What Is Costco’s Return Policy in 2026? What Florida Members Can and Can’t Return

Costco’s return policy is a risk-free 100% satisfaction guarantee, with almost no time limit on most of what you buy.

Take something home, open it, use it for a month, decide it isn’t for you, and Costco still refunds every penny.

No receipt, no problem, most of the time.

A few items break that open-ended rule, though, and the exception for electronics surprises Florida members the most.

What Costco’s Return Policy Covers

Costco builds its whole return policy around one promise: You can bring almost anything back, almost anytime, for a full refund.

The company puts no time limit on most merchandise.

That means the patio set you bought two summers ago still qualifies.

It’s that simple.

The guarantee stretches to groceries too, which catches new members off guard.

Hate a tub of hummus, or bring home a flat of strawberries that turned early? Show your membership card at the counter, and the refund lands on your card.

What Florida Members Can Return

Costco’s satisfaction guarantee reaches further than most Florida members ever test.

A mattress, a worn pair of shoes, a blender you ran for a year, even a dead patio palm from the garden center, all of it can go back.

Yes, the plants too.

That flexibility matters most during hurricane season.

Buy a generator in June as storm insurance, never fire it up, and you can usually take it back once storm season ends.

The same rule covers a case of bottled water you overbought when the forecast looked bad and the storm missed Tampa.

Costco would rather refund you than lose you.

The 90-Day Rule for Electronics

Electronics are the one big crack in Costco’s no-limit return policy.

Costco gives you 90 days from the day you receive them, not a lifetime.

The list is short.

Televisions, projectors, computers, tablets, smart watches, cell phones, cameras, drones, and major appliances all sit inside the 90-day window.

Major appliances means refrigerators over 10 cubic feet, freezers, washers, dryers, ranges, cooktops, dishwashers, and water heaters.

So the chest freezer you loaded for hurricane season counts, and its clock started the day it arrived.

Hang on to the remote and the cables because Costco can trim the refund for missing pieces.

Return an Apple laptop, and you’ll need it factory-reset and signed out of your account first.

Ninety days, then it’s yours for good.

What You Can’t Return at Costco

A short list of items sits outside Costco’s return policy entirely.

Gold bars and other precious metals are final sale, since their value shifts by the hour.

No refunds on bullion.

Gift cards and Costco Shop Cards can’t come back either.

Cigarettes and alcohol land in their own bucket because Costco won’t accept them where state law prohibits a return.

Florida sometimes lets a store take back an unopened bottle of wine or liquor bought by mistake, but that’s the retailer’s call, not a right you can demand at the counter.

Custom and special-order goods, like installed flooring or made-to-measure blinds, stay with you unless they show up defective.

Tires and car batteries wear out, so Costco covers those through separate road-hazard and replacement warranties instead of the satisfaction guarantee.

Everything else is fair game.

Diamonds Get Their Own Rule

Jewelry follows Costco's normal return policy, with one extra step for the big stones.

Any diamond of 1 carat or more comes back with its paperwork.

You hand over the original grading report from a lab like the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the International Gemological Institute (IGI).

Then a Costco gemologist inspects the stone within 48 hours to confirm it's the same diamond that left the store.

Counterfeits don't get far.

Pass that inspection, and the refund goes through like any other return.

Do You Need a Receipt?

Here's the part of Costco's return policy that saves the day: You rarely need the receipt.

Costco ties every purchase to your membership number.

Hand over your card or open the app at the returns counter, and a staffer pulls up the transaction.

It's all on file.

The refund goes back to your original payment method, or onto a Costco Shop Card when the card you used has expired.

Returning Your Membership

Costco even lets you cancel the membership for a refund.

Cancel any time during the year, and Costco refunds the full fee, with no proration.

A Gold Star membership runs $65 a year, and an Executive runs $130 after Costco raised both fees in 2024.

Every shopper pays that same rate, with no senior discount on the card.

Walk in on day 364 unhappy, and you can still ask for the whole year back.

That's rare in retail.

The Executive tier pays 2% back on purchases, up to $1,250 a year, and if that reward doesn't beat the extra $65 you paid to upgrade, Costco refunds you the difference.

Can You Return Too Much?

Costco's return policy is generous, but it isn't a game you can run forever.

The written rules haven't changed, yet Costco has tightened how it enforces them.

Return a huge share of what you buy, and Costco flags your account.

Grab a big television the week before the Super Bowl and bring it back that Monday, and a manager takes note.

Costco has canceled memberships over serial returns.

It happens.

One caveat: Normal shopping never trips that wire.

Return what let you down, keep what you like, and you'll never hear a word about it.

FAQ

Quick answers to what Florida members ask most about Costco's return policy.

What is Costco's return policy?

Costco offers a risk-free 100% satisfaction guarantee with no time limit on most items. Electronics and major appliances are the main exception, with a 90-day window from the date you receive them.

Can you return used items to Costco?

Yes. Costco takes back most opened or used items for a full refund, including groceries you didn't like. A few categories, like electronics and precious metals, follow stricter rules.

How long do you have to return electronics to Costco?

You have 90 days from the date you receive them. That covers televisions, computers, tablets, cell phones, smart watches, cameras, drones, and major appliances.

What can't you return to Costco?

Gold bars and precious metals, gift cards and Shop Cards, and cigarettes and alcohol where state law prohibits it. Custom and special-order items also stay with you unless they arrive defective.

Do you need a receipt to return to Costco?

No. Costco looks up your purchase by your membership number, so your card or the app is enough at the returns counter.