Apple Return Policy
The Bottom Line
You have 14 calendar days from the date you receive the product to return it. Returns must go through Apple directly — items bought from Best Buy, Amazon, or any other retailer must be returned there, not to Apple. The product has to be in original condition with all accessories and packaging included.
How did you get this item?
Key Facts
- Return window
- 14 calendar days from the date you received the item
- Condition required
- Original condition with all accessories and packaging included
- Proof of purchase
- Order is in your Apple Account. Only items purchased directly from Apple (apple.com, Apple Store app, or by phone) are eligible.
- Ineligible items
- Opened software, electronic software downloads, Apple Gift Cards, Apple Developer products (memberships, WWDC tickets)
- Refund method
- Original payment method. Gift Card purchases refunded as Apple Gift Card by email.
- Refund timeline
- Initiated immediately upon receipt; credit/debit card refunds post within 5 business days.
- Price protection
- 14 days from purchase date; contact Apple if the price drops within that window (excludes Black Friday and limited-time sales).
How To
- Sign in to your Order Listing page at apple.com with your Apple Account.
- Select the item you want to return and go to the order details page.
- Click 'Start a Return,' then 'Get Started,' confirm the item, and click 'Initiate Your Return.'
- Print the prepaid return shipping label (and any required hazmat labels). Use the original packaging if returning a computer.
- Schedule a carrier pickup or drop the package at any carrier location. Apple initiates your refund once it receives the item.
Key Facts
- Return window
- 14 calendar days from the date you received the item
- Condition required
- Original condition with all accessories and packaging included
- Proof of purchase
- Receipt or order confirmation. Any U.S. Apple Store accepted, except: 10+ units of the same product must go back to the original store of purchase.
- Ineligible items
- Opened software, electronic software downloads, Apple Gift Cards, Apple Developer products (memberships, WWDC tickets)
- Refund method
- Original payment method. Cash refunds over $750 are mailed as a check within 10 business days.
- Refund timeline
- Processed at time of in-store return.
- Exchanges
- Available in-store subject to inventory. Engraved AirPods, iPads, and custom-configured Macs cannot be exchanged in-store — return only.
How To
- Bring the item, all accessories and packaging, and your receipt or order confirmation to any U.S. Apple Store.
- An Apple Specialist will inspect the item and process the return or exchange.
- Refund is issued immediately to your original payment method. Cash or cash-equivalent refunds over $750 are mailed as a check within 10 business days.
- For a damaged or incorrect item received online, you can also call Apple Customer Service at 1-800-676-2775 instead of going in-store.
Watch Out For
- Third-party retailer purchases cannot be returned to Apple. If you bought your iPhone, Mac, or any Apple product at Best Buy, Amazon, Target, or any other retailer, Apple will not accept the return. You must go back to where you bought it.
- Returning an iPhone or iPad doesn't cancel your wireless service. Returning the hardware doesn't touch your carrier contract. You need to contact your wireless provider separately to cancel or transfer service — Apple is explicit that you remain responsible for any carrier fees.
- Opened software and digital downloads are non-returnable. Physical software that has been installed on a computer cannot be returned. Electronic software downloads and Software Up-to-Date upgrades have no return path regardless of condition.
- Security features can block a return. If Activation Lock or similar security features are enabled and cannot be disabled by the person returning the device, Apple may refuse the return or exchange entirely.
Read the full breakdown
What qualifies for a return
Apple’s standard window is 14 calendar days from receipt — not from purchase, and not from shipping. The clock starts when you have the product in hand. The item must be in its original condition with everything that came in the box: cords, adapters, documentation.
A short list of items is permanently ineligible regardless of condition: opened software (including software that came with a printed license and has a broken seal), electronic software downloads, Software Up-to-Date upgrade products, Apple Gift Cards, and Apple Developer products like memberships and WWDC tickets.
Personalized and custom-configured items
Engraved products — AirPods, iPads with laser engraving — and Macs that were custom-configured at order cannot be exchanged in-store. They can be returned (for a refund), but not swapped for a different model or configuration at a retail location. ZEISS Optical Inserts – Prescription are a special case: they’re custom third-party products and cannot be returned at an Apple Store at all; returns go through Apple directly within 14 days.
Gift returns
Gift recipients use the Gift Returns page (apple.com) with either the product serial number or the order number plus the UPC from the packaging. The refund comes back as an electronic Apple Gift Card, not cash. If you’d prefer a physical Gift Card, you need to call Apple at 1-800-MY-APPLE.
How refunds are issued
Refunds go back to the original payment method. Credit and debit card refunds post within five business days of Apple receiving the item — the bank, not Apple, controls when it shows on your statement. Apple Gift Card purchases are refunded as a new Apple Gift Card by email. Apple Account balance payments are refunded to your balance (or as a Gift Card if your balance is near the maximum).
Price protection
If Apple lowers the price on an Apple-branded product within 14 calendar days of when you received it, you can request a refund of the difference. Contact an Apple Store or Retail Customer Care (1-800-MY-APPLE) within 14 days of the price change. This doesn’t apply to limited-time sales like Black Friday or other promotional events. The cap is 10 units per product.
Puerto Rico
Shipping an item worth more than $2,500 from Puerto Rico back to the continental US requires filing an Export Declaration through ACE (ace.cbp.dhs.gov) before initiating the return. Apple’s returns page has the commodity code lookup link for this step.
What changed
- Initial summary published.