--- title: "Order Processing Virtual Assistant UK from £5/Hour | Ant Assist" description: "A dedicated order processing virtual assistant for your UK store from £5 per hour: orders, shipping updates, cancellations, returns and refunds handled." url: "https://ant-assist.com/services/ecommerce/order-processing-returns/" --- E-commerce VA · Order Processing and Returns # Order Processing Virtual Assistant Every order processed, every shipping status current, every return handled to your policy, by one dedicated person who works for your store alone. Here is what that covers and what it costs. Order processing · Shipping updates · Returns and exchanges · Refunds within policy [Calculate your savings](https://ant-assist.com/calculator/) · [Book a free 15-min call](https://ant-assist.com/book/) ✓ From £5/hour · ✓ UK-managed · ✓ Dedicated VA, not shared · ✓ 3-month probation, no penalty to leave Rated 5.0 on Google. · Trusted by our clients Updated 19 October 2026 Trusted by businesses ## Our Clients What They Handle ## What an order processing virtual assistant handles each day ### Order processing Reviews new orders, checks for fraud flags, address problems and stock conflicts, and moves each order to fulfilment or to you, so nothing sits unprocessed past the window you set. ### Fulfilment tracking and shipping updates Tracks every order through your warehouse or 3PL, updates shipping statuses and tracking on the store and the marketplaces, and chases the couriers when a parcel stalls. ### Cancellations, edits and address changes Handles the requests that arrive after checkout: cancellations, quantity changes, address corrections and delivery instructions, applied before the order ships rather than after. ### Returns & exchanges Issues return authorisations, tracks the returned goods, books exchanges and restocks or writes off items to your rules, and identifies the patterns that reduce return rates. ### Refunds and goodwill within your policy Processes refunds and partial refunds, applies the goodwill gestures you allow and brings anything outside policy to you with the context written up. ### Order messages and reviews Answers the customer messages an order generates, where is it, can I change it, it arrived damaged, in your voice and on your marketplaces' standards, protecting your seller rating. Which model ## A dedicated order processing VA compared with a 3PL's support desk or a freelancer A 3PL moves boxes well and handles exceptions badly, because exceptions need your policy, your customer history and your judgement. A freelancer clears a backlog and leaves; the next backlog needs a new briefing. A dedicated order processing VA is one person in your order flow every working day, and you see only the exceptions that need your decision. Ant Assist ### Dedicated order VA **How it works** One person in your order flow every working day **Exceptions** Handled when they arise; you see only those needing you **What you are left with** Only the exceptions that need your decision **Ant Assist fit** Knows your couriers, returns and where policy stops ### 3PL support desk **How it works** Moves boxes well, handles exceptions badly **Exceptions** Need your policy and history, which the desk lacks **What you are left with** Founder still fields cancellations, damaged parcels, refunds **Ant Assist fit** Not provided by Ant Assist ### Freelancer **How it works** Clears a backlog and leaves **Exceptions** The next backlog needs a new briefing **What you are left with** Mistakes in between are found by customers **Ant Assist fit** Not provided by Ant Assist [Book a free 15-minute discovery call](https://ant-assist.com/book/) ## Explore more VA types Not the right fit? Compare other VA types - [Explore Admin Support](https://ant-assist.com/services/admin/) - [Explore Customer Service](https://ant-assist.com/services/customer-service/) - [Explore Lead Generation](https://ant-assist.com/services/lead-generation/) Who It's For ## Who an order processing VA is for 1. Founders processing their own orders One VA takes orders, updates and returns off your plate. 2. Brands using a 3PL Your VA handles cancellations, address changes and damaged-parcel messages. 3. Marketplace sellers with a rating to protect Responses and returns handled to Amazon and eBay standards. 4. Stores with seasonal peaks Scale hours up for the peak, and the January returns handled. Cost Comparison ## What an order processing VA costs With Ant Assist the entry rate is £5 per hour for the first 6 months on the Entry tier, 3 months on Mid, 1 month on Expert. A dedicated Ant Assist VA compared with a UK in-house hire and a UK agency, full time. | What you get | Recommended Ant Assist | UK in-house hire | UK agency | |---|---|---|---| | Monthly cost | Standard price £1,040 a month, introductory price £800 for the first 6 months | ~£3,100 | approx. £3,500 to £4,500 | | Who manages the work | Included Our UK team supervises | Not included You do | Partly The agency | | Recruitment and onboarding | Included Included | Not included You recruit and train | Included The agency matches | | Employer NI and pension | Included None to pay | Not included You pay both | Partly Built into the rate | | Office and equipment | Included Included | Not included You provide | Partly Varies by agency | | Holiday and sick cover | Included Cover provided | Not included You find cover | Partly Varies by agency | | Replacement if it is not right | Included Replaced, no restart cost | Not included Re-hire from scratch | Partly Varies by agency | | Contract | Included 12-month term, 3-month probation | Not included Employment contract | Partly Varies by agency | Entry offer: standard rate £6.50, introductory offer £5/hour for your first 6 months. UK agency figures are an approximate range around the £25 per hour agency benchmark our calculator uses. [Book a free 15-min call](https://ant-assist.com/book/) ### What the £5/hour entry rate includes - Dedicated VA, never shared - UK-hour aligned support - Management and supervision included - Recruitment and onboarding included - Office infrastructure included - VA replacement available - No NI, pension, or holiday costs - 3-month probation, no penalty to leave These are typical estimates. Get your exact numbers in the full calculator. Or read [how much a virtual assistant costs in the UK](https://ant-assist.com/resources/virtual-assistant-cost-uk/). [Calculate your exact savings](https://ant-assist.com/calculator/) Process ## How to hire an order processing VA 1 First call A short call about your tasks, your tools and the hours you need covered. 2 Matching We pick a VA from our in-house team for your work and introduce them to you. 3 Onboarding Together we write down your rules and set up your access before day one. 4 Live Your VA starts on your hours from our managed office, supervised from the UK. 5 Ongoing management A UK team reviews the work each week; hours scale up or down as you need. ## Guides for this service - [The cost of not hiring an e-commerce VA](https://ant-assist.com/resources/cost-of-not-hiring-an-ecommerce-va/) - [E-commerce tasks to delegate to a virtual assistant](https://ant-assist.com/resources/ecommerce-tasks-to-delegate/) - [How to hire a VA for e-commerce: the UK guide](https://ant-assist.com/resources/how-to-hire-a-va-for-ecommerce/) - [How to hire an e-commerce virtual assistant](https://ant-assist.com/resources/how-to-hire-an-ecommerce-va/) Why Managed ## Why a managed order processing VA beats a 3PL's support desk or a freelancer Managed, not just placed. Your VA is recruited, trained and supervised from our own in-house office. Not a ticket queue, not a freelancer profile. Exceptions handled by someone who knows the store. The same person sees every order, so the patterns in cancellations, damage and returns are noticed and fixed. Replaceable without restart cost. If the fit is wrong, we replace the VA and carry the handover. No re-recruitment, no starting from zero. No NI, pension, or holiday overhead. One hourly rate; the employment costs sit with us. Your data stays yours. Every VA signs an NDA and a data-processing agreement, works inside your admin through password managers at the access level the job needs, and you can revoke access at any time. 3-month probation, no penalty to leave. The initial term is 12 months, including a 3-month probation in which you can end the engagement without penalty. After 12 months it continues monthly with 30 days' notice. FAQ ## Common questions about hiring an order processing virtual assistant ### What does an order processing virtual assistant handle from order to delivery? Every order after the customer clicks buy: checking it, processing fulfilment, uploading tracking, handling cancellations and address changes, updating shipping statuses, chasing couriers on late parcels, and answering the where-is-my-order messages before they become complaints. You get a short daily line of orders processed, exceptions and anything waiting on you. ### Can the VA process refunds and returns without asking me every time? Yes, inside the policy you write down. Routine returns, exchanges and refunds within your policy are handled end to end; anything outside it, a refund above your limit, a chargeback threat, a damaged high-value item, is escalated to you with the context written up before the VA acts. ### How are returns turned into fewer returns? By recording why each one happened. The VA logs the reason, the product and the channel for every return, and the weekly pattern, a size that runs small, a photo that misleads, a courier that damages parcels, goes back to you as a short list of fixes. ### Does the VA work with my courier and fulfilment partner? Yes. Late parcels are chased, claims are raised with the evidence prepared, and fulfilment exceptions are resolved with your partner in your name, inside the portals you already use. A new service or carrier is never booked without your instruction. ### Can order processing be covered at weekends and during peaks? Your VA works your agreed hours, usually UK business hours, and extended hours or weekend cover are available at additional cost. For Black Friday and Christmas, hours scale up and back down afterwards without penalty, and a second dedicated VA can be added for the season. ### What does an order processing virtual assistant cost? £5 per hour for the first 6 months on the Entry tier. After the promotion the e-commerce rate card applies: £6.50 per hour full time, £1,040 a month for 160 hours, or £6.80 per hour part time, £544 a month for 80 hours. The initial term is 12 months, including a 3-month probation in which you can end the engagement without penalty. After 12 months it continues monthly with 30 days' notice. Didn't find your answer? Browse [more common questions](https://ant-assist.com/help/) in the Help Center. Get Started ## Every order handled. Every return, too. One dedicated order processing VA, from £5 per hour. Book a free 15-minute call. [or book a free 15-minute call](https://ant-assist.com/book/) [Calculate your savings](https://ant-assist.com/calculator/) Discovery call · Role brief · VA matched · Onboarded into your tools A free 15-minute call, no obligation. Or get an instant estimate with the calculator.