Walgreens Return Policy: Here’s Exactly How It Works
The return policy at Walgreens is actually pretty darn lenient in my opinion. While there are quite a few policy exceptions, and a couple return oddities, overall it’s solid. But like any return policy, there are questions that arise that you won’t find answers to on the retailer’s website. Thus the idea for this article was born. Here are the answers to all your burning Walgreens return questions.
How Many Return Days Does Walgreens Allow?
30 days.
You can return or exchange items to ANY Walgreens for up to 30 days after purchase.
Bring in your receipt and have the item in the original packaging for a quick & easy return.
What If I Lost My Receipt?
Not all hope is lost.
Without the original receipt you’ll get store credit for the lowest advertised price of the item in the past 60 days.
Be prepared to show a valid photo ID as they use the information to track your returns and can decline your return if they think you’re abusing their policy.
Store credit will be in the form a W Card which is essentially a Walgreens gift card.
See Also: CVS Return Policy: 10 Things You Gotta Know
Does Walgreens Now Require You to Show I.D.?
Yes and No.
Via several comments from Walgreens employees, I’ve been told they’ve changed their policy in recent months due to return policy fraud.
If your return is over $20 they’ll ask for your I.D., if it’s under $20 they won’t.
The employee actually said the best way to avoid this is to return 1 item at a time if making multiple returns that total over $20.
Obviously this is not possible in all situations, but worth noting if you’re not comfortable showing your drivers license.
Do Items Need to Be Unopened?
No.
You can return items that have opened, even if you lost the original box or packaging.
Just make sure it’s within 30 days and you have your receipt.
Can I Return Gifts Without a Receipt?
If you were given a gift from Walgreens and the giver didn’t include a receipt you CAN still return it.
Just bring it back in and explain the situation.
You’ll be given store credit via a gift card for the lowest price of the item in the past 60 days.
Are There Any Exceptions to the 30 Days?
Yes, there are several return policy exceptions to be aware of.
– Gift Cards, Pre-Paid Cards, Phone Cards: These cannot be returned or exchanged.
– Pharmacy Items: By law, Walgreens cannot accept returns on prescription drugs UNLESS they made an error. Call them at 1-877-250-5823 and explain the error.
– Contact Lenses: They will accept contact lens returns ONLY if they sent the wrong lenses, the lenses are damaged or defective, or if you ordered an incorrect prescription.
– Birchbox BYOB (Build Your Own Box): These are non-returnable.
– Sexual Wellness Products: These cannot be returned.
– Seasonal Products: While usually non-returnable, it is often left up to the discretion of the store manager.
– Tobacco & Alcohol Products: Varies from store to store but for the most part these products must be UNOPENED and can only be exchanged for like items.
What About Returning Stuff I Bought Online?
You can either return items by mailing them back or taking them to ANY Walgreens location.
The same 30-day policy exists for online purchases as it does for in-store purchases.
To print your return label visit this page and follow the instructions.
The best part is that Walgreens pays the return shipping charges. I verified this with Walgreens personally.
See Also: Target Return Policy: Brilliant Hacks to Make It Work For You
Can I Return Photos to Walgreens?
YES.
Walgreens has a 100% satisfaction guaranteed policy so if you’re not happy with your digital photos or photo prints simply bring them back for a FULL refund.
Can I Return Electronics to Walgreens?
According to the Walgreens website, “Returns for electronics are handled at the discretion of the store manager, usually in the form of a Walgreens gift card.”
They must have had some trouble with fraudulent returns when it comes to their very limited supply of electronics products.
Can Walgreens Look Up My Receipt?
They cannot look up your in-store purchases.
But you can look up your online purchase and print out a copy of your receipt.
Just visit your account page at Walgreens.com, hover over Your Account and select Product Orders.
Next, click on the order number of the receipt that you would like to print out.
Ask the Reader: What has been your experience with the Walgreens return policy?
Happy returns.
By Kyle James
Photo credit to Mike Mozart.
I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)
Neighbor bought a home DNA KIT from walgreens through doordash yesterday. They tried to take it back today even though they had 2 receipts one in hand and one on their phone. The manager at first wouldn’t return it because he said the credit card numbers didn’t match ( and they wouldn’t because the red card for dasher is different from the purchasers credit card) as for me personally being a dasher that’s why we give the customer a paper receipt so that if something is wrong they can return it themselves. But anyway they then told her she had to take it back to the walgreens she bought it from which she didn’t know where it was bought per doordasher until today which was farther than she could go to return it. The manager of the store doordash purchased it from told the manager of the store she was in told him to give her in store credit. Even though she had her receipts. That’s crazy!!!
That was hard to follow.
I followed it just fine. Good to know!
Thank you, author!
Super easy to understand article, much appreciated! 🙂
I just bought Plush toys a few days ago from Walgreens and wanted to return them. I had both receipts and it was less than 30 days. One receipt was 4 days ago and the other was 5 days ago. However, they asked for ID even though I had the receipt. Since identity theft is on the rise, as well as companies selling customer’s personal data, I really don’t like having my personal data recorded. Is this normal for Walgreens to do this? Customers aren’t going to feel comfortable shopping if returns are a hassle.
You’re absolutely right. I just tried to return products I purchased the day before and they could not refund me without a Drivers License ID. I did not provide a DL to buy the product and the cashier remembered me from the day before. So here I am trying to figure how to return the products and I will no longer shop there.
If the return is over $20 it will ask for ID. So to avoid it return one item if you can at a time, or however many to equal less than $20. If an item is over $20 then obviously this won’t work.
I bought a power bank at a Walgreens in San Francisco my phone died and I had a very important emergency phone call I had to make because someone had called me and my phone died in the middle of the conversation now I had to stop and buy another power bank at a different store because the one I had purchased at Walgreens was dead when I bought it so I went to another different Walgreens to return the power bank I had bought and they deny me from returning it telling me that they do not take they do not return power Banks when I read on their online website and the policy says they do it’s under the discretion of the manager now the manager obviously was upset that she had to be pulled out from her lunch break to attend to the return what do you think was this wrong of them
Walgreens store credit is NOT like a gift card. You will NOT be able to use it on certain items, just like reward bucks. No Tobacco.
I don’t see anything related to makeup returns at Walgreens.
Nikki LA Rose is a Makeup Artist in LA with over 100,000 subscribers and in her video “Drugstore Makeup Tutorial” at 6:37 she says don’t let places tell you you can’t return used makeup if it was the wrong color because there’s actually a law that says you can.
U guys think you’ve got horror stories? Well, I take my 60lb dog with me jst about everywhere I go. So on Thx giving a couple yrs ago, I got my cracker barrel & ran n walgreens for soda & laundry detergent. I always walk him when I get done w my “shopping” (unless n huge hurry) rrŕre ff Rhett tree=5sometimes it’s just a 3-5min round about the grassy area surrounding the parking lot, others eit’s a full 20-30min walk n the area. Well, long story still long, lol, I stepped ON A NEEDLE N THEIR PARKING LOT! It hurt like heck.
I screamed bloody murder &admittedly was sent n2 a full fledged panic! I ran n the store (which u have regularly shopped at for YEARS & many of the 2nd shift & all the 3rd shift cashiers know me. This was 2nd shift & I’d never seen them b4. They did NOTHING!! & I MEAN NOTHING. didnt even try to console me.or call a manager or anything. & worst part, I’ve seen several needles since this happened & I always go in & tell them that I can show them where they r so they can pick them up. I’ve personally thrown away 4needles since that happened.
I’ve seen a total of 5! The other 2 I couldn’t get because indidnt have gloves or any way to handle them. Of the other 2 that were there, one was there for at least 4ays later. The other one was there fir almost 3wks b4 it was finally removed. smh
Btw, I’ve been too scared to get tested. I just cant. I know I probably contacted somethinv from that nasty thing. I’ve lost many hours of sleep. Cried. Screamed. Thrown things. It’s been devastating WITHOUT getting tested. I cant imagine getting a positive result for aids or hepatitis c
Unfortunately, from having been in retail management for 25 years, they can’t do anything, because it gives you more opportunity to sue than them doing something. Long story on that one too. What happens if I used a product to protect your foot and your puncture wound got worse because you didn’t see a doctor? You would sue. You could possibly sue for stepping on a needle, but then again, the store is probably renting the property and the suit would be against the landlord.
Any large company will have their employees ignore the situation. If someone got hurt, I would generally leave out first aid supplies without mentioning anything and pretend I never saw anything. However, that is management. You wouldn’t even get that from an hourly. It’s up to the customer to say they need an ambulance. Retail workers can’t treat wounds. How do they know you don’t have hepatitis or aren’t one of those people who makes shite fall off shelves to sue? They don’t.
If you get hurt, call 911, ask someone to call 911, or call a friend. Please don’t run into a retail or eating establishment expecting someone to give you first aid. We aren’t equipped or trained at all. Some folks might not even know what antibiotic ointment is, even when they work at Walgreens. This is why there is college… Lol (All they can do is sell products to you per the corporate office.)
Used needles aren’t returnable… but in all seriousness, what did you expect them to do? Apologize and give you some free Walgreens Cash?
This article is about their return policy. Not sure how your story is relevant to the conversation.
Tried to exchange unopened formula, they wouldn’t let me do anything told me oh well basically
That’s extremely reasonable, in my opinion.