Last updated: November 6, 2026 · We checked Best Buy’s official Return & Exchange Policy and Price Match Guarantee pages on November 6, 2026. The current policy shown there is effective October 30, 2026. Policies can change, so confirm the rules for your item on bestbuy.com or with your local store before you return it.
- Standard window: Best Buy gives most customers 15 days to return most products, counted from the day you receive the item.
- My Best Buy Plus and Total: paid members get 60 days on most products. This does not apply to Marketplace purchases, and activatable devices stay at 14 days.
- Holiday 2026: most purchases made Oct. 30 through Dec. 31, 2026 can be returned until Jan. 15, 2027. For Plus and Total members, purchases made Oct. 30 to Dec. 3, 2026 can be returned until Jan. 31, 2027.
- Phones and other activatable devices: 14 days for everyone (30 days for Verizon devices), with a $45 restocking fee if opened (prepaid phones excluded).
- Restocking fee: 15% on certain opened items such as drones, digital cameras, lenses, camcorders, projectors and special orders. No fee if the item is unopened or you bought it in AL, CO, HI, IA, MS, OH, OK or SC.
Best Buy’s return policy is short for regular shoppers (15 days) but much longer if you pay for My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total (60 days). On top of that, there are a lot of category exceptions: phones, drones, cameras, major appliances, big TVs and some items that can’t be returned at all.
Below: the windows, the 2026 holiday extension, restocking fees, ship-back returns and no-receipt rules.
Best Buy return policy at a glance (November 2026)
| Item or situation | Standard customers | My Best Buy Plus / Total |
|---|---|---|
| Most products | 15 days | 60 days (not Marketplace purchases) |
| Activatable devices (cell phones, cellular tablets, mobile hotspots, cellular wearables) | 14 days | 14 days |
| Verizon activatable devices | 30 days | 30 days |
| Holiday purchases (Oct. 30 – Dec. 31, 2026), most items | Until Jan. 15, 2027 | Until Jan. 31, 2027 if bought Oct. 30 – Dec. 3; 60 days if bought on or after Dec. 4 |
| Halloween and Christmas decorations | 15 days | 15 days |
| Microsoft Office | 30 days | 30 days |
| Pet training devices, hearing aids | 60 days | 60 days |
| Litter boxes | 90 days | 90 days |
| Restocking fee, opened activatable devices | $45 (prepaid phones excluded) | |
| Restocking fee, opened drones, cameras, lenses, camcorders, projectors, special orders and similar | 15% of the purchase price | |
Source: Best Buy Return & Exchange Policy, effective October 30, 2026 (checked November 6, 2026).
How the Best Buy return window works
The clock starts on the day you receive your product, not the day you ordered it. For holiday purchases, Best Buy counts day 1 as the date you acquire the product. If you’re a standard customer, that gives you 15 days for most items. The free My Best Buy level gets the standard window; the 60-day window is a perk of the paid My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total memberships.
Two things trip people up. First, the longer member window does not apply to items sold by Marketplace sellers on bestbuy.com, which follow the standard 15 days unless noted otherwise. Second, phones and other activatable devices are capped at 14 days no matter what membership you have, and they are excluded from the holiday extension.
Items must be in “like-new condition” with all the original contents. Best Buy says items that are damaged, unsanitary, dented, scratched or missing major contents may be denied, and apparel needs its original tags attached.
Holiday return period 2026: purchases from Oct. 30 to Dec. 31
Best Buy has officially posted its holiday rules for this season. Most purchases made from October 30 through December 31, 2026 can be returned or exchanged through January 15, 2027. Plus and Total members get more time: purchases made October 30 to December 3, 2026 can come back until January 31, 2027, and member purchases made on or after December 4 get the normal 60 days.
The extension does not cover activatable devices or AppleCare+ plans sold with a third-party contract, and it does not cover holiday decorations (those stay at 15 days). Best Buy’s Holiday Price Match Guarantee runs alongside it: if Best Buy lowers its own price on an eligible new item you bought between Oct. 30 and Dec. 31, you can ask for the lower price through January 15. That holiday match covers Best Buy’s own prices only, not competitors’.
How to return something to Best Buy (step by step)
- Check your window. Log in to your Best Buy account and find the order. Note the date you received it and whether you’re a Plus or Total member.
- Check the category. Phones, drones, cameras, projectors, appliances and large TVs have special rules (see below).
- Pack everything. Include the box, accessories, manuals and any free items. Missing major contents can get a return denied.
- Return in store, or ship it back. In store, bring the receipt or packing slip and the credit card you paid with for faster processing. To ship, print the free prepaid FedEx label from your order and drop the package at an authorized location before your window ends.
- Wait for the refund. Refunds go back to the original payment method. Mailed returns are processed within 7–10 business days, and your bank may take up to 10 more days to post it.
A few refund exceptions: cash payments over $800, and check or debit payments over $250 without a major credit card logo, are refunded by check within 10 business days. Purchases paid with a Best Buy gift card are refunded to a new gift card or e-gift card.
Exceptions: phones, appliances, drones and non-returnable items
Activatable devices. Cell phones, cellular tablets, mobile hotspots and cellular wearables have 14 days (Verizon devices have 30 days for all customers). Opened devices carry a $45 restocking fee, except prepaid phones.
15% restocking fee items. Drones, digital cameras, camera lenses, camcorders (including action cameras), golf launch monitors, premium and super scooters, mobility scooters, electric wheelchairs, leg and body recovery systems, projectors, projector screens, premium cold tubs, premium saunas and special-order products. No fee applies if the item is unopened, if you bought it in Alabama, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma or South Carolina, or where the law prohibits it.
Major appliances and big items. For major appliances and anything delivered by truck, call 1-888-BEST BUY (1-888-237-8289) to set up the return. Major appliances, TVs over 50 inches, kegerators and SodaStream makers can’t be returned by shipping.
Never returnable: custom or personalized orders, Final Sale items, digital content, codes and prepaid cards, memberships, trading cards, products with 300+ watt-hour capacity, golf carts, UTVs, e-bikes, e-mopeds and plumbing items.
Not returnable once opened: products that contact bodily fluids, SIM kits, LEGO products, consumables such as batteries, fuel and ink, and completed services. Opened movies, music, games and software bought from Best Buy can only be exchanged for the identical item; opened physical entertainment from Marketplace sellers can’t be returned.
No receipt, ID and Marketplace returns
No receipt: Best Buy says returns without proof of purchase may be limited or denied, may be given as store credit, and won’t include sales tax or fee reimbursement. If you ordered online or used your account in store, the order lookup in your account usually serves as your proof.
ID: the official policy page we checked does not spell out an ID requirement. It asks you to bring the receipt or packing slip and the card used for the purchase.
Marketplace items: these follow the standard policy unless noted. Many can be returned at a Best Buy store, where Best Buy handles the refund and ships the item to the seller. Prepaid labels for Marketplace items go to the seller, not to Best Buy.
Other ways to save (and price match after you buy)
If the price drops after you buy, you don’t need to return the item. Best Buy’s Price Match Guarantee says it will match its own lower in-store, online or app price during your return and exchange period, upon request. It also matches the current price of qualified online and local competitors on identical new, in-stock items, but not Marketplace, clearance, open-box or refurbished items, membership-only pricing, or competitor sales from the Thursday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after.
Tips and common mistakes
- Don’t assume you have 60 days. Only paid Plus and Total members do, and never on Marketplace items or phones.
- Keep the box until you’re sure. On drones, cameras and projectors, opening the box is what triggers the 15% fee in most states.
- Ship early. For mail returns, the package must be dropped off within the return period.
- Ask for a price adjustment instead of returning and rebuying if Best Buy lowers the price during your window.
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Frequently asked questions
How many days do you have to return something to Best Buy?
Most products can be returned within 15 days of the day you receive them. Paid My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members get 60 days on most products (not Marketplace purchases). Activatable devices like phones have 14 days for everyone, or 30 days for Verizon devices.
What is Best Buy’s holiday return policy for 2026?
Most items bought from October 30 through December 31, 2026 can be returned until January 15, 2027. Plus and Total members who buy between October 30 and December 3 have until January 31, 2027. Activatable devices and AppleCare+ plans sold with a third-party contract, and holiday decorations, are excluded.
Does Best Buy charge a restocking fee?
Only on some opened items: $45 on activatable devices (not prepaid phones) and 15% on items such as drones, digital cameras, lenses, camcorders, projectors and special orders. There’s no fee on unopened items or on purchases made in AL, CO, HI, IA, MS, OH, OK or SC.
Can I return to Best Buy without a receipt?
Possibly, but Best Buy says returns without proof of purchase may be limited or denied, may be refunded as store credit, and won’t include sales tax. If you bought online or with your account, look up the order in your Best Buy account to use as proof.
Can I return a Best Buy online order by mail?
Yes, for most items. Print the free prepaid FedEx label from your order in your Best Buy account and drop the package off within your return window. Major appliances, TVs over 50 inches, kegerators and SodaStream makers can’t be shipped back.
Sources: Best Buy Return & Exchange Policy, Best Buy Price Match Guarantee (checked November 6, 2026).
CouponVPS is not affiliated with Best Buy. Return windows, fees and exceptions described here are set by Best Buy and may change at any time. Always check Best Buy’s official website or ask your store before making a return.
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