Major Retailers Charging Shoppers Return Fees of up to $45 for Unwanted Gifts

Most of the return and restocking fees apply to items that are being shipped back via mail.

Shoppers at a mall in Bethesda, Md., on Nov. 28, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

Big retailers across the United States are charging shoppers to return their unwanted holiday gifts and purchases.

Nearly three out of four retailers will make customers pay a restocking or return fee that can be as high as $45 if they ship a product back, according to data reviewed by The Epoch Times and the National Retail Federation.

“Return policies and their overall process have transformed into a strategic touchpoint for retailers, influencing how younger consumers shop from the outset,” David Sobie, cofounder and CEO of Happy Returns, said in the National Retail Federation’s 2025 Retail Returns Landscape report.

​Best Buy charges a $45 restocking fee on opened devices such as smartphones, tablets, and digital wearables, according to Best Buy’s return policy.

The company will separately add a restocking fee of 15 percent of an item’s purchase price for devices such as drones, electric wheelchairs, and premium saunas.

Best Buy does not have a restocking fee in states such as Alabama, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, or South Carolina because of local laws.

“To stay competitive amid rising return rates and behaviors like bracketing, retailers must modernize their reverse logistics to enhance customer satisfaction, reduce fraud and safeguard their operations in today’s high-pressure retail landscape,” Sobie said.

Macy’s will charge shoppers $9.99 plus tax to send back their items if they’re not Stars Rewards members and 15 percent on all products in its lighting department, per its return policy.

T.J. Maxx and Marshalls charge a fee of $11.99 if items are returned by mail.

In-store returns are free at many stores, including Macy’s, T.J. Maxx, and Marshalls.

Retailers that are on the lower end of restocking fees for mail-in items include American Eagle Outfitters ($5), H&M ($3.99), and JCPenney ($8).

Stores such as Lululemon and Target decided not to charge restocking fees during the holidays.

“Free returns, no matter how you do it,” Target promoted on its website.

Walmart generally doesn’t charge a restocking fee, but it stated that “some third-party marketplace sellers may charge a restocking fee up to 20 [percent],” including major appliances and furniture, per the company’s return policy.

Companies surveyed by the National Retail Federation estimated that 15.8 percent of total annual sales would be returned in 2025, 19.3 percent of which would be online sales.