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 anywhere…until now that is.
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.
Still Have Hope If You Lost Your Receipt
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.
PRO TIP: WHAT DOES “RETURN VALUE” MEAN ON A RECEIPT
Have you ever had a Walgreens receipt that said “Return Value” right below the item?
Turns out it’s the dollar amount you’d be credited if you decided to return the item.
For example, let’s say you bought toothpaste that was “Buy 1, get 1 free” and it costs $6. You can’t expect to return one for $6 and get to keep the other tube for free.
The “Return Value” on the receipt for each tube of toothpaste is going to say $3.
See Also: CVS Return Policy: 10 Things You Gotta Know
Walgreens May Require You to Show I.D.
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.
Items Can Be Unopened Upon Return
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.
You Can Also 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.
There Are Some Exceptions to the 30 Days
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.
– Walgreens Photo Center – 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.
How To Return Stuff You 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
Returning Electronics Is a Different Story
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’ve been hit hard with fraudulent returns when it comes to their very limited supply of electronics products.
Walgreens Can’t Look Up Your 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)
I tried to return items to WALGREENS without receipt cause it was bought for me. It was purchased without using a rewards card. I just wanted a instore credit card. I was told they wouldn’t do it. A Caucasian person came in and return items with no questions or problems!!
Well I just tried to return an item and the cashier was black and he said NO to this white man. In fact he lied and said no receipt no returns and thats how it’s been as long as he worked there.
It’s not about race Mac in most cases but poor customer service.
They made an error on my script of gabapentin, but I’ve taken a few of them then realized they weren’t the right milligram, I called and they said to bring them back…. But if I’ve already taken some, how can they accept them back?
Because they destroy them.
i don’t get a receipt anymore as I accidentally hit some thing , now I want my receipt how do I get it. No one who works at Walgreens know how help me get back my receipt
You are probably getting them sent to your email. Check your email.
You must change settings in the Walgreens app or I believe Walgreens.com can do it too I think.
Are you not receiving a paper receipt after purchase ex. nothing from the cashier after purchase? Or do you mean you don’t see a receipt online in your Walgreens App?
You can ask cashier to update your balance reward card info and select paper receipt option for you.
What about, I have the original receipt and Walgreens is requesting phone number to my rewards acct: they refused to give me a refund because I don’t have the number.
Go to a different Walgreens store I return items with balance rewards when I don’t have the number all the time, sometimes they refuse but usually if it’s cash or if u have the debit card used they won’t, when it is refused I just go to a different store or employee….also anything over $50 requires a managers approval and a manager will want to have the number match
Let me help—if it says at the managers discretion…that means you CANT return it.
Do they track your returns if you do return things with receipt? I tend to do it a little too much especially with walgreen but not with other retailers.
They can look up receipt with club reward card. Look up phone # then use debit or credit card to veiw receipt.
Try and get cash cause if they put back on card could take 1 week to show up.
I was visiting my elderly father in Tennessee and purchased a bottle of cod liver oil one day prior to my departure and realized he uses castor oil instead. I brought it home with me to my home state and figured since I had the receipt it would not be an issue. I attempted to return it and was told by the clerk that I must return it to the store in which I purchased it from. Is this Walgreens policy?
This isn’t a policy. You can return it at any Walgreens as long as you have a receipt. The only exception is if you lost your receipt and they have to look it up with your card or number it has to be from that store
Walgreens is getting harder to return without receipts because the employees are haters. They hate their job and the customers. Especially the clearance items they put out. I won’t go to 1 Walgreens due to the kid that lies and says they don’t ever return without a receipt. I could’ve pressed the issue but I was in civilian clothing. Next time I’ll wear my work uniform. That should do the trick with showing them the store policy online.
Don’t take no folks!
I Purchased a gift card to a restaurant from Walgreens while I was standing in line to pay for it the woman behind me told me the store was no longer open in Oklahoma the man had just handed me my receipt at that point I said I don’t want this card I’ll take this one instead and he said sorry no returns and I said I don’t really wanna return it can you just gonna get this one instead of that one it’s no longer in Oklahoma they refused I asked how they could sell a card for a restaurant it wasn’t even in the state they said they were not responsible for the cards and there was nothing they could do I took it to a different Walgreens that manager told me all they had to do was fill out a form to the company and they would reimburse me the manager at the first store refused to do anything!
It’s a whole process with having to call a specific number and having the card deactivated and then calling corporate and getting permission for reimbursement. They can’t do anything in store and all gift cards say on the back that they are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
I returned something but i still don’t see the money back on my varo card it’s been 2 days
We bought 2 at home Covid tests from Walgreens last night. They are not opened and we wish to return them with the receipt. We did not realize that an in- store test was not covered by Medicare.
I spoke with a pharmacist this AM. They said that there is a no return policy on these tests. Is this true for all Walgreens stores??
Yes I believe that is the case, you cannot return Covid-19 tests to Walgreens.
I bought 2 at home covid test I tried to return it the same day at the same Walgreens and a different one and they don’t do any returns but their employees don’t saying anything nor the box or receipt
Since rapid tests are still covered/reimbursed by insurance, Walgreens cannot accept the return. It’s a case of potential “double dipping”, if you will. They only do exchanges if they’re damaged/defective, at managers discretion. They’re not allowed to advertise this policy.
Tried to return 2 jars of Walgreens brand dry laxative that were bought the same day that smelled like glue with my reciept. Was told they need my ID.WTF??? It happened to be expired which caused all sorts of problems. Casheir pushed it thru anyway but really …an ID? I had the reciept. Will think twice again before i spend any more money there anymore. I am getting quiet tired of there tricks with the stupid coupons and mandatory phone numbers. Waaaay too much trouble to buy anything there. Push my buttons any further and I won’t be useing your pharmacy.I got rid onf CVS I will do the same with you.Wallgreens, R U listening?????????????????????????
My walgreens will profile the customer and only gives store credit with our without a receipt unless you really make a scene. It’s unbelievable how they try to hold you hostage! Tried to make me pay for my soda that I walked in with but they don’t even sell because I wore sweat pants?!? Same soda, same staff, different day and never dressed down in there again, no problems since. It’s a drugstore not a fancy restaurant for crying out loud and I don’t live in a great area overall. Just average…
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.