Apple Return Policy: 14 Days, Opened Items, iPhone and Refund Times

Apple’s return policy is short, strict on timing and relaxed on everything else: no restocking fee is listed, opened hardware can go back, and you can return online or in person. The part people get wrong is the clock: it’s 14 days, counted from when you receive the product. Here is how it works for US purchases.

Sources: Apple’s US Returns & Refunds shopping help page, Apple Legal’s “Sales Policies – U.S. Retail Sales” and “Retail Apple Store Purchase Policies” pages, the Apple Education Store sales policy, and Apple Support’s page on Apple Pay refunds (all read on October 3, 2026). None of these pages shows a “last updated” date. Apple’s pages for iPhone Installments terms, wireless carrier activations and any holiday extension didn’t load or didn’t contain details, so those are marked “confirm with Apple.”

Apple return policy: how many days do you have?

Apple’s Returns & Refunds page says: “You have 14 calendar days to return an item from the date you received it.” The retail policy phrases it as returning or exchanging “with a receipt within 14 days of the date you receive the product from Apple.”

Two details matter. First, the clock starts at receipt, not order date. For an online order, that means the delivery date. Second, it’s calendar days, so weekends count. Day 14 is the last day.

Don’t count on a holiday extension. The Apple pages we read describe only the 14-day window and say nothing about seasonal extensions. If you’re buying during the holidays, check the order page or ask Apple at the time of purchase. We couldn’t verify any current extension.

Apple return policy for iPhone

iPhone follows the same 14-day rule as everything else Apple sells in the US. Some iPhone-specific points from the policy pages:

• Wireless service isn’t cancelled for you. Apple says returning an iPhone or iPad “may not automatically cancel or reset your wireless account,” and you remain responsible for your wireless service agreement. Contact your carrier.
• iPhone Upgrade Program. If you return the AppleCare+ portion of your iPhone Upgrade Program purchase, you lose your Upgrade Option.
• Installments. The retail policy refers readers to separate iPhone Installments terms. We couldn’t read those terms, so confirm with Apple how a return affects an installment plan before you return a financed iPhone.
• Security locks. Apple says that if its security features to protect a product against loss or theft were activated and the person in possession can’t disable them, Apple may refuse the return or exchange. Sign out of your Apple Account and turn off device protections before you return it.
• Personalized items. Apple lists engraved iPad or AirPods and custom-configured Macs as items that can’t be exchanged in store. The page we read doesn’t say they’re excluded from returns, so ask before you order engraving.

Apple return policy for opened items

Apple doesn’t require hardware to be sealed. The standard is that the product must be returned “in its original condition with all of its included parts, accessories, and packaging,” and the Apple Store Purchase Policy adds that a refund is issued “provided the return is in its original, undamaged and unmarked condition.” Returned products may require inspection.

Nothing on the pages we read says hardware must be sealed, so opening the box isn’t what disqualifies a return. The condition requirements are what matter:

• Missing parts. Cables, adapters, documentation and the original box should come back.
• Damage or marks. Apple’s retail policy asks for an undamaged and unmarked product.
• Locks you can’t remove. See the security-lock point above.

Software is different. Apple’s page lists “Opened software” as ineligible for return. Electronic software downloads and Software Up-to-Date Program products are also excluded.

What you can’t return to Apple

How to return an Apple product online

1. Sign in to your Order Listing page on apple.com.
2. Select the item and choose the Start a Return link.
3. Confirm the items you’re returning.
4. Select Print Return Label. Apple provides the shipping documents for carrier pickup or drop-off.
5. Pack the item with all included parts and accessories, attach the label and send it before day 14 ends.

How to return Apple products in store

Apple says: “You can always return the item to any U.S. Apple Store. An Apple Specialist will assist you with your return.” If you bought from Apple in the US, you can also take the item to any US Apple Store for an exchange, subject to availability. Bring the product with its parts and packaging and your proof of purchase.

Apple’s retail policy says that if the item is returned with a gift receipt, Apple will offer an Apple Gift Card.

How long does an Apple refund take?

Apple’s policy pages give different clocks for different situations, so here they are side by side:

The five-business-day figure covers when Apple sends the refund to your bank, not when your statement shows it. Banks add their own time on top. The 10-business-day figure is Apple’s outer limit after an approved return. For how to chase a late refund and what to expect from banks, see how long does a refund take.

Exchanges instead of refunds

If you bought from Apple in the US, Apple says you can take the item to any US Apple Store to exchange it, subject to availability. The same 14-day window and the same condition rules apply. Exchanges are also where the personalization limits show up: Apple lists engraved iPad or AirPods and custom-configured Macs as items that can’t be exchanged in store.

Apple’s policy adds that returned products may require inspection, and if the return is approved, a refund or exchange is issued within 10 business days. If you paid partly with your Apple Account balance, Apple says it refunds that portion to the account or, if it can’t, issues an Apple Gift Card.

Checklist before you return an Apple product

1. Confirm the date. Apple counts 14 calendar days from the date you received the item. Use the return deadline calculator if you aren’t sure.
2. Remove locks and accounts. Sign out of your Apple Account and turn off any protection you set up, because Apple may refuse a return it can’t unlock.
3. Gather everything. Product, cables, adapters, paperwork and packaging, since the policy asks for all included parts, accessories and packaging.
4. Handle the wireless plan. If the device has a carrier plan, contact the carrier. Apple says returning it may not cancel or reset the account.
5. Keep proof. Keep the receipt, the return label and the carrier’s drop-off confirmation until the refund lands.

What if you miss the 14 days?

The Apple return pages we read don’t offer a grace period or a late-return option, and we didn’t verify any exception. For a product that fails after the window, ask Apple Support about warranty coverage, which we didn’t research here. If you’re one or two days late, contact Apple before you ship anything, and don’t assume it will make an exception.

Is there a restocking fee?

None of the Apple policy pages we read mention a restocking fee. We can’t promise there is never a deduction, for example for damaged or incomplete returns, but a fee isn’t part of the published terms.

Price drops after you buy

Apple’s retail policy has a price-adjustment line: if Apple reduces the price on an Apple-branded product within 14 calendar days of the date you receive it, you can request a refund or credit. We read only that part of the policy, so confirm the details with Apple. General rules for other stores are in the price adjustment policy guide.

Buying Apple products somewhere else

Everything above is for purchases made from Apple in the US. If you bought an iPhone or MacBook from another retailer, that store’s policy decides. Amazon, for example, has its own rules and its own windows; see the Amazon return policy guide, and for another electronics seller the Best Buy return policy.