Costco Return Policy: No Deadline on Most Items, 90 Days on Electronics

Costco’s return policy is built the opposite way from almost every other retailer’s: the default has no deadline, and the exceptions are where the clock appears. Costco’s policy page, read October 10, 2026, calls it a “Risk-Free 100% Satisfaction Guarantee” and promises to “refund your purchase price” on every product it sells, “with the following exceptions.” The first exception is the one that matters for big purchases: televisions, projectors, major appliances, computers, tablets, wearables, cameras, drones and phones must come back within 90 days of the date you received them. Below that sit a short list of things that can never be refunded, and separate routes for diamonds, eyeglasses, contact lenses and freight deliveries. This guide sets out every rule on Costco’s pages, how online and freight returns actually run, and what the policy does not say. The same rules set against Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy are in our return windows comparison.

The quick answer

Most merchandise: no stated deadline. “We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell, and will refund your purchase price*, with the following exceptions:”
90 days from receipt: TVs, projectors, major appliances, computers, touchscreen tablets, smart wearables, cameras, drones, camcorders, MP3 players and cellular phones; also recreational carts ordered online
Never refundable: airline and live performance event items, precious metals, Costco Shop Cards, gift cards and tickets, and custom special-order or custom-installed products
Where prohibited by law: no returns on cigarettes or alcohol
Diamonds of 1.00 carat or more: bring the IGI or GIA paperwork, get a Jewelry Credit Memo, and a Costco gemologist checks authenticity within 48 hours
Online orders: return to any warehouse “For an immediate refund, including shipping and handling fees,” or start a return on Costco.com for a label “within the hour” or a pickup
Membership: “We will cancel and refund your membership fee at any time if you are dissatisfied.”

Key facts at a glance

Category	Rule on Costco’s pages
General merchandise	Satisfaction guaranteed, purchase price refunded, no deadline stated
Electronics and major appliances	90 days from the date received
Phones	90 days, and “return details will vary by carrier service contract”
Diamonds 1.00 ct and up	Original IGI or GIA certificates required; credit memo, then a 48-hour authenticity check
Tires and batteries	May carry a product-specific limited warranty instead
Custom special orders, custom installed	Not returnable except warranty repair or replacement for failing specifications
Airline, live events, tickets, gift cards, Shop Cards, precious metals	Non-refundable
Cigarettes and alcohol	No returns where prohibited by law
Contact lenses, eyeglasses, hearing aids	Through the Optical Department or Hearing Aid Center, not the returns counter
Freight-delivered items	Carrier picks up the way it delivered; refund once the item is in transit

From Costco’s customer service pages, read October 10, 2026. The guarantee carries a footnote: “Limitations apply. See the membership counter or Costco.com for details.”

The guarantee, and what it covers

Costco’s return policy page splits the guarantee in two. “On Membership: We will cancel and refund your membership fee at any time if you are dissatisfied.” “On Merchandise: We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell, and will refund your purchase price*, with the following exceptions:”. The asterisk leads to “Limitations apply. See the membership counter or Costco.com for details.”

Two things are missing from that page on purpose. There is no general number of days, and there is no mention of a receipt. Everything below is an exception carved out of a guarantee that otherwise has neither.

The 90-day list: electronics and major appliances

The exception that catches most people says Costco “will accept returns within 90 days (from the date the member received the merchandise)” for televisions, projectors, major appliances, computers, touchscreen tablets, smart wearable devices, cameras, drones, camcorders, MP3 players and cellular phones. Major appliances are defined as refrigerators above 10 cubic feet, freezers, ranges, cooktops, over-the-range and under-counter microwaves, range hoods, dishwashers, water heaters, washers and dryers, and for phones “return details will vary by carrier service contract.”

Three details in that sentence are easy to miss. The clock runs from the day you received the item, not the day you paid. A refrigerator counts as a major appliance only above 10 cubic feet, so a small one falls back under the open guarantee. And phones carry an extra condition from the carrier contract. For the items on this list, Costco adds that its “Technical & Warranty Services representatives are available to assist with technical support and warranty information.”

The only other dated rule is for recreational carts bought online: 90 days from receipt, with instructions on the product page.

What can never come back

The non-refundable list is short and specific. “Airline and Live Performance Event items are non-refundable.” “Precious metals are non-refundable.” “Shop Cards are non-refundable.” “Gift Card and Ticket items are non-refundable.” Custom work is excluded too: products “manufactured to our member’s personal and unique specifications cannot be returned or refunded, except for warranty repair/replacement due to failure to meet specifications.” And “Costco does not accept returns on cigarettes or alcohol where prohibited by law,” which makes that rule depend on your state.

Tires and batteries sit in between: “Products with a limited useful life expectancy, such as tires and batteries, may be sold with a product-specific limited warranty,” which replaces the open guarantee with the warranty’s terms.

Diamonds, glasses, contacts and hearing aids

Four categories go to a specialist counter rather than returns. For diamonds, “Members returning a diamond over 1.00ct must also present all original paperwork (IGI and/or GIA certificates) at which time they will receive a Jewelry Credit Memo. Within 48 hours, our Costco Graduate Gemologist will inspect for authenticity.” The refund waits for that check.

Prescription eyeglasses, per Costco’s eyeglasses FAQ, can go back “to the Optical Department in your local Costco Warehouse for a repair, replacement, or refund,” for any reason. Contact lenses ordered online return the same way: “simply return your order to the Optical Department of any Costco location. There’s no need to wait in the general returns line at the warehouse.” Hearing aids go to the Hearing Aid Center in the warehouse.

Online orders: warehouse for speed, Costco.com for a label

Costco’s online return page offers two routes. The fast one is the warehouse: “For an immediate refund, including shipping and handling fees, return your purchase to any Costco warehouse.” Payment types differ between online and warehouse, so “If possible, the refund will be placed on the card used for the purchase.”

The second route is online: sign in, open Orders & Returns, and choose Return or Replace Items next to the order. Then “Receive your return label within the hour* or schedule a pickup (where eligible). For large items, you will be sent an email with additional instructions.” The asterisk covers slower categories: “Items such as food (including pet products), high-end jewelry, floral products, and paper products may require additional processing time.”

The money comes back whole: “Items returned through Costco.com will be refunded** - including shipping and handling fees - and will be credited to the original payment method used to place your order. You won’t be charged for the return shipping.” Costco lists the accepted reasons, from “You are dissatisfied with the item” and “You purchased it by mistake” through damaged, incorrect, duplicate, refused, missing and lost shipments, with a missing item eligible for replacement only.

Warehouse purchases have one route: “Products purchased at a Costco location need to be returned at the returns counter at any Costco warehouse.”

Freight deliveries: the carrier comes back for it

Large items delivered by freight follow Costco’s freight return page: “it will be picked up the same way it was delivered (Curbside or Threshold or White Glove).” Special Order Kiosk, Custom Installed Programs and warehouse special event purchases are excluded from freight pickup. Timing: “the carrier will contact you within 5-7 business days using the phone number listed on your order,” and the refund is processed “Once we have confirmed the order is picked up and in transit,” followed by a confirmation email and a few business days for the bank.

Where the pages are silent or need a second look

No receipt rule is written. The policy page does not mention receipts or proof of purchase at all. It also does not say how a warehouse return is matched to a purchase; that is handled at the counter, not on the page.

“Limitations apply” is not spelled out. The footnote on the merchandise guarantee points to the membership counter or Costco.com without listing the limitations.

Refund timing for warehouse returns of online orders. The page says the warehouse refund is immediate but that accepted payment methods differ, so the refund may not land on the original card in every case.

Membership refunds and the 2% Reward. The guarantee refunds the fee “at any time,” and the Executive tier’s reward is deducted from that refund; the arithmetic is in our Costco membership cost guide, and the steps in our Costco cancellation guide.

Carrier contracts on phones. Costco says phone return details “will vary by carrier service contract,” so the 90 days may be shorter in practice depending on the carrier’s terms.

Before you return

This is a sequence of checks, not a recommendation:

Is it on the 90-day list? TVs, projectors, major appliances over 10 cubic feet, computers, tablets, wearables, cameras, drones, camcorders, MP3 players, phones. The clock started on delivery
Is it on the never list? Gift cards, Shop Cards, tickets, airline and live event items, precious metals, custom orders
Online order? Decide between warehouse and label. The warehouse refund is immediate and includes shipping; the Costco.com label arrives within the hour
Freight item? Expect a call within 5 to 7 business days. The refund follows pickup, not the request
Diamond over a carat? Bring the certificates. The refund waits for a 48-hour authenticity check
Glasses, contacts, hearing aids go to their own counters. Not the returns line

Quick answers to what people search

How long do you have to return something to Costco? For most merchandise, Costco’s policy sets no time limit under its satisfaction guarantee. Electronics and major appliances must be returned within 90 days of the date you received them.

Can you return anything to Costco? Not quite. Gift cards, Shop Cards, tickets, airline and live event items, precious metals and custom special orders are non-refundable, and cigarettes and alcohol cannot be returned where state law prohibits it.

What is Costco’s return policy on electronics? 90 days from receipt for TVs, projectors, major appliances, computers, tablets, wearables, cameras, drones, camcorders, MP3 players and phones.

Can I return a Costco.com order to the warehouse? Yes. Costco says returning an online purchase to any warehouse gets “an immediate refund, including shipping and handling fees.”

Does Costco refund shipping on returns? For online returns, yes: refunds include shipping and handling fees, and you are not charged for return shipping.

How are large freight items returned to Costco? The carrier that delivered it picks it up the same way, after contacting you within 5 to 7 business days, and the refund is processed once the item is in transit.

Can I return my Costco membership? Yes. “We will cancel and refund your membership fee at any time if you are dissatisfied.”

Do you need a receipt to return at Costco? Costco’s policy page does not mention a receipt requirement; it does not describe how purchases are verified at the counter.

Bottom line

As of October 10, 2026, Costco refunds the purchase price of most merchandise with no deadline on the page, reserves a 90-day window from delivery for electronics, computers, phones and major appliances, and never refunds gift cards, Shop Cards, tickets, event and airline items, precious metals or custom orders. Online orders can go back to any warehouse for an immediate refund that includes shipping, or through Costco.com with a label within the hour, and freight items are collected by the carrier that delivered them.

Rules and quotations from Costco’s customer service pages on its return policy, online returns, freight returns, prescription eyeglasses and contact lens orders, read October 10, 2026. Costco’s pages are the authority and may change, and they note that limitations apply. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.