Return Policies of 15 Major US Retailers, Compared
Amazon's 30 days. Costco's lifetime on most things. Target's 90. Best Buy's 15 (or 60). Here's the actual return window for the biggest US retailers, with the exceptions that catch people out.
The single biggest source of lost money on consumer purchases isn't broken products. It's missed return windows. You buy something, decide it's not right, and by the time you get around to returning it — 31 days, 91 days, or 16 days later — the window has closed.
This guide lays out the actual return windows for 15 major US retailers, the categories with shorter or longer windows, and the rules most people don't know about.
Heads up
Return policies change. Verify current policy with the retailer before relying on these numbers. This guide is current as of publication.
Quick comparison table
| Retailer | Standard return window | Receipt required? | Original packaging? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costco | Mostly unlimited (with exceptions) | No (member lookup) | Helpful, not required |
| L.L. Bean | 1 year | Helpful, not required | Not required |
| REI (Members) | 1 year | No (member lookup) | Not required |
| IKEA | 365 days, unused | Required | Required |
| Macy's | 90 days | Required (or ID) | Tags attached |
| Target | 90 days (most), 365 days (Target-owned brands) | Helpful, not required | Not required |
| Walmart | 90 days (most) | Required (or ID) | Helpful |
| Home Depot | 90 days | Helpful, not required | Not required |
| Lowe's | 90 days | Required | Helpful |
| Nordstrom | No deadline (case-by-case) | Helpful | Tags attached |
| Apple | 14 days | Required | Required |
| Best Buy | 15 days standard / 60 days for Elite Plus | Required | Required |
| Amazon | 30 days (most categories) | Order history | Not required (often) |
| Bed Bath & Beyond | 90 days | Required | Helpful |
| Sephora | 60 days (full refund), 91 days (store credit) | Required | Helpful |
Now the details.
The retailers with effectively unlimited windows
Costco
Costco's return policy is famously generous. Most items have no time limit. You can return a TV from 2018, a couch you've owned for years, or a vacuum you used twice. They look up your purchase history by membership number — receipt not required.
Exceptions:
- Electronics (TVs, computers, cameras, smartphones, tablets, MP3 players, drones, projectors): 90 days from purchase.
- Major appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers, etc.): no specific limit, but case-by-case.
- Cigarettes and alcohol where prohibited by law.
- Items damaged from misuse: returnable but at the manager's discretion.
- Diamonds over 1 carat: require GIA grading report.
- Custom-printed items: not returnable.
- Membership fees: refundable anytime.
Combined with Costco's free 2-year warranty extension, this is the most consumer-friendly return policy in retail.
Nordstrom
Nordstrom famously has no posted return deadline. Their policy reads: "We handle returns on a case-by-case basis with the ultimate objective of making our customers happy."
In practice: returns within 1 year are nearly always accepted. After that, condition matters. Receipt is helpful but they can usually look up purchases.
Final sale items (clearly marked) are not returnable.
L.L. Bean
L.L. Bean's policy is 1 year from purchase if you're not satisfied. After that, they'll consider warranty claims for manufacturing defects. Lifetime guarantees on some specific products (boots, certain bags) are still honored, but the unlimited-return era ended in 2018.
REI Co-op
For members: 1 year to return most items if you're unsatisfied. Outdoor electronics: 90 days. Final sale items are excluded. Membership lookup means receipts aren't strictly required.
The 90-day-window retailers
Most major retailers have settled on roughly 90 days as the standard.
Target
Standard: 90 days for most items. 365 days for Target-owned brands (Goodfellow, A New Day, Cat & Jack, Pillowfort, etc.) and RedCard purchases.
Shorter windows (30 days from purchase):
- Electronics
- Entertainment items (movies, music, video games, software)
- Drones and cameras
Target is good about lookup — they can usually find your purchase via card swipe, app, or RedCard even without the physical receipt.
Home Depot
90 days for most items, 365 days for Home Depot Consumer Credit Card purchases.
Shorter windows (30 days):
- Furniture
- Generators (portable and stationary)
- Gas-powered equipment and tractors
- Major appliances (must report damage at delivery for free returns)
No returns:
- Custom blinds (only if measurement was Home Depot's error)
- Cut flowers, plants past 90 days
Lowe's
90 days for most items, 365 days for Lowe's credit card holders.
Shorter windows (30 days):
- Outdoor power equipment (push and self-propelled mowers excepted at 90 days for Lowe's brands)
- Major appliances
- Liquid paint
- Highway trailers
Walmart
90 days for most items.
Shorter windows (15 days from delivery):
- Marketplace seller items vary — check individual listing
- Cell phones with service contracts
No returns:
- Firearms and ammunition (state-dependent)
- Prescription drugs
- Custom-made items
Walmart can look up purchases via your account or membership card. Without that, they often accept returns with ID for store credit.
Macy's
90 days standard, with exceptions:
- Last Act items: 30 days
- Designer brands (varies): often 30 days
- Mattresses: 120 nights for sleep trial returns
- Final sale: not returnable
Bed Bath & Beyond
90 days with receipt for full refund. After 90 days or without receipt: store credit at lowest sale price within last 90 days. Used to be 1 year; reduced after their bankruptcy and reorganization.
The shorter-window retailers
Amazon
30 days is the standard, but it varies a lot by category:
- Most general merchandise: 30 days
- Electronics: 30 days
- Apparel: 30 days, but Prime Try Before You Buy gives 7 days from delivery
- Marketplace third-party sellers: depends on seller — check each listing
- Holiday extension: Items purchased Nov 1 – Dec 31 typically returnable through Jan 31
- Wedding registry / baby registry: extended return windows (180 days)
Amazon's "lookup" is your order history. If you bought from a third-party seller, the seller's policy may differ from Amazon's.
Best Buy
Standard: 15 days. This is shorter than most people realize.
- Best Buy Elite (members): 30 days
- Best Buy Elite Plus (members): 60 days
- Holiday season: items purchased Oct 27 – Dec 31 typically returnable through Jan 14
- Open-box items: same as new
- Cell phones / cellular tablets: 14 days regardless of membership
Best Buy is strict about packaging and receipts. They restock items aggressively, so don't lose the box.
Apple
14 days from delivery for most products.
- Original receipt required
- Products must be in original condition with all included accessories
- iPhones must be deactivated from your Apple ID before return
- Custom configurations (Mac with custom RAM, engraved iPad): may not be returnable or have shorter window
- AppleCare+ has its own 30-day buyback within the 14-day product window
Sephora
60 days for full refund, 61–90 days for store credit only. Beauty Insider members can extend slightly via account lookup. Items must be lightly used or unopened — heavily used products may be denied or accepted at staff discretion.
What most people get wrong
"I can return any time during the holiday extension"
Holiday extensions apply to items purchased during the extension window (typically Nov 1 – Dec 31), not to items purchased earlier. If you bought something in October, you have the standard window — not until Jan 31.
"I can return without the receipt if I paid with my card"
Sometimes yes (Target, Costco for members), but many retailers require the receipt regardless. Walmart will accept ID for store credit, but you don't get cash. Save your receipts.
"I have 30 days from when it broke"
No — return windows count from purchase or delivery date, not from when something fails. Once the window closes, you're in warranty territory, not return territory.
"If I missed the return window, I'm out of luck"
Not necessarily. Once the return window closes, the manufacturer warranty kicks in. Then potentially:
- Retailer warranty extension (Costco, Best Buy with extended plans)
- Credit card extended warranty (especially Chase Sapphire and Amex Platinum cards)
- Manufacturer warranty (always at least 12 months)
- Third-party protection plans you may have bought
A "missed return window" is annoying but rarely the end of the road for protection.
Track this kind of thing
Stop losing money to deadlines you didn't know existed.
HeresNext maps the manufacturer warranty, return window, credit-card extension, retailer perks, and any third-party plan on every purchase. Quiet email a few days before any window closes.
Join the waitlistHow to track return windows
Three things help:
- Save the receipt. Photo or email confirmation works. Without proof, even retailers that accept returns are limited in what they can do.
- Note the deadline at purchase time. A calendar reminder set to 7 days before the window closes is the simplest hedge.
- Know which window you're in. A 30-day Best Buy electronics window feels like 90 days if you're used to Target. Don't assume.
This is also exactly the problem HeresNext was built to solve — it tracks return windows automatically based on retailer and category, and reminds you 30, 7, and 1 day before any window closes.
Bottom line
The retailers with the most generous return policies (Costco, Nordstrom, REI) are not the cheapest, but the policy itself is part of what you're paying for. The retailers with shorter windows (Apple at 14 days, Best Buy at 15) require more vigilance.
Save the receipt. Note the deadline. And remember that "return window closed" doesn't mean "no recourse" — it just means you've moved into warranty and credit card protection territory.