GameStop Return Policy: 15 Days on New Games, 7 Days on Pre-Owned and 30 Days for Pro Members
GameStop’s return policy runs on short clocks and strict conditions, and the first thing to know is that the window depends on what you bought, not on how you feel about it. A new, unopened game, console, accessory or collectible can be returned within 15 days of purchase or delivery. A pre-owned game or console gets 7 days for a full refund. Special and collector’s editions, PCs, laptops, TVs and monitors also get 7 days. Pro members get the longest windows in the store: 30 days on unopened new software and hardware, and 30 days to exchange a defective pre-owned item.
The second thing to know is the opened rule. Once the plastic wrap comes off a new game or a new piece of hardware, it cannot be returned — it can only be exchanged for an identical replacement if it is defective, and only inside the window. Digital products, trading cards and clearance items are final sale from the start. This guide covers the windows, the opened-game rule, the pre-owned guarantee and the Pro extensions.
RETURN PERIOD
15 days for unopened new products
PRE-OWNED
7 days for a full refund; defective exchange 15 days (30 days for Pro)
SPECIAL & COLLECTOR’S EDITIONS
7 days
PRO MEMBERS
30 days on unopened new software and hardware
Return Windows at a Glance
| Category | Return window | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| New products, unopened | 15 days from in-store purchase or receipt of shipment | Software, hardware, accessories, collectibles, unworn apparel with tags attached |
| Special or Collector’s editions | 7 days | Applies to video game software and hardware editions |
| Pre-owned products | 7 days for a full refund | Defective pre-owned items can be exchanged within 15 days (30 days for Pro members) |
| PCs, PC components and accessories, laptops, TVs, monitors | 7 days | Defective items in these categories go to the manufacturer, not GameStop |
| Refurbished tech (phones, smart devices) | 7 days, unopened | Returnable only by calling customer service |
| Pro members — unopened new software and hardware | 30 days | Extended return period for qualifying Pro members |
| Pro members — defective pre-owned exchange | 30 days | Excludes pre-owned PCs and tech |
| Pro membership cancellation | 2 days from purchase | Full refund if no benefits have been used |
| Lost in transit / delivered but not received | Claim within 60 days of shipment | Claims must be submitted within 60 days of the shipment date |
How to Return an Item to GameStop
- Check the window for your exact item. New and sealed means 15 days; pre-owned, collector’s editions, PCs and TVs mean 7 days; Pro members get 30 days on unopened new software and hardware. The clock runs from the in-store purchase date or from receipt of the shipment for an online order.
- Do not open it if you might return it. Opened new products cannot be returned. If the item is defective, an opened product can be exchanged for an identical replacement inside the window — but a change of mind after opening has no return route.
- Gather your proof of purchase. An in-store receipt or a GameStop.com order number is required. Other valid proof includes the order confirmation email, the packing slip or the return barcode. Bring a valid government ID as well — a US driver’s licence, state ID, military ID or US passport — as returns may require one.
- Return in store for free, or ship it back for $8.99. Online purchases can be returned at any GameStop store for free, or shipped back with an $8.99 fee. In-store purchases must be returned in store. Items over $500 cannot be returned in store at all.
- Consoles and refurbished tech have their own rules. All video game console returns shipped back carry a $14.99 shipping fee. Refurbished tech such as phones and other smart devices can only be returned by calling customer service, and must be returned within 7 days unopened.
- Keep everything complete. Items must be returned with all applicable components and original packaging, in clean and resalable condition equivalent to the original condition at the time of sale.
How Long Do You Have to Return Items to GameStop?
GameStop states the headline rule in one sentence: you have 15 days from your in-store purchase or receipt of shipment of a new item, and 7 days for a used item, to exchange or return, unless noted in the exceptions. Everything else in the policy is an exception to that sentence, and the exceptions are where most returns fail.
The 15 days covers unopened new software, hardware, accessories, collectibles and unworn apparel with tags attached. The 7 days covers pre-owned products, special and collector’s editions of video game software and hardware, and PCs, PC components and accessories, laptops, TVs and monitors. Pro members get 30 days on unopened new software and hardware — double the standard window — and 30 days to exchange a defective pre-owned item instead of 15.
Two timing details catch shoppers out. First, the online clock runs from receipt of shipment, not from the order date, so a slow delivery does not eat your window. Second, defective pre-owned items have a longer exchange window than the refund window: the refund closes at 7 days, but a defective pre-owned item can still be exchanged for an identical replacement up to 15 days, or 30 days for a Pro member.
Can You Return an Opened Game to GameStop?
No — not for a refund, and not for a different game. GameStop’s published policy is explicit: opened new hardware, software, accessories, collectibles and PCs are not returnable. The non-returnable list states it directly, and the general rule requires products to be unopened if new, in clean and resalable condition equivalent to the original condition at the time of sale.
The only route for an opened item is a defective exchange. Defective products, excluding PCs, PC components, laptops, TVs and monitors, can be exchanged for an identical replacement within the return window. A game that will not load, a controller with a dead stick, a headset that crackles — those can be swapped for the same item. A game you finished, a game you did not enjoy, or a game you opened by mistake cannot.
That is why the seal matters more at GameStop than at almost any other retailer. A sealed game is returnable for 15 days; the same game with the plastic off is exchange-only for defects. If you are unsure about a purchase, do not break the seal until you are sure you are keeping it. The alternative for an opened game you no longer want is a trade-in at current trade value — a fraction of the purchase price, and a different transaction entirely.
What Is the Pre-Owned Guarantee?
Pre-owned is GameStop’s second business, and its guarantee is published on GameStop’s own product pages as well as in the return policy. Pre-owned products get a full refund within 7 days, and defective pre-owned and refurbished products qualify for a full exchange within 15 days — extended to 30 days for GameStop Pro members.
The guarantee covers pre-owned consoles, used games and refurbished accessories, all of which GameStop describes as fully functional, professionally refurbished where applicable, and quality-tested. The 7-day refund window is the test drive: if the used game does not work or the pre-owned console has a fault, bring it back inside a week for your money back. After day 7, the refund closes but the exchange window stays open to day 15, or day 30 for Pros, for defective items.
Two exclusions apply. Pre-owned PCs and tech are excluded from the extended defective-exchange window, and defective PCs, PC components, laptops, TVs and monitors are not exchanged by GameStop at all — for those, contact the manufacturer directly, with contact information available by calling GameStop support at 1-800-883-8895.
What Can’t Be Returned to GameStop?
GameStop publishes a final-sale list, and every item on it is final sale and cannot be returned or exchanged:
- Items marked Markdown, Clearance, Final Sale, or Clearance and Final Sale
- Trading cards
- Blind items
- Clearance products
- Seasonal items
- Consumables
- Individual bundle components — a bundle must be returned complete
- Digital products, including digital games, downloadable content and gift cards
- Graded PSA cards
- All books, magazines and guides
Alongside the list, the policy bars returns of opened new hardware, software, accessories, collectibles and PCs, and of any product not in its original condition, damaged, played, or missing parts. Items without valid proof of purchase are not eligible for return or exchange at all — though if they are trade-in eligible, they may be traded in at current trade value pricing instead.
GameStop also reserves the right to limit or decline returns for fraud and abuse, regardless of whether you present a valid receipt or order number. The policy lists examples: multiple same-day returns, pre-owned return abuse, receipt abuse, and frequent returns of entire orders. GameStop retains final authority to accept or decline any item, and may refuse any item it deems a potential health or safety risk.
How Are Refunds Issued and How Long Do They Take?
Refunds go to the original form of payment — the credit card used for the purchase, the same gift card, or the same tender used at the register — and cover the purchase price and applicable taxes and fees. Returns with a gift receipt are offered a GameStop gift card or an even exchange instead. Where a Pro membership reward, coupon or discount was redeemed, the refund may be adjusted: the coupon and the points spent are not reissued, and points earned on the order are taken back.
| Return route | Cost and timing |
|---|---|
| In-store return of an online order | Free |
| Shipped return of an online order | $8.99 fee |
| Shipped return of a video game console | $14.99 shipping fee |
| Online orders over $500 | Cannot be returned in store — ship them back |
| In-store purchases | Must be returned in store |
| Orders shipped to PR, HI or AK | Eligible for in-store return only |
| Refurbished tech | Returnable only by calling customer service |
GameStop does not publish a fixed refund processing time on its Return Policy page, and this guide does not invent one. In-store refunds are processed at the register during the visit; for shipped returns, allow several business days after GameStop receives and inspects the item, plus your bank’s posting time, before the money appears.
Does GameStop Extend Returns for the Holidays?
No extended holiday return window is published on GameStop’s Return Policy page as of 7 November 2026. The standard windows apply in December exactly as they do in June: 15 days on unopened new items, 7 days on pre-owned items and collector’s editions, and 30 days for Pro members on unopened new software and hardware.
That makes the Pro extension the practical holiday tool at GameStop. A Pro member buying a game as a gift in December has 30 days to return it unopened, against 15 days for a non-member. Gift receipts help too: a return with a gift receipt is offered a GameStop gift card or an even exchange, so the recipient is not left without a route. If GameStop publishes a holiday extension for 2026, it is not on the Return Policy page yet — check the page before relying on one.
GameStop Contact Options
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Guest Care (phone) | 1-800-883-8895 |
| Guest Care (email) | care@gamestop.com |
| Help centre | gamestop.com/help |
| Returns portal | GameStop Returns at returns.narvar.com/gamestop/returns — enter your order information to start |
| In store | Any GameStop store — an in-store receipt or GameStop.com order number is required |
| Refurbished tech returns | Call customer service at 1-800-883-8895 — these cannot go through the standard portal |
| Full policy | The Return Policy Terms & Conditions page on gamestop.com |
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Guides
- Best Buy Return Policy
- Amazon Return Policy
- Walmart Return Policy
- Target Return Policy
- Back Market Return Policy
- B&H Photo Return Policy
- Five Below Return Policy
- eBay Return Policy
Conclusion
GameStop’s return policy is built for a store that sells sealed software and used hardware, and it shows: 15 days sealed, 7 days used, 30 days for Pros, and nothing at all once the wrap comes off a new game unless it is defective. The pre-owned guarantee is the fair part of the deal — a 7-day refund and a 15- or 30-day defective exchange on items GameStop itself refurbished and tested. The final-sale list is the hard part: trading cards, digital content, clearance and bundle pieces are gone the moment you pay.
Buy sealed and keep it sealed until you are sure. Keep the receipt or the order number, because without one there is no return at all. And if you buy games as gifts, consider Pro membership: the extra 15 days is the closest thing GameStop offers to a holiday extension.
Policy Return is an independent guide and is not affiliated with GameStop. Return policies can change at any time; always confirm the current policy on GameStop’s official website before making a return.
Checked against GameStop’s published policy on 7 November 2026. Policies change; the retailer’s official page is the final word.
