Amazon has updated its return policy for the holiday season, and now shoppers will have an extended time period to return products.
Typically, Amazon lets you return items for a refund or replacement/exchange within 30 days of delivery as long as the item is in original or unused condition. However, for the 2025 holiday seas on, most items purchased between November 1 and December 31, 2025 can be returned through January 31, 2026.
Why It Matters
Many shoppers use Amazon to make gift purchases for friends and family. Because many people won’t open their gifts until the day of Christmas or after, Amazon is adjusting its policy to allow for greater flexibility.
What To Know
Under Amazon’s normal return policy, items can be returned for either a refund or replacement within 30 days of delivery.
However, that timeline is getting longer during the holiday season as many people won’t open their gifts until December 25.
To accommodate for the holidays, items purchased between November 1 and December 31 can be returned through January 31, 2026.
This doesn’t include Apple-branded products. Those, when purchased between November 1 and December 31, 2025, can be returned through January 15, 2026.
The timeline to receive your refund will depend on the method you choose.
If you just wish to earn an Amazon.com gift card balance, the process takes only two to three hours. Credit card refunds take between three to five business days, and debit cards could take up to 10.
Keep in mind that some products on Amazon cannot be returned under the company’s policy.
This includes:
- Perishables
- Products that may pose potential health and safety risks once sold.
- Products with shipping restrictions
- Customized products made specifically for you.
- Redeemable products
- Amazon Pharmacy products
- Pet medication products
- Certain digital products
- Automobiles
Newsweek reached out to Amazon for comment via email.
What People Are Saying
Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: “Amazon has taken some hits in the press lately: everything from a $1.5 billion settlement over improper Prime enrollments to laying off thousands of workers. To me, this feels like an attempt to shift the narrative and push out more favorable news. In the current environment, extending the return window is a strategic move to drive more volume and recapture market share.”
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “Amazon’s policy is straightforward: most items purchased from November 1 through December 31 qualify for free returns and exchanges through January 31, 2026. For shoppers, it provides additional security that gifting decisions can be changed without having the sense of urgency of having to start a return immediately following the holiday. For Amazon and other retailers that offer this extension, the refund policy not only builds brand loyalty, but also helps them spread returns over a longer period of time and not be swamped with items and customers in the days following a holiday.”
What Happens Next
Because of the high volume of sales Amazon experiences during the holiday season, the updated return policy could boost loyalty among shoppers, Thompson said.
“This time of year is high-volume, and a more generous return policy is a strategic way to attract buyers and rebuild loyalty,” Thompson said. “I see it as a positive as many shoppers will choose Amazon specifically because the return process is easier and more lenient compared to other retailers.”