REI Return Policy: 1 Year for Members, 90 Days for Everyone Else
REI’s return policy is built on its 100% Satisfaction Guarantee: if you are not satisfied with a purchase, you can return it for a replacement or refund. REI Co-op Members get a full year from the purchase date to return most eligible items, while non-members get 90 days. Outdoor electronics are the one big exception — they carry a 90-day window for everyone, members included. Returns are free in store, mailed returns carry a $7.99 fee, and refunds go back to your original payment method. This guide explains the member and non-member windows, the exceptions, how to return by mail or in store, and how refunds are paid.
Return Period
1 year for members, 90 days for non-members (from the purchase date)
Outdoor Electronics
90 days for everyone, members included
Mail Return Fee
$7.99 deducted from the refund ($21.95 over 32 lbs); in-store returns free
No Receipt
Proof of purchase is required — members can use their member number to look up a purchase
Return Windows at a Glance
| Category | Return window | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Most eligible items — REI Co-op Members | 365 days from the purchase date | Includes e-bikes; a few exceptions apply |
| Most eligible items — non-members | 90 days from the purchase date | Same items, shorter window |
| Outdoor electronics | 90 days for everyone | Members do not get the extra time on electronics |
| REI Outlet purchases | Same as REI.com | Members 1 year, non-members 90 days; return by mail or in store |
| Re/Supply used gear (in-store purchases) | Final sale | Cannot be returned |
| REI Co-op Memberships, lift tickets, passes, gift cards | Final sale | No returns or refunds |
| Manufacturing defects | No time limit | Defective products are covered beyond the standard window |
How to Return an Item to REI
- Check your window. Members have one year from the purchase date and non-members have 90 days, except outdoor electronics, which are 90 days for everyone. Manufacturing defects have no time limit, so a faulty seam or a broken zip is covered even after the window closes.
- Gather your proof of purchase. REI asks for proof of purchase with every return. Members can have the purchase looked up with their member number, and anyone else should bring the receipt or the barcode from the order confirmation email. REI may also ask for identification or extra information to find the purchase in its records.
- Choose in store or by mail. Take the item to any REI store for a free return, or start the return online from your purchase history and send it back by mail. Note that Re/Supply stores cannot accept returns of any kind, so use a regular REI store or the mail route.
- Start a mail return online. Sign in on rei.com, open your purchase history and choose “Start a Return” for the items you want to send back. Print the prepaid shipping label, or request a QR code for a paperless drop-off. A $7.99 fee is deducted from your refund for a standard package, or $21.95 if the package weighs more than 32 pounds.
- Drop the parcel at UPS. Use the prepaid label and leave the parcel at any UPS location. If you pay for shipping yourself by working directly with a carrier, no fee is deducted. The fee is also waived if REI made a mistake with your order — choose “Shipment issue” when you start the return.
- Wait for your refund. Mail returns are generally processed within 10–14 days after the return reaches REI’s facility. In-store refunds are handled on the spot.
How Long Do You Have to Return Items to REI?
The answer depends on whether you are a member. REI Co-op Members can return most eligible items within one year of the purchase date. Non-members have 90 days from the purchase date. The window is counted from the date you bought the item, not from the date it arrived, so keep your receipt or order confirmation safe.
Two categories break the pattern. Outdoor electronics — GPS units, watches, bike computers and similar gear — have a 90-day window for everyone, so membership does not buy extra time there. And manufacturing defects sit outside the window entirely: REI states there is no time limit on returns for a product with a manufacturing defect, so a tent with a split seam or a jacket that falls apart can go back whenever the fault shows up.
The membership window is one of the most generous in U.S. retail, and it is the main reason joining the Co-op pays for itself if you buy outdoor gear regularly. Just remember that the year applies to eligible items only — the exceptions list in the next sections still applies.
What Can’t Be Returned to REI?
REI publishes a short list of items that are final sale, plus a broader exceptions list on its returns page:
- In-store Re/Supply used gear purchases — final sale
- REI Co-op Memberships — final sale
- Lift tickets and passes — final sale
- Gift cards — final sale
- Outdoor electronics after 90 days — outside the window even for members
Used gear bought online through the Re/Supply site follows its own rules in the Used Gear FAQ, and it is returned by mail only. Items bought on sale, with coupons or through REI Outlet follow the same standard windows as full-price items — a sale price does not shorten your return time. What does matter is the condition of the item: REI can refuse a return if the product has been damaged through misuse, so normal wear from genuine use is fine, but a trashed item is not.
Does REI Charge a Restocking Fee?
No. REI does not charge a restocking fee. What it does charge is return shipping on mailed returns: $7.99 is deducted from your refund for a standard-size package sent with REI’s prepaid label, and $21.95 is deducted instead when the package weighs more than 32 pounds. If you return several orders in one box under 32 pounds, only one $7.99 fee is taken.
There are three ways to avoid the fee entirely. Return the item in a store and there is no charge. Pay for the shipping yourself by dealing directly with a carrier. Or, if REI made the mistake — the wrong item arrived, or it arrived damaged — start the return as a shipment issue and the fee is waived. Original shipping charges are not refunded unless REI made the mistake or the item is defective after inspection.
How Are Refunds Issued and How Long Do They Take?
REI refunds you through your original payment method in most cases. There are two exceptions worth knowing. If you return a store purchase by mail, the refund comes as a check, which can take up to three weeks from when REI receives the return. And purchases of $500 or more made with cash are refunded by check as well.
| Refund method | How and when the refund arrives |
|---|---|
| Card or original payment method | Refunded to the card or account you paid with; allow up to 10 days for processing |
| Store purchase returned by mail | Refunded by check; can take up to 3 weeks from receipt of the return |
| Cash purchases of $500 or more | Refunded by check |
| Mail return processing | Generally 10–14 days after the return reaches REI’s facility |
REI does not offer direct exchanges by mail. If you want a different size or colour, return the original item and place a new order. In a store, an exchange can be handled on the spot if the replacement is in stock. Note that returning an item can affect your member rewards: REI may adjust your annual purchase total by the price of a returned item, and it may deduct a promotional reward already calculated on a returned full-price item.
Can You Return a Gift You Received?
Yes, with proof of purchase. A gift bought at REI can be returned under the same windows — one year for a member purchase, 90 days otherwise — as long as you have the receipt or the order details. A gift returned in store is refunded to the original payment method, so the buyer gets the money back. A gift returned by mail is different: REI refunds it by check to the gift recipient, as long as you include a note in the parcel requesting a “gift recipient refund” with the recipient’s name, member number (if any), mailing address, phone number and email address. If those details are incomplete, the original purchaser is refunded instead, and a check refund can take up to three weeks.
If you do not have the receipt, a member purchase can be looked up by the buyer’s member number, which is often the easiest route for a gift return. Gift cards themselves are final sale and cannot be returned for cash, so a gift card is a one-way gift. If the gift is defective, the manufacturing-defect rule applies instead and there is no time limit.
Is Returning Different for Store and Online Purchases?
The windows are the same either way, but the mechanics differ. An item bought in a store can be returned to any REI store, or sent back by mail — but a store purchase returned by mail is refunded by check, which is slower. An item bought online can be returned to any REI store for a free, on-the-spot refund to your original payment method, or sent back by mail with the prepaid label.
In-store returns are free and immediate, which makes them the better choice whenever you live near a store. Mail returns suit everyone else, but they cost $7.99 and take 10–14 days to process. REI Outlet purchases follow the same rules as REI.com purchases, and they can be returned to any REI store even though the Outlet itself is online only. The only place that cannot take a return at all is a Re/Supply store.
REI Contact Options
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Customer service (U.S. and Canada) | 1-800-426-4840 |
| Customer service (international) | 1-253-891-2500 |
| Start a return online | Sign in at rei.com, open Purchase History and choose “Start a Return” |
| In store | Any REI store accepts returns; Re/Supply stores cannot accept returns of any kind |
| Mail returns | Use the prepaid label or QR code from the online return process; drop off at any UPS location |
REI on Social Media
Instagram · Facebook · YouTube. REI does not handle returns through social media. For anything about a return, use the phone numbers or the online return tool in the contact table above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Guides
- Dick’s Sporting Goods Return Policy
- Columbia Sportswear Return Policy
- Patagonia Return Policy
- Backcountry Return Policy
- Decathlon Return Policy
- Bass Pro Shops Return Policy
- Cabela’s Return Policy
- L.L.Bean Return Policy
- Evo Return Policy
- Finish Line Return Policy
Conclusion
REI’s return policy is one of the most generous in American retail: a full year for members, 90 days for everyone else, and no time limit at all on manufacturing defects. The catches are narrow — electronics get 90 days no matter what, a handful of items are final sale, and mailed returns cost $7.99. Return in store when you can, keep your receipt or member number handy, and remember that a store purchase sent back by mail comes back as a check.
Disclaimer: Policy Return is an independent guide and is not affiliated with REI. Return policies can change at any time; always confirm the current policy on REI’s official website before making a return.
Checked against REI’s published policy on 13 November 2026. Policies change; the retailer’s official page is the final word.
