New Balance Return Policy: 45 Days to Return, Free for Members and In Store
New Balance’s return policy gives you 45 days from the shipping date (for online orders) or 45 days from the purchase date (for in-store buys) to return items in new condition for a refund to your original form of payment. Online returns are free for members and free in store for everyone — non-members returning an online order by mail pay a $5 restocking fee deducted from the refund. For the holidays, purchases made from 3 November to 24 December 2026 can be returned within 60 days. This guide explains the member rule, the sports bra Fit Promise, and what cannot be returned.
Return Period
45 days from shipment (online) or purchase (in store)
Holiday Returns
60 days for purchases made 3 November to 24 December 2026
Restocking Fee
$5 for online returns by non-members; free for members and in store
Refund
To the original form of payment; shipped returns can take up to 14 days after arrival
Return Windows at a Glance
| Category | Return window | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Most items, online orders | 45 days from the shipping date | New condition; receipt, order confirmation email or packing list required |
| Most items, in-store purchases | 45 days from the purchase date | New condition; return in store |
| Holiday purchases (3 Nov–24 Dec 2026) | 60 days from shipment or purchase | All other return terms stay the same |
| Eligible sports bras (Fit Promise) | 45 days from purchase or shipment | Even after tags are removed and the bra has been run in |
| Items marked non-returnable or final sale | Not returnable | No refund or exchange, even inside 45 days |
| Worn or damaged merchandise | Not returnable | New Balance reserves the right to refuse these |
How to Return an Item to New Balance
- Check the clock and the condition. You have 45 days from the shipping date for an online order, or 45 days from the purchase date for a store buy. The item must be in new condition — unworn and undamaged — and you need a valid receipt, your order confirmation email, or the packing list.
- Choose mail or store. For an online order, go to newbalance.com/cs-returnlabel, enter your order information and print your return label. Or take the item to any New Balance or New Balance Factory store — online orders can be returned in store, and in-store returns are always free.
- Join or sign in first if you want the free mail return. Online returns are free for members; if you are not a member, a $5 restocking fee is deducted from your refund. Creating an account is free, so sign up or sign in before you start the return.
- Pack the item with its proof of purchase. Put the receipt, order confirmation or packing list in the box, along with everything the item came with. Keep the tracking number from the label until your refund arrives.
- Wait for your refund. Refunds go back to your original form of payment. For a return sent by mail, allow up to 14 days after it arrives for the refund to be processed. An in-store return is faster, because the store handles it on the spot.
How Long Do You Have to Return Items to New Balance?
The standard window is 45 days, and the start date depends on how you bought. For an online order, the 45 days run from the shipping date. For an in-store purchase, they run from the purchase date. The item must be in new condition, and you need a valid receipt, order confirmation email or packing list — New Balance asks for one of those three on every return.
Two limits catch people out. First, New Balance reserves the right to refuse worn or damaged merchandise, so shoes that have been run in outdoors or clothing that has been washed will not be accepted. Second, items marked non-returnable or final sale cannot be returned at all, even on day one. Check the product page or your receipt for a “final sale” or “non-returnable” mark before you buy.
One genuinely useful extra: the Fit Promise for sports bras. Seven named New Balance sports bras can be returned within 45 days even after you have removed the tags and taken the bra for a run. The eligible bras are the RC Bra (WB51052), NB Essential Run Bra (WB51032), NB Define Train Bra (WB51053), NB Essential Train Bra (WB51035), NB Harmony Yoga Bra (WB51037), NB Essential Yoga Bra (WB51039) and Klutch X NB Racerback Bra (WB53612). If the fit is wrong after a real workout, you still get a refund to your original payment method.
Is Returning Different for Online and In-Store Purchases?
Yes, and the direction matters. An online order can be returned two ways: by mail using the label from newbalance.com/cs-returnlabel, or in person at any New Balance or New Balance Factory store. The mail route is free for members and costs non-members a $5 restocking fee. The store route is free for everyone.
An item bought in a store, or at a New Balance-hosted event, must be returned in store or at the event. You cannot mail a store purchase back. That is worth knowing before you buy in a store while travelling — the return has to go back to a store, not to a mailbox.
The 45-day clock also starts differently: from the shipping date for online orders, and from the purchase date for store buys. A store purchase made on a Saturday has 45 days from that Saturday, even if you do not wear the item for a month.
Can You Return a Gift You Received?
Yes, under the same 45-day rule — but the proof of purchase matters more for gifts. New Balance requires a valid receipt, order confirmation email or packing list for a return, and the refund goes back to the original form of payment. That means the money goes back to the person who bought the gift, not to you.
If you received a New Balance gift and want to return it, ask the buyer for the order confirmation email or the packing list that came in the box. Bring the item in new condition, inside the 45 days, to a New Balance store or start the return online with those order details. Without the receipt, confirmation or packing list, the store has no order to match the return to — so keep that paperwork with the gift.
What Can’t Be Returned to New Balance?
New Balance’s published policy is short on exclusions, but the ones it names are firm:
- Items marked non-returnable — some products are sold as non-returnable, and the policy states they cannot be returned
- Final sale items — anything marked final sale is not returnable
- Worn merchandise — New Balance reserves the right to refuse any item that has been worn
- Damaged merchandise — items damaged after purchase can be refused
The condition rule is the one that catches most people. “New condition” means the item comes back in the state you received it — unworn, unwashed, with tags attached where they were attached. The only published exception to the tags rule is the Fit Promise for the seven eligible sports bras, which can come back after a run with the tags removed. For everything else, try shoes on indoors on carpet, keep the tags on, and keep the box until you are sure.
Does New Balance Charge a Restocking Fee?
Only in one case. Online orders returned by mail are subject to a $5 restocking fee for non-members, and the $5 is deducted from your refund. Members receive free returns — create an account or sign in before you start the return and the fee disappears. All in-store returns are free, whether you are a member or not.
There is no restocking fee on an in-store return, and no fee at all for members returning online orders by mail. Since creating a New Balance account is free, the $5 fee is easy to avoid: sign up, sign in, and then print the label.
How Are Refunds Issued and How Long Do They Take?
Refunds go back to your original form of payment — the same card or payment method you used to buy the item. There is no option to take the refund as store credit instead; the money goes back where it came from.
| Refund route | How and when the refund arrives |
|---|---|
| Online order returned by mail | Refund to the original payment method; allow up to 14 days after the return arrives |
| Online order returned in store | Refund to the original payment method, handled in store |
| In-store purchase returned in store | Refund to the original payment method |
| Eligible sports bra (Fit Promise) | Refund to the original payment method within the 45 days |
If you return by mail, the wait has two parts: the shipping time back to New Balance, and then up to 14 days for the refund to be processed after it arrives. Your bank’s own posting time comes on top of that. If 14 days have passed since your return was delivered and the money has not appeared, contact Customer Service on 1-800-595-9138 with your order number and tracking details.
Does New Balance Extend Returns for the Holidays?
Yes — and New Balance has already published the 2026 dates. For purchases made from 3 November 2026 through 24 December 2026, New Balance will accept returns within 60 days of shipment (for online purchases) or 60 days of purchase (for in-store purchases). All other terms of the return policy stay unchanged: the item must still be in new condition, you still need a receipt, order confirmation or packing list, and non-returnable and final sale items still cannot be returned.
That gives Christmas shoppers real breathing room. A gift bought on 3 November can be returned until early January, and a gift bought on Christmas Eve can be returned until late February. The 60 days run from shipment or purchase, not from Christmas Day, so an early-November buy still needs to go back in January. Keep the packing slip with the gift, or keep it yourself until the recipient has tried the item on.
New Balance Contact Options
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Customer Service (phone) | 1-800-595-9138, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET |
| Live chat | On newbalance.com, bottom right of the screen |
| Start an online return / print a label | newbalance.com/cs-returnlabel |
| In store | Any New Balance or New Balance Factory store accepts returns |
| Returns help | newbalance.com/faqs |
New Balance on Social Media
Follow New Balance on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/newbalance · Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NewBalance · X (Twitter) at https://twitter.com/newbalance · YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@newbalance. These are New Balance’s official brand profiles. New Balance does not handle returns through social media — for anything about an order, use the return label page or call Customer Service on 1-800-595-9138.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Conclusion
New Balance’s return policy is fair and easy to use: 45 days, a refund to your original payment, free returns for members and in store, and a published 60-day holiday window that covers Christmas gifts properly. The two things to get right are the proof of purchase — keep the receipt, confirmation email or packing list — and the condition of the item, because worn goods can be refused. Join for free before you print a label and the $5 non-member fee disappears too.
Disclaimer: Policy Return is an independent guide and is not affiliated with New Balance. Return policies can change at any time; always confirm the current policy on New Balance’s official website before making a return.
Checked against New Balance’s published policy on 11 November 2026. Policies change; the retailer’s official page is the final word.
