Restocking Fee: Who Charges One and How to Avoid It

By Plain Money Guide · Researched from official sources · Editorial standards

An unopened box, a corporate store, and the return window beat almost every restocking fee.

Most restocking fees disappear if you return the item sealed, inside the return window, and to a corporate store rather than a reseller.

The catch is that no two retailers define "restockable" the same way. Some stores never charge a fee, some charge it only on a short list of categories, and phone carriers charge it on nearly every device return, sealed or not. Below is who charges what, and the specific moves that get the fee waived or refunded.

Table of Contents

• What a Restocking Fee Actually Is
• Which Stores Charge a Restocking Fee
• Phone Carriers Are Where Most People Get Hit
• How to Avoid the Fee
• When You Shouldn't Have to Pay — and How to Push Back
• Special Orders and Custom Items Carry the Biggest Fees
• FAQ
• Which Move Fits Your Return

What a Restocking Fee Actually Is

A restocking fee is money the seller keeps out of your refund to cover the cost of putting a returned item back into sellable inventory — repackaging it, wiping it, or reselling it as open-box at a discount. It is deducted from the refund, so you usually see it as a smaller-than-expected credit rather than a separate charge.

There is no federal law banning restocking fees. Most states regulate them indirectly: retailers must disclose their return policy and any fees before you buy, and a fee generally cannot be applied when the merchandise is defective, when the store shipped the wrong item, or when it never delivered on time. Georgia's Attorney General has a plain-language explainer of that framework in its Consumer Ed answer on restocking fees. Rules differ by state, and you can find your own state's consumer protection office through USA.gov.

Which Stores Charge a Restocking Fee

Fee amounts change — T-Mobile raised its device fees in 2026 — so the table below describes when a fee applies and how it is calculated, not the dollar figure. Check the linked policy for the current amount before you return anything.

Retailer	When a fee applies	How it's calculated
Best Buy	Opened activatable devices (phones, cellular tablets, hotspots, smartwatches) and opened drones, digital cameras, lenses, camcorders, projectors, e-bikes, e-scooters, special orders	Flat fee per activatable device; a percentage of price on the camera/drone categories. Waived if unopened, for paid-membership tiers, and in states that restrict the fee
Verizon	Nearly any wireless device return or exchange	Flat per-device fee plus tax (Hawaii excluded)
T-Mobile	New device returns and exchanges inside the return window	Tiered by the device's full retail price — cheaper phones, smaller fee
AT&T	In-store purchases; online orders picked up in store and returned to a non-corporate location	Flat fee; waived on orders placed online and returned within the window (in-store pickup must go back to a company-owned store)
Amazon	Items returned outside the return window, or used, damaged, or materially different from what shipped	Percentage of the item price, set by condition; in-policy returns in original condition are not fee-eligible
Newegg	Opened returns for "personal reasons" in select categories (graphics cards, motherboards, drives, TVs, projectors)	Percentage of price; items badged for hassle-free returns are exempt
GameStop	Opened consoles and hardware (opened games generally aren't returnable at all)	Percentage of price; unopened returns are fee-free
Home Depot	Special orders — returns and cancellations alike	Percentage of price, higher on made-to-order items like custom cabinetry
Lowe's	Special-order configured products canceled or returned after a short grace period from purchase	Percentage of price
Walmart, Target, Costco, Apple	No standard restocking fee on consumer returns	—

Phone Carriers Are Where Most People Get Hit

Carrier restocking fees are the ones shoppers most often don't see coming, because they apply even to a phone you barely touched. Two details matter more than the fee itself:

• The window is tight. Carrier device returns typically run on a two-week clock from purchase, sometimes measured from the ship date instead, and Verizon runs longer than the others. Past the window there is no return at all — the fee becomes moot because you keep the phone.
• Where you bought it decides the fee. AT&T waives the restocking fee on orders placed online and returned within the window, and third-party retailers (mall kiosks, big-box carrier counters, authorized dealers) often set their own fees on top of the carrier's. A dealer's fee is the dealer's policy, so ask before you sign.

Also return the full box — cable, adapter, SIM tray tool, everything. Missing accessories can turn a fee-eligible return into a rejected one.

How to Avoid the Fee

1. Don't break the seal until you're sure. At most retailers, "unopened" is the single line between a full refund and a deducted fee. If you're undecided, wait.
2. Exchange instead of returning. A swap for a different model or size is often processed without the fee where a refund would trigger it. Ask which one the register codes as.
3. Buy from a store that doesn't charge one. If you expect to be on the fence, Costco, Apple, Walmart, and Target don't apply restocking fees to ordinary consumer returns.
4. Return to a company-owned location. Corporate stores follow the corporate policy; authorized dealers and marketplace sellers don't have to.
5. Check whether your membership exempts you. Best Buy's paid membership tiers are exempt from its restocking fees, which can outweigh the membership cost on a single phone return.
6. Ask about your state. Some retailers, Best Buy included, list states where they don't charge the fee at all. It's in the written policy.

When You Shouldn't Have to Pay — and How to Push Back

A restocking fee is generally off the table if the item arrived defective, the seller shipped the wrong thing, delivery blew past the promised date, or the fee was never disclosed before you paid. That last one is the most common winning argument: if the fee wasn't posted at the register, on the product page, or on your receipt, say so directly.

Work it in this order:

• At the counter, state the reason as "defective" or "wrong item" if that's accurate, and ask a manager for the override. Front-line staff often can't remove the fee; managers usually can.
• Escalate in writing to corporate customer service with the order number, the return receipt showing the deduction, and one sentence on why the fee doesn't apply.
• Dispute the difference with your card issuer if the store refuses and the fee wasn't disclosed. You dispute the unrefunded portion, not the whole purchase. The CFPB explains billing-error rights, and you can file a complaint at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.
• File with your state consumer protection office for undisclosed-fee cases, since disclosure is a state-law issue. Start from the USA.gov directory.

Special Orders and Custom Items Carry the Biggest Fees

The largest restocking fees in retail aren't on electronics — they're on anything built or ordered for you specifically: cabinets, countertops, made-to-measure blinds, appliances in a non-stock finish, special-order flooring. These fees are a percentage of the total, so on a kitchen order the dollar amount can be substantial, and they often apply to cancellations, not just returns.

Two things protect you here. First, there's usually a short cancellation grace period after purchase — Lowe's measures it in hours, not days — during which you can cancel a configured special order without the fee. Second, fully custom items (a configured vanity, a cut countertop) are frequently marked final sale with no return at all. Read the special-order paperwork before you sign, and get the cancellation deadline in writing on the order.

FAQ

Can a store charge a restocking fee on a defective item?

Generally no. State rules that address restocking fees typically bar them on defective merchandise, wrong items, and late deliveries. If the item failed, say the word "defective" when you start the return — how the return is coded determines whether the fee is applied.

Does opening the box always mean a fee?

No. It only matters where the policy ties the fee to opened condition — which covers Best Buy's listed categories, Newegg's select categories, and opened consoles at GameStop. Walmart, Target, Costco, and Apple don't charge restocking fees on standard returns, opened or not. Carriers are the reverse: their device fee can apply whether or not you opened it.

Can I dispute a restocking fee with my credit card?

Yes, for the fee amount specifically, and your strongest case is that the fee was never disclosed before purchase. Try the store's own escalation path first — issuers usually want to see that you contacted the merchant — then file the dispute with your receipt and the store's written policy.

Which Move Fits Your Return

If the box is still sealed and you're inside the window, return it now — unopened is the line between a full refund and a deduction at Best Buy, Newegg, and GameStop, and Walmart, Target, Costco, and Apple don't charge a restocking fee either way.

Buying a phone? Order from AT&T online rather than in store: AT&T waives the fee on orders placed online and returned within the window, while in-store purchases get charged. The trade-off is that the carrier clock runs about two weeks and sometimes starts at the ship date, so slow delivery eats your decision time. Verizon charges on nearly any device return, so there is no route around it — price it in. T-Mobile tiers by full retail price, so the cheaper model carries the smaller downside if you return it.

Buying an activatable device at Best Buy: the paid-membership exemption can outweigh the membership cost on a single phone return, since that fee is flat per device — but only if you actually expect to return it.

Special orders: cancel inside the grace period, which Lowe's measures in hours rather than days. Once it closes, the fee is a percentage of the total, and fully custom items are frequently final sale with no return at all.

Already charged? Push only on real grounds — defective, wrong item, late delivery, or an undisclosed fee. Undisclosed is the strongest, and the one to take to a card dispute, for the unrefunded portion only.

This article is general information, not financial, legal, or medical advice. Rules and amounts change — verify with official sources or a licensed professional before acting.