The store return policies cheat sheet (30+ retailers, updated 2026)
Return windows for Amazon, Zara, Sephora, Target, Nordstrom, H&M, Apple, and 25+ other major retailers. With holiday extensions, member tiers, and the gotchas no one tells you about.
Every retailer's return policy is a maze. Here's the field-tested cheat sheet — what we actually built into Girl Math after reading every policy page so you don't have to.
All windows below are counted from the delivery date for online orders and the purchase date for in-store. Always confirm at the register — policies change.
Fashion & apparel
| Store | Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zara | 30 days | In-store free. Online: free for Zara members, $4 for others. |
| H&M | 30 days | Members: 45 days. Tags must be attached. |
| Uniqlo | 30 days | Tags attached, original packaging. Sale items final. |
| Nordstrom | Case-by-case | Famously generous. They track repeat returners. |
| Anthropologie | 60 days | 30 days for refund, 60 days for store credit. |
| Free People | 30 days | Same chain, different policy. Watch. |
| Madewell | 30 days | 60 for Insider members. |
| Lululemon | 30 days | Worn-once accepted if defective. |
| Reformation | 30 days | $8 return shipping deducted. |
Beauty & skincare
| Store | Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sephora | 30 days full / 60 days credit | Even used product, if you're not happy. |
| Ulta | 60 days | Used = store credit only. |
| Glossier | 30 days | Used product accepted within reason. |
| Mecca | 60 days | AU-only. Generous on used items. |
| Drunk Elephant | 30 days direct | Most third-party retailers also accept. |
Beauty is the category most worth tracking. Sephora and Ulta will refund used products if your skin reacted — but only inside the window. Past the deadline, you eat the cost of the bad reaction.
Tech & electronics
| Store | Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | 14 days | The shortest window in major retail. Restocking fee on opened iPad/iPhone in some regions. |
| Best Buy | 15 days | 60 days for Elite Plus, 30 for Elite. Activated phones: 14 days. |
| Amazon | 30 days | Most categories. Some marketplace sellers shorter — check the listing. |
| B&H Photo | 30 days | No restocking fee. Generous. |
| Newegg | 30 days | 15% restocking fee on opened items. |
General merchandise
| Store | Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Target | 90 days | RedCard: +30. Apple: 15. Mobile: 14. |
| Walmart | 90 days | Most items. Electronics: 30. Cell phones: 14. |
| Costco | Forever (mostly) | Famous for accepting almost anything. Electronics: 90 days. |
| IKEA | 365 / 180 days | Unopened: 365. Opened: 180. Mattresses: 365 with one swap. |
| Wayfair | 30 days | You pay return shipping unless defective. |
| West Elm | 30 days for refund | 60 for store credit. Furniture: 7 days. |
The gotchas no one tells you
- Final sale: 'Sale' isn't always 'final sale.' Read the receipt — final sale is usually printed on it.
- Marketplace sellers: Amazon and Walmart marketplace items follow the seller's policy, not the platform's. Often shorter.
- Membership perks: Many extended windows only apply if you were a member at time of purchase, not at time of return.
- Mobile carriers: Activated phones almost always have a 14-day window. Past that, you're locked in.
- Original payment: Refunds go to the original card. If your card was reissued, expect 5–10 business days extra delay.
- The repeat-returner blacklist: Yes, it exists. Sephora, Best Buy, and Amazon all track return rates. Excessive returners can be banned.
Sephora's repeat-return threshold is rumored around 10% of total spend. Best Buy and Amazon use a third-party service called The Retail Equation to score shoppers. Not theoretical — people get banned.
Track them all in one place
Girl Math has every store in this guide built in, with the right window for the right tier. Pick the store at purchase time and the deadline auto-calculates. See pricing.