You may have seen social media posts warning about "new" and "sky-rocketing" fees to return unwanted holiday purchases. The truth is, return fees and restocking fees have been around for years, although some of them have recently ticked up a bit. We checked all the fees at major retailers and are bringing you the easiest way to avoid them (or at least most of them).
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Are return fees really new?
If you're reading the posts about "new" return fees of up to $45, know this: not all stores charge return fees, and the ones that do won't actually charge you $45, except in very specific circumstances. Plus, the stores that do charge return fees aren't doing anything new.
In fact, return fees started becoming more common a few years ago, replacing free return shipping as the norm. Processing online returns has become expensive for retailers, especially with many customers buying an item in several sizes and then returning most of them. And stores are dealing with that in a variety of ways. Some are experimenting with just letting customers keep products instead of shipping them back. Others are charging shoppers by taking a chunk out of their refunds when they ship their returns back.
By the end of 2023, about 40% of stores were charging return and restocking fees, according to retail logistics firm Navar. And in 2025, we saw a few of those fees grow. For example, T.J.Maxx and Marshalls' return fees went up this year from $10.99 to $11.99. And Zara's return fee went up from $3.95 to $4.95.
As of December 2025, here are the stores charging return shipping fees:
How to Avoid Fees at Stores That Charge Them
The good news is, there are ways to get around return fees.
1. Return in-store.
This is the easiest way to avoid the majority of return charges. If the store you shopped at has brick-and-mortar locations, just return at the store. All the chains listed above that have physical locations allow you to return at their stores for free, even if you originally bought the item online.
Just know that you can't generally return at a sister brand. For example, you can't return something from Marshalls at T.J.Maxx, or vice-versa. So if you bought something online at Marshalls and don't want to pay the $11.99 return shipping fee, you'll need to go to a Marshalls store.
2. Join the store's rewards program.
Some stores waive return shipping fees for rewards members. For example, Macy's Star Reward members can get free return shipping (even at the free level of membership).
3. Opt for a refund via gift card or store credit.
Some stores will waive the return shipping fee if you agree to accept your refund as store credit (instead of going back to the original form of payment). Abercrombie & Fitch, for example, will waive their usual $7 return fee if you opt to get an eGift card. Lands' End also waives their return fee if you opt for store credit.
When you process your online return, look at all your options and see if the store offers free returns with store credit.
4. Consider getting the store's credit card.
If you frequently shop at a store, it might be worth getting their store card for the perks, which might include free returns. For example, L.L.Bean waives the $6.50 return fee if you've got the L.L.Bean Mastercard.
Stores With FREE Return Shipping
Maybe you don't like making in-store returns. If you want free return shipping, the good news is you've still got options. In fact, plenty of major retailers won't charge you a cent to ship back your returns:
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Amazon (drop off your items, no box or packaging needed, at Kohl's and Whole Foods locations)
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Banana Republic
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Best Buy (most items aside from activatable devices, some camera equipment, and drones)
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Chewy
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Costco
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Gap
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Home Depot
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Lowe's
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Nordstrom
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Old Navy
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Sephora
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Target
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Walmart (some Marketplace items have their own return policies and may come with return shipping fees)
All these stores will either include a free prepaid return shipping label with your purchase or allow you to print one on their online returns portal. You'll just need to drop your box at the post office and wait for your refund.
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