Costco is famous for its low prices, high-quality products, and excellent customer service, including a generous return policy. It also offers a wide range of gardening products, such as plants, seeds, soil, tools, and fertilizers.

What is Costco return policy?

Costco return policy is considered a risk – free 100% guarantee, if you are not satisfied with the product, Costco will accept your return at any time. There are some return policies that you should know about Costco return policy. 

  • You can return an open item, which means you don’t even need the original boxes or the packages, however, you do need the original parts and the accessories that come with the product. 
  • There is no time limit for the return. You could use your product for a month, and if you are not satisfied with it, you can bring it back to the store and they will happily accept your return, no questions asked. 
  • You can return almost everything at Costco, this includes foods, toys, clothing, furniture, minor appliances, tools and more, just about 99 % of what’s in that warehouse. Costco does track your return history through your membership so if you abuse your return policy they have the right to evict your membership and you’re going to be forced to be shopped at either Sam’s club or BJ’s.
  • No receipt no problem. Just give Costco your membership and they are going to be able to pull up your purchase so that you could return that item real quick.
  • Returns get credited to your original form of payment. If you use a debit card, they might give you a return through a cash card. 
  • You could actually return your Costco membership so the return policy doesn’t just apply to products it could apply to your membership as well.
  • You can return Costco.com purchases at the warehouse. They also refund you your shipping and handle fees.
  • If someone gives you a gift from Costco and you want to return it, you could return it without them being there and needing their membership card. Give that product to Costco and they’ll give you a gift card. 
  • Costco does price matching if you buy a product at Costco and you come back within 30 days and you’ll see that same product at a lower price you could go to customer service and they could price adjust that for you and give you the difference.

Note: One exception is that you have 90 days to return electronics or any major appliances. 

Cigarettes and alcohol can’t be returned. There are a few more procedures needed if you are returning a diamond that weighs more than one carat. The stone’s certification and documentation must be brought; either GIA or IGI will do. You will then receive a Jewelry Credit Memo after it has been authenticated, which could take up to 48 hours.

How to return an item at Costco

There are two ways to return products purchased at Costco: in-store returns or online returns. 

  • Products purchased offline at a store can be returned at the return counter at any Costco warehouse. Just bring the item to any Costco warehouse, and a member of the Member Services Team will be pleased to help. Having the original product packing or receipt is helpful, but it might not be required to process your return.
  • Products ordered online can be returned at a Costco warehouse or through the return request section on Costco.com.
  • Payment methods for returns at Costco: At Costco warehouses and gas stations in the U.S., they accept Visa cards, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, most PIN-based debit/ATM cards, Apple Pay, and Costco Shop Cards. On Costco.com, they also accept MasterCard in addition to these cards.

*There are restrictions. For further details, visit Costco.com or the membership counter.

FAQs

Can Costco ban you for too many returns?

According to a Business Insider report, Costco members can be flagged if they make too many returns. More importantly, Costco can revoke your membership indefinitely if they believe you are trying to game their return policy.

How many returns does Costco allow?

According to The Motley Fool, regular Costco shoppers generally don’t need to worry about returning items in-store. Even if you return a few items each month and it’s a small percentage of your overall purchases, as long as your returns are legitimate, the store will accept them without revoking your membership.

How long does it take to get a refund?

Costco doesn’t give an exact refund timeframe, but expect it to take 3-7 business days after returning the item in-store. Before plan the trip to shop at Costco, you should know about the opening and closing hours of Costco stores.

Online orders might take a bit longer. The wait depends on your bank’s processing speed as well. For your website, mention the 3-7 day estimate and advise readers to check their bank statements or contact Costco if the refund seems to be delayed.

Are Costco returns free?

Items returned through Costco.com will be refunded – including shipping and handling fees – and will be credited to the credit card used to place your order. You will not be charged for return shipping. Select items may require additional processing time before a refund is issued.

Why does Costco take all returns?

With this focus on small business owners and the general money-saving public, Costco knew that it would need a return policy that ensured maximum satisfaction to the customer, so whether you’re wondering about the Costco return policy time limit or something more specific like Costco’s mattress return policy, read on to learn all about how returns work at this beloved retail giant.

What happens if you get caught using someone else’s Costco membership?

“We don’t feel it’s right for non-members to receive the same benefits and prices as our members.” Those who cannot prove valid membership will not be able to complete their purchases, and those caught without a card at the door will be denied entry to the store.