex process into a seamless experience for shoppers and a growth engine for brands. By integrating their technology with Route’s industry-leading package protection and visual order tracking, we are not just expanding our capabilities, we are redefining the standard for how merchants engage with and retain shoppers long after the sale.”
Eric Kobe, CEO, Route
“Merchants today are looking to consolidate their tech stacks to reduce costs without sacrificing the customer experience. There is a critical market need to optimize the entire post-purchase journey, not just fragmented parts of it, and joining forces with Route allows us to amplify our impact by solving those challenges in one unified platform. I’m incredibly excited to combine our returns and exchanges capabilities with Route to drive massive value for merchants and shoppers.”
Bailey Newton, Co-Founder and CEO, Frate Returns
“We founded Route to reimagine what’s possible in ecommerce. Bringing Frate’s technology into our family is a powerful catalyst forward in that evolution. As we continue to innovate for our customers and see our enterprise adoption accelerate faster than ever, I couldn’t be more excited for Route to reach new heights with this strategic addition.”
Evan Walker, Founder and Executive Chairman, Route
