Express Return Policy: 30 Days From Delivery, With a Receipt
Express’s return policy gives you 30 days from the delivery date to return an item, with a valid receipt or order number. The item must be in its original condition, unwashed and unworn. Online orders can go back by mail or to any Express retail store in the United States. A mail return costs $6.99 for the prepaid UPS label, taken from your refund. In-store returns are free. Refunds go back to your original form of payment and can take up to 10 business days to show in your account.
This guide explains how Express returns work. It covers the 30-day window, the mail and in-store routes, the no-receipt rule, what cannot be returned, the international window, and the holiday extension for purchases made late in 2026.
RETURN PERIOD
30 days (from delivery date)
MAIL RETURNS
$6.99 label fee deducted from refund
INTERNATIONAL
60 days from purchase, by mail only
NO RECEIPT
No return without a receipt, invoice, or order confirmation
Return Windows at a Glance
| Category | Return window | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Most items, US online orders | 30 days from the delivery date | Valid receipt or order number required |
| Most items, US in-store purchases | 30 days from the delivery date | Return to an Express or Express Men retail store in the US |
| International online orders | 60 days from purchase | By mail only; cannot be returned in stores |
| Holiday purchases, Nov 15-Dec 31, 2026 | Returnable through Jan 31, 2027 | Full refund with the original receipt; store credit with a gift receipt |
| Clearance items and prices ending in .97 | No return | Not returnable at all |
| Face coverings | No return | Non-returnable |
How to Return an Item to Express
- Check your window and your receipt. Count 30 days from the delivery date for a US order, or 60 days from purchase for an international order. You will need a valid receipt, invoice, or order confirmation. The item must be in its original condition, unwashed and unworn.
- Choose mail or in store. If you bought online and the order was shipped to a US address, you can return it by mail or to any Express retail store in the US. If you bought in a store, you must return it to an Express or Express Men retail store in the US. In-store purchases cannot be returned by mail.
- For a mail return, start the return on express.com. Select Ship Via UPS, print your shipping label, and mark out any old addresses and barcodes on the package before you apply the return label. If you cannot print, bring your email to a UPS store for help.
- Drop the package at any UPS location. Packages must be returned prepaid. The $6.99 cost of the prepaid return label is deducted from your refund. Certain items may be exempt from that deduction.
- Track the return and wait for the refund email. Use the link in your confirmation email to track the return. Once Express receives it, the refund is issued to your original form of payment, and an email is sent to let you know the return has been processed. It may take up to 10 business days for the refund to show up in your account.
How Long Do You Have to Return Items to Express?
The standard window is 30 days from the delivery date. That applies to US orders, whether you bought online or in a store. The policy changed on August 1, 2025, and any order placed on or after that date is subject to the changed policy. Eligible orders can be returned within 30 days of their delivery date.
The condition rule is firm. Merchandise must be returned in its original condition, unwashed and unworn. The one exception Express states is merchandise that is defective. A defective item is not held to the unworn test in the same way, because the defect is the reason for the return.
International orders get longer. Express accepts returns for items within 60 days of purchase online for orders shipped to addresses outside the United States. Those orders cannot be returned in stores and must be returned by mail. Call Express on (888) EXP-1980 and the customer service team will help you with the return instructions for an international order.
Can You Return an Online Order to an Express Store?
Yes, if the order was shipped to a US address. Online purchases shipped to a US address can be returned by mail or to any Express retail store in the US within 30 days of the delivery date. That makes the store route the free option, because no $6.99 label fee applies when you hand the item over in person.
In-store purchases work the other way round. They must be returned to an Express or Express Men retail store in the US. Returns will not be accepted by mail for in-store purchases, and they will not be accepted at Express Factory Outlet stores. Express Factory Outlet stores also cannot accept returns for non-Express Factory Outlet items bought at Express or Express Men retail stores, or online at express.com.
Returns will not be accepted in stores outside the United States. If you bought in the US and you are now abroad, the mail route is the one to use, within the 60-day international window.
Can You Return to Express Without a Receipt?
No, under the published policy. Express states that it does not accept returns or exchanges without a receipt, invoice, or order confirmation. If you do not have a valid receipt, or if Express cannot confirm your purchase in its system, no refund, credit, or courtesy exchange will be issued.
Express does offer one step before that outcome. If you do not have a receipt, Express will conduct a courtesy search of its database to locate your transaction. So bring what you have: the card you paid with, the order number, the email address on the order, and the date of purchase. If the search finds the transaction, the return can go ahead under the normal rules. If it cannot find the transaction, the return will not be accepted.
Keep your receipt or order confirmation for every Express purchase. The 30-day window is short, and the receipt is the key that opens the return. Without it, you are relying on a database search, and there is no published fallback if the search fails.
What Can’t Be Returned to Express?
Express publishes a short list of items that are not returnable:
- Clearance items — items marked Clearance are not returnable.
- Prices ending in .97 — items with a price ending in .97 are not returnable. This is how Express marks its deepest clearance prices, so check the price on your receipt.
- Face coverings — face coverings are also non-returnable.
- Items outside the condition rule — merchandise that has been washed, worn, or altered, and is not defective, falls outside the return policy.
Express reserves the right to revise its returns and exchanges policies at any time, with or without notice. Check the Returns Policy page on express.com before you return an item, especially if you bought it months ago and the policy has changed since.
Does Express Charge a Return Fee?
A mail return costs $6.99. That is the cost of using Express’s prepaid UPS return label, and it is deducted from your refund. Certain items may be exempt from this deduction, but Express does not publish a list of the exempt items on its Returns Policy page.
In-store returns are free. There is no label fee when you return an online order to an Express retail store, and no fee is published for returning an in-store purchase to a store.
Shipping and handling fees are not refundable. The original shipping cost you paid stays with Express, even when the item itself is refunded in full. That applies to both mail and in-store returns. The $6.99 is a label cost, not a restocking fee, and Express does not publish a restocking fee for consumer returns.
How Are Refunds Issued and How Long Do They Take?
Refunds are issued in the form of original payment. That is the rule for US and international returns alike. Once Express receives your return, it processes the refund and sends an email to let you know it has been processed.
| Return route | How the refund works |
|---|---|
| In store | Refund to the original form of payment; no label fee |
| By mail (US) | $6.99 label fee deducted; refund to the original form of payment |
| International, by mail | Refund to the original form of payment; packages must be returned prepaid |
| Holiday purchase with a gift receipt | Store credit for the purchase price, through Jan 31, 2027 |
It may take up to 10 business days for the refund to show up in your account after Express processes it. Your financial institution may take longer to reflect the transaction, so the 10 business days is the time for Express to issue the refund, not a promise that your bank will post it by then. If more than 10 business days have passed and the refund has not appeared, contact Express with your order number and the return tracking details.
Does Express Extend Returns for the Holidays?
Yes, and the 2026 extension is already published. During the holiday season, Express is temporarily changing its return policy as follows. With your original receipt or order confirmation, merchandise purchased between Sunday, November 15th, 2026 and Thursday, December 31st, 2026 may be returned for a full refund of the purchase price to your original form of payment. With a gift receipt, merchandise purchased in the same period may be returned for a store credit of the purchase price.
The Holiday Return Policy Extension ends on January 31, 2027. All other terms and conditions of the return policy still apply. The item must still be in its original condition, unwashed and unworn, and the clearance, .97-price, and face-covering exclusions still apply. If you buy a gift in that November-to-December window, keep the gift receipt with it, because the gift receipt is what turns the return into store credit for the recipient.
Can You Exchange an Item at Express?
Not online. Express states that it does not offer online exchanges at this time. If you would like to exchange a product, return it using the returns process and then place a new order for the size or colour you want.
An exchange in store is a different matter. A return made at an Express retail store can be followed by a new purchase in the same visit, which works as an exchange in practice. The refund for the returned item goes to your original form of payment, and the new item is a separate purchase. If you are returning by mail, place the new order as soon as you have started the return, because Express will not hold the replacement size for you while your return is in transit.
Express Contact Options
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Start a return online | Use the Start a Return route on express.com; select Ship Via UPS for a mail return |
| Phone | Toll-free (888) EXP-1980 — customer service helps with return instructions, including international returns |
| Live chat | Start a Live Chat from the Returns Policy page on express.com |
| In store | Any Express or Express Men retail store in the US for US purchases |
| Track a return | Use the link in your return confirmation email |
Frequently Asked Questions
You have 30 days from the delivery date to return items in their original condition, unwashed and unworn, with a valid receipt or order number. Online orders can go back by mail or to any US Express store. Mail returns cost $6.99 for the prepaid label, and refunds go to your original payment method within up to 10 business days.
Under the standard policy, no. International online orders get 60 days from purchase. Holiday purchases made between November 15 and December 31, 2026 can be returned through January 31, 2027. Outside those windows, the 30 days from delivery is the rule.
Express deducts $6.99 from your refund for the cost of using its prepaid UPS return label. Certain items may be exempt. In-store returns are free, and original shipping and handling fees are not refundable.
No. Express does not accept returns or exchanges without a receipt, invoice, or order confirmation. Express will run a courtesy search of its database to locate your transaction, but if it cannot confirm the purchase, no refund, credit, or courtesy exchange will be issued.
No. In-store purchases must be returned to an Express or Express Men retail store in the US. They will not be accepted by mail, and they will not be accepted at Express Factory Outlet stores.
Items marked Clearance, items with a price ending in .97, and face coverings are not returnable. Items that have been washed or worn, and are not defective, also fall outside the policy.
Once Express receives your return, the refund is issued to your original form of payment. It may take up to 10 business days for the refund to show up in your account, and your bank may take longer to reflect it.
No. Express does not offer online exchanges. Return the item through the returns process and place a new order for the size or colour you want. In a store, you can return an item and buy the replacement in the same visit.
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Conclusion
Express’s return policy is clear, but it is also strict in two places that matter. First, the receipt is not optional: without a receipt, an invoice, or an order confirmation, there is no return. Second, the 30 days start at delivery, and the clearance and .97-price exclusions mean some of the cheapest items in the store cannot go back at all. Return online orders to a store when you can, because that saves the $6.99 label fee, and use the holiday extension if you buy between November 15 and December 31, 2026.
Disclaimer: Policy Return is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Express. Return policies can change at any time; always confirm the current policy on Express’s official website before making a return.
Checked against Express’s published policy on 5 November 2026. Policies change; the retailer’s official page is the final word.
