DSW Return Policy: 60 Days for a Full Refund, Free Exchanges, and an $8.50 Mail Fee
DSW’s return policy gives you 60 days from the original purchase date to return unworn, undamaged merchandise for a full refund to your original form of payment, provided you have the original receipt or packing slip. Returns in store are free, exchanges are free both in store and by mail, and a mail return using DSW’s prepaid label costs $8.50 for any number of items, deducted from your refund.
The two rules that catch shoppers out are the receipt rule and the exchange rule. Without the receipt, you get merchandise credit at the current selling price, not a refund — and only with a valid ID. And an exchange by mail covers only the same item in a different size or color; a different item means returning for a refund and placing a new order. This guide covers both, plus the after-60-days fallback and the delivery-app exception.
RETURN PERIOD
60 days from the original purchase date for a full refund
RETURN COSTS
Free in store; $8.50 deducted for mail returns (any number of items)
EXCHANGES
Free, same item in a different size or color
NO RECEIPT
Merchandise credit at the current selling price, valid ID required
Return Windows at a Glance
| Category | Return window | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Most merchandise, with receipt or packing slip | 60 days from original purchase date | Unworn and undamaged; full refund to original form of payment, including PayPal |
| Most merchandise, after 60 days, with receipt | Merchandise credit | Issued regardless of original form of payment |
| Without receipt or packing slip | Within the return process, with valid ID | Merchandise credit equal to the current selling price; DSW may limit no-receipt returns |
| DoorDash or Uber purchases (not Final Sale) | 30 days from original purchase date | DSW merchandise credit only; return at a US DSW store, unworn, in original packaging, with a valid delivery-app receipt |
| Final Sale merchandise | Not returnable | Excluded from returns and exchanges entirely |
| Holiday purchases 2025 (published window) | 90 days from purchase date | Applies to purchases made 1 November–31 December 2025 only; no 2026 extension published at check time |
How to Return an Item to DSW
- Check the 60 days from the original purchase date, not the delivery date. DSW counts from purchase, so an online order that took a week to arrive has already used part of its window before you try the shoes on.
- Check the condition and the paperwork. The shoes must be unworn and undamaged, and you need the original receipt or packing slip for a full refund. Anything marked Final Sale cannot go back at all.
- For the fastest, free option, take it to a US DSW store. Bring the item and your receipt for an instant refund, or swap it on the spot. In-store returns are free, and in-store exchanges can be for a different size, color, or a completely different item.
- For a mail return, request a label or a paperless code. Print the prepaid label and ship the item back, or show your return code to a FedEx associate who will print the label for you. Either way, $8.50 comes off your refund for any number of items in the parcel.
- For a mail exchange, use the online portal. Your exchanged item ships once DSW has confirmation that your exchange has been dropped off at FedEx. Remember that mail exchanges cover only the same item in a different size or color.
- Wait for processing. Allow 7 to 10 business days once DSW receives the product for the return to be processed and the funds credited to your original form of payment.
How Long Do You Have to Return Items to DSW?
The standard window is 60 days from the original purchase date for a full refund to your original form of payment, with the original receipt or packing slip and the merchandise unworn and undamaged. That is a shorter window than the 90 days many older guides still quote, and DSW’s current page is explicit about the 60 days — if you are reading a guide that says 90 days for ordinary purchases, it is out of date.
Missing the 60 days is not the end of the road, but it changes the outcome. Returns made after 60 days with an original sales receipt or shipping invoice are issued as a merchandise credit, regardless of the original form of payment. Exchanges made after 60 days are handled the same way for any difference owed: merchandise credit, not a card refund. The receipt still matters after the window, because it is what qualifies you for the credit at all.
Delivery-app purchases run on their own clock. Merchandise bought from DSW through DoorDash or Uber, unless marked Final Sale, may be returned for a DSW merchandise credit within 30 days of the original purchase date. The return must be made at a DSW US location, unworn and in the original packaging, together with a valid DoorDash or Uber receipt. There is no card refund on this route, even inside the 30 days.
Can You Return to DSW Without a Receipt?
Yes, but the refund changes form and value. Returns made without the original sales receipt or packing slip must be made using a valid ID, and you receive a merchandise credit equal to the current selling price of the item. If the shoes have gone on sale since you bought them, the credit follows the sale price, not what you paid.
DSW also states that it may limit the number of returns permitted without an original sales receipt or shipping invoice, and that it reserves the right to limit returns or exchanges regardless of receipt. A no-receipt return is therefore a fallback, not a habit to rely on. Keep the receipt or the packing slip — for online orders, the packing slip in the box serves the same purpose — and photograph it if you are the kind of shopper who throws paper away.
Gift receipt returns work similarly. Returns with a gift receipt are issued as a merchandise credit or an exchange. If the gift is returned or exchanged through dsw.com, any funds credited are automatically issued on the original form of payment, so the online route can still be clean for the recipient.
What Does Returning Cost at DSW?
In store, nothing. In-store returns are free, and you get an instant refund when you bring the item and receipt to any DSW store. That alone makes the store the best route whenever one is within reach.
By mail, the fee is flat and simple: $8.50 for any number of items, deducted from your refund, whether you print the prepaid label or use the paperless FedEx drop-off with a return code. Returning three pairs costs the same $8.50 as returning one, so it pays to batch mail returns rather than sending them one at a time.
Exchanges are the exception to the fee. DSW offers free exchanges both in store and through mail, with no $8.50 deduction on an exchange. If you only need a different size or color of the same shoe, exchanging rather than returning and rebuying saves the fee entirely — provided the mail exchange limit (same item only) works for you.
Can You Exchange Instead of Returning?
Yes, and DSW’s exchange policy is one of the better ones — with one firm limit. Exchanges can only be processed if you want the same item in a different size or color. If you want a different item altogether, you follow the returns process for a refund and place a new order.
In store, the exchange is immediate and flexible: swap for the size or color you need and pay or receive any price difference. By mail, the process runs through the online portal, and your exchanged item ships once DSW has confirmation that your exchange has been dropped off at FedEx. You are not charged shipping on a mail exchange, and you receive confirmation with tracking information when the new item ships.
One warning from the published policy applies to mail exchanges. If the exchanged merchandise is not returned unworn, in the original packaging, and together with the original sales receipt or shipping invoice, you will be charged for both the original purchase and the exchange. Pack the return exactly as it arrived, with the receipt inside, before you drop it off.
What Can’t Be Returned to DSW?
The headline exclusion is Final Sale merchandise. Anything marked Final Sale cannot be returned or exchanged under any circumstances, receipt or not. Check the product page and your receipt for the marking before you buy, because it is the one label that closes every route.
Beyond that, the condition rules do the excluding. Merchandise must be unworn and undamaged for a standard return. Shoes that have been worn outside, scuffed, or damaged are not eligible for a full refund, and DSW reserves the right to limit returns or exchanges regardless of receipt. Worn shoes are the most common rejection in footwear returns, so try new pairs indoors on a clean floor and keep the box.
Two payment-related notes also matter. If your purchase was paid for with DSW Rewards or offers, the refund covers only the final purchase price — rewards and offers are not reissued or recredited, except for exchanges made on the same day of purchase. And if you paid with PayPal, a full-PayPal purchase refunds to your PayPal payment form, while a purchase split between PayPal and a gift card refunds entirely onto a gift card. For PayPal, Venmo or Afterpay purchases, exchanges should be made in store if possible, because DSW’s phone representatives are not authorised to log into your payment account to make a new purchase.
How Are Refunds Issued and How Long Do They Take?
With the receipt inside 60 days, the refund goes to your original form of payment, including PayPal. DSW asks you to allow 7 to 10 business days once it receives the product for the return to be processed and the funds credited. Your bank’s posting time sits on top of that, so the credit may appear a few days after DSW processes it.
| Payment or situation | How the refund arrives |
|---|---|
| Card or PayPal, receipt, within 60 days | Full refund to the original form of payment, processed in 7–10 business days after receipt |
| Receipt, after 60 days | Merchandise credit, regardless of original payment |
| No receipt, with valid ID | Merchandise credit equal to the current selling price |
| Gift receipt | Merchandise credit or exchange; online credits go automatically to the original form of payment |
| PayPal plus gift card split | Entire refund issued on a gift card |
| DoorDash or Uber purchase | Merchandise credit only, within 30 days, in store with a valid app receipt |
Does DSW Extend Returns for the Holidays?
DSW has extended returns for the holidays in the past, but the extension currently published on its Returns & Exchanges page covers the 2025 season, not 2026. Purchases made between 1 November 2025 and 31 December 2025 at dsw.com or any DSW US retail store received a return and exchange period of 90 days from the date of purchase.
As of 4 November 2026, no 2026 holiday extension is published on that page. Do not assume that a November or December 2026 purchase carries a 90-day window. The standard 60 days applies unless and until DSW publishes a 2026 extension, so check the live page before relying on extra time for a gift purchase.
DSW Contact Options
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Customer service phone | 1-866-379-7463 (shown on DSW’s Returns & Exchanges page) |
| In-store returns | Any US DSW store — free, instant refund with item and receipt |
| Mail returns | Prepaid label or paperless FedEx drop-off code via DSW’s returns portal — $8.50 deducted |
| Mail exchanges | Free via the online portal, same item in a different size or color |
| More information | DSW’s Customer Service page, linked from the Returns & Exchanges page |
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Guides
- Walmart Return Policy
- Target Return Policy
- Costco Return Policy
- Amazon Return Policy
- Best Buy Return Policy
- Home Depot Return Policy
- Lowe’s Return Policy
- Kohl’s Return Policy
- Nike Return Policy
Conclusion
DSW’s return policy is a solid middle ground: 60 days for a full refund, free in-store returns, free exchanges, and a flat $8.50 mail fee that does not grow with the size of the parcel. Its edges are the receipt rule, which turns a refund into sale-price credit, and the same-item-only mail exchange, which pushes different-item swaps back to the store. Keep the receipt, try shoes on indoors, batch your mail returns, and check the live page before counting on a holiday extension that has not been published for 2026 yet.
Policy Return is an independent guide and is not affiliated with DSW. Return policies can change at any time; always confirm the current policy on DSW’s official website before making a return.
Checked against DSW’s published policy on 4 November 2026. Policies change; the retailer’s official page is the final word.
