At Lowe’s in the United States, you can return or exchange most new, unused merchandise with a receipt within 90 days of the original purchase date. Major appliances generally have a 48-hour window from delivery or pickup, while liquid paint, electronics, and most outdoor power equipment have a 30-day window. Trees, shrubs, and perennials have a one-year return window with a receipt.
Bring your paper or electronic receipt to the customer service desk. If you lost it, Lowe’s can try to verify the purchase using an order number, the original payment card, or other transaction details. Before heading to the store, check whether your item has a shorter deadline, an unopened-packaging requirement for an extension, or a rule that sends you back to the original purchase location.
Lowe’s Return Policy at a Glance
| Policy Detail | U.S. Rule |
|---|---|
| Standard return window | 90 days from the original purchase date for most new, unused merchandise |
| Proof of purchase | Paper or electronic receipt, or another method Lowe’s can use to verify the transaction |
| Major appliances | Start the return within 48 hours of delivery or pickup, unless a 30-day exception applies |
| Trees, shrubs, and perennials | One year from purchase for a replacement or refund, with a receipt |
| In-store returns | Bring eligible purchases to the customer service desk at a regular U.S. Lowe’s store. Outlet and certain Special Order returns have location restrictions. |
| Mail returns | Available for eligible online purchases when Lowe’s provides a FedEx label |
| Refund method | Usually the original payment method. Gift-card purchases are refunded as in-store credit. |
| Refund timing | Once the return is complete, allow up to 7 business days for funds to reach your account, depending on your financial institution. |
The detailed product and payment exceptions below determine which rule applies to your purchase.
Lowe’s Return Windows by Product Category
The 90-day window starts on the original purchase date. For products in the 48-hour category, Lowe’s detailed policy says to initiate the return within 48 hours of delivery or pickup. Use that delivery or pickup time when calculating the deadline for a major appliance.
| Product Category | Standard Window | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Most new, unused merchandise | 90 days from purchase | Check whether the product falls into an exception below. |
| Major appliances, portable and window air conditioners, evaporative coolers, paint sprayers, tile saws, and construction heating equipment and parts | 48 hours from delivery or pickup | A 30-day exception may apply based on packaging or how you paid. |
| Gas-powered portable generators, pressure washers, chainsaws, and pole saws | 48 hours from delivery or pickup | These products are excluded from the 30-day credit extension. |
| Utility vehicles, golf carts, go-karts, and motorized bikes | 48 hours from delivery or pickup under the standard rule | Return to a Lowe’s store in the original condition with the original paperwork, including the title when applicable. |
| Liquid paint, TVs and electronics, water heaters, HVAC systems, and made-to-measure Special Order window treatments | 30 days from purchase | Special Order configured products can carry a restocking fee. Paint samples are nonrefundable. |
| Most outdoor power equipment, including lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and trimmers | 30 days from purchase | Check whether the item falls into the 48-hour category or the CRAFTSMAN exception. |
| CRAFTSMAN battery-powered and electric outdoor power equipment | 90 days from purchase | The exception applies to those CRAFTSMAN power types. |
| Annuals, houseplants, patio plants, and other plants outside the one-year category | 30 days from purchase | Check the plant type before relying on the one-year window. |
| Trees, shrubs, and perennials | One year from purchase | Bring the receipt for a refund or replacement. |
These windows reflect Lowe’s U.S. retail policy. Outlet purchases and seasonal merchandise have separate rules.
When a 48-Hour Item Qualifies for 30 Days
Lowe’s allows up to 30 days from delivery or pickup for items in the 48-hour category that remain in their original, unopened, undamaged factory packaging. Items sold without packaging can qualify if they remain unused. If you open a refrigerator and decide it does not fit, check your payment method and contact Lowe’s promptly. Opening the box removes the factory-sealed basis for the extension.
Lowe’s also lists a 30-day exception for eligible purchases made with specified Lowe’s credit or commercial accounts, Lowe’s Preload Plus Mastercard, or Lowe’s Lease-to-Own. Gas-powered portable generators, pressure washers, chainsaws, and pole saws are excluded from the 30-day credit extension.
The 365-Day Benefit for Eligible Lowe’s Accounts
Eligible purchases made with a MyLowe’s Rewards Credit Card, MyLowe’s Pro Rewards Credit Card, MyLowe’s Pro Rewards American Express Card, Lowe’s Commercial Account, or Lowe’s Business Rewards may qualify for 365 days from purchase. Product-specific exceptions still apply. The separate 30-day payment exception can apply to eligible major appliances. The purchase must be made with a qualifying account, and Lowe’s Pay financing does not qualify for the credit-card extension.
What to Bring for a Lowe’s Return
Bring the item and its paper or electronic receipt. For an online order, Lowe’s also accepts the return barcode from the Order Details page at the customer service desk. Keep any included parts and accessories together, and preserve the factory seal if you plan to use the unopened-item exception.
Can Lowe’s Look Up a Lost Receipt?
Yes. Lowe’s can attempt to verify a purchase using the order number, the original payment card or digital wallet, the phone number associated with the purchase, or a MyLowe’s Rewards or MyLowe’s Pro Rewards account. Its verification system may ask for a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license, state ID, or military ID. If Lowe’s cannot verify the purchase, it declines the return or exchange.
How to Return an Item to Lowe’s
Return It in Store
Take an eligible store purchase or online order to the customer service desk at a regular U.S. Lowe’s store. Show your receipt, online return barcode, or other verifiable proof of purchase. For an in-store exchange, bring the item you’re returning and the replacement item to the desk. If the purchase was a Special Order configured product or came from a Lowe’s Outlet, check the original-location requirements before you go.
Mail Back an Eligible Online Order
Open Order History and start the return for the item. You can mail it back if Lowe’s provides a FedEx return label. Follow the packing and shipping directions for your order, and keep the tracking number and drop-off receipt until the refund arrives. If there’s no FedEx label, use the in-store route for an eligible purchase.
Ask About Pickup for an Appliance or Oversized Item
Call Lowe’s customer care at 1-800-445-6937 to ask whether your appliance or oversized item qualifies for home pickup. Have the order number and delivery date ready. For an item in the 48-hour category, call within the applicable window so you can initiate the return while you discuss pickup.
Restocking Fees and Original Delivery Charges
A Special Order configured product returned or canceled more than 72 hours after purchase carries a 20% restocking fee. Return the product to the store where you bought it. Some states tax the fee. For installed sales, check the installation contract and any applicable right-to-cancel terms for exceptions.
Lowe’s generally keeps the original shipping or delivery charge unless the return is due to Lowe’s error. Labor and installation charges are also listed as nonrefundable. If your order arrived damaged, incomplete, or incorrect, report the issue to customer care so the return can be handled as an order problem.
How Lowe’s Refunds Your Payment
With valid proof of purchase, Lowe’s generally refunds the original payment method. For refunds credited to an account, allow up to 7 business days after the return is complete, depending on your financial institution. For a mailed return, count from completion of the return rather than the FedEx drop-off date.
| Original Payment | How Lowe’s Handles the Refund |
|---|---|
| Credit or debit card | Generally back to the original payment method |
| Lowe’s gift card, refund card, merchandise card, or in-store credit | In-store credit |
| MyLowe’s Money | MyLowe’s Money in your digital Wallet |
| Lowe’s Pay | Back to the financing institution, which handles the refund with you |
| Check | In-store credit within 3 days of purchase. After 3 days, cash or in-store credit may apply, subject to verification and transaction-specific exceptions. |
Certain cash or check transactions involving scheduled delivery, phone, or online processing can result in an emailed refund voucher. Lowe’s says it sends eligible vouchers within 24 hours of processing. To redeem one for cash, bring photo ID that matches the name on the refund. Lowe’s may mail a check for qualifying refunds over $1,000.
Outlet, Holiday, and Final-Sale Exceptions
Lowe’s Outlet Purchases
Outlet sales are generally final. The exception covers a major appliance with a mechanical or electrical problem that makes it nonfunctional. Return it to the same Outlet within 48 hours of taking possession, with valid proof of purchase. Cosmetic damage, an appliance that does not fit, or damage that occurred after purchase or delivery does not qualify.
Christmas and Halloween Merchandise
Return Christmas and Halloween merchandise by the day of the applicable holiday. Merchandise bought after its holiday is final sale. For example, a Christmas decoration bought at a post-Christmas clearance sale is final sale even if you keep the receipt.
Other Nonrefundable Items
Lowe’s lists as-is merchandise, paint samples, trading cards, safety masks or face coverings, highway trailers, whole-house generators, and gift cards among its nonrefundable items. Products that present a biohazard risk from contact with bodily fluids or waste are ineligible once used.
Marketplace Orders and Third-Party Delivery
Lowe’s lists a 30-day window for most third-party marketplace items, with exclusions. Check the seller and product category in your order details. The policy also says merchandise sold and shipped by third-party sellers follows Lowe’s return guidelines.
For same-day delivery fulfilled through Instacart, DoorDash, Shipt, or Uber, Lowe’s gives separate instructions. Take the item and proof of purchase to a regular Lowe’s retail store. The standard window for these orders is 90 days from purchase, subject to product exceptions. The refund for the item and associated tax is issued as in-store credit.
Damaged, Defective, or Incorrect Items
For a damaged delivery, missing item or part, or the wrong product, call Lowe’s customer care at 1-800-445-6937. Keep your order number, packaging, and any photos of the issue handy. If only a part is missing, check the box for the manufacturer’s contact information or ask Lowe’s about getting the part.
For a defective product that may need service, Lowe’s Service Advantage is available at 1-888-775-6937. If the return window has closed, check the manufacturer’s warranty or any protection plan you purchased. Those terms determine whether a repair or other remedy is available. If Lowe’s denies a return, ask which deadline, condition, or proof requirement applies. You can request a written copy of the policy at customer service.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Return an Opened Item to Lowe’s With a Receipt?
An opened item may qualify if it is still new and unused and meets the product’s deadline and conditions. For items in the 48-hour category, opening the factory packaging removes the sealed-package route to a 30-day extension. A qualifying payment method may still provide a separate exception.
Can I Return a Lowe’s Gift With the Original Receipt?
Yes, if you have the original receipt and the item meets the applicable deadline and eligibility rules. If the gift was purchased with a Lowe’s gift card, the refund is issued as in-store credit.
Can I Return One Item From a Lowe’s BOGO Deal?
Yes, if the item otherwise qualifies. Lowe’s spreads the promotion’s discount across the items, so your refund reflects the discounted amount allocated to the item you return.
Can I Return an Online Lowe’s Purchase to a Store?
Yes. Take the eligible item and your receipt, order details, or return barcode to the customer service desk at a regular U.S. Lowe’s store. The return barcode is available on the Order Details page.
Can I Return a Dead Plant to Lowe’s With a Receipt?
If it is a tree, shrub, or perennial, Lowe’s offers a refund or replacement with the receipt within one year of purchase. Other plants fall under the 30-day policy, so identify the plant before relying on the one-year deadline.
Can I Return an Appliance After 48 Hours?
You may have up to 30 days from delivery or pickup if the appliance is still in its original, unopened, undamaged factory packaging or if an eligible payment exception applies. Check how you paid and contact Lowe’s with the delivery or pickup date.
Conclusion
Lowe’s accepts most new, unused merchandise with a receipt within 90 days of purchase. Check the product category before relying on that deadline. Major appliances usually require you to start the return within 48 hours of delivery or pickup, while trees, shrubs, and perennials qualify for up to one year with a receipt. Bring your receipt or online return barcode, check the original-location rules for Outlet or Special Order purchases, and keep the FedEx tracking number if you mail the item back.