Lowe's return policy: 90 days, 48 hours for appliances
Every Lowe's return window by product, what counts as proof of purchase, how refunds are paid, the special order fee, and Lowe's Lowest Price Guarantee.
This guide follows Lowe’s US return policy and Lowest Price Guarantee pages as read on October 20, 2026.
How long do you have to return something to Lowe’s?
The window depends on what you bought. Lowe’s counts most windows from the purchase date and the 48-hour window from delivery or pickup.
| Window | What Lowe’s puts in it |
|---|---|
| 48 hours | Major appliances (refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, ranges, range hoods, dishwashers, over-the-range microwaves, cooktops, wall ovens, washer and dryer pedestals); portable and window air conditioners and evaporative coolers; paint sprayers; portable generators, pressure washers, chainsaws, and pole saws; utility vehicles, golf carts, go-karts, and motorized bikes; construction heat and parts; tile saws |
| 30 days | Liquid paint; TVs and electronics; water heaters; HVAC systems; most outdoor power equipment (lawn mowers, leaf blowers, trimmers, tillers, snow blowers, log splitters, chippers, subcompact tractors, and more); special-order custom blinds; plants other than trees, shrubs, and perennials |
| 90 days | Most new, unused merchandise; CRAFTSMAN battery and electric outdoor power equipment |
| 365 days | Trees, shrubs, and perennials (receipt required); most purchases on a Lowe’s Commercial Account, Lowe’s Business Advantage, MyLowe’s Rewards Credit Card, MyLowe’s Pro Rewards Credit or American Express card, or Lowe’s Business Rewards |
You can return to any Lowe’s store in the US. Lowe’s Outlet stores are different: sales there are final, except a major appliance that doesn’t work, returned within 48 hours to the same Outlet. Purchases from a regular Lowe’s store can’t be returned to an Outlet.
Can I return a Lowe’s appliance after 48 hours?
Only in two cases. Lowe’s gives 30 days from delivery or pickup instead of 48 hours if the item is still in its original, unopened, factory-sealed packaging (or unused, if it wasn’t sold in a package), or if you paid with a Lowe’s Commercial Account, a MyLowe’s Rewards Credit Card or MyLowe’s Pro Rewards credit card, Lowe’s Business Rewards, a Lowe’s Preload Plus Mastercard, or Lowe’s Lease-to-Own. Gas-powered portable generators, pressure washers, chainsaws, and pole saws are “not eligible for the 30-day credit extension.” Some articles give appliances 30 days without these conditions; Lowe’s policy starts at 48 hours.
To return an appliance or another large item, bring it to a store or call Lowe’s customer care at 1-800-445-6937 to ask whether it can be picked up from your home. Utility vehicles, golf carts, go-karts, and motorized bikes must go back to a Lowe’s store “in the original state of purchase with original paperwork, including title (if applicable).”
Do I need a receipt to return to Lowe’s?
Yes, or another proof of purchase. Lowe’s says it does not accept returns or exchanges without one, but it can look up a purchase from a physical or electronic receipt, an order number, the payment card or digital wallet you used, your phone number, or your MyLowe’s Rewards or MyLowe’s Pro Rewards account. Its refund verification system may ask for a photo ID: a state driver’s license, state ID card, or military ID.
A gift can go back with the original receipt, inside the item’s return window.
How does Lowe’s pay the refund?
Lowe’s refunds to the original payment method, with these exceptions:
| You paid with | Refund |
|---|---|
| Check | In-store credit if you return within 3 days of buying; after that, cash or in-store credit, as Lowe’s refund verification system decides. Over $1,000 may come as a check by mail, and there is no refund while you have an unpaid check with Lowe’s |
| Cash | A refund over $1,000 may come as a check by mail |
| Gift card, refund card, merchandise card, or in-store credit | In-store credit |
| Lowe’s Pay | Back to the financing company, which handles the refund with you |
| MyLowe’s Money | MyLowe’s Money in your digital wallet |
If you paid by cash (or by check, after the first 3 days) and the order came by scheduled delivery, or you cancel or return it by phone or on Lowes.com, Lowe’s emails a refund voucher within 24 hours of processing. You can cash it at any Lowe’s store with a photo ID that matches the name on it. Lowe’s Pay purchases also don’t get the longer return windows for Lowe’s credit cards.
Once the return is complete, Lowe’s says to allow up to 7 business days for the money to reach your account. On a Buy One, Get One deal, the discount is split across the items, so returning one refunds its share of the price.
What can’t you return to Lowe’s?
Lowe’s lists these as nonrefundable: labor, installation charges, delivery and shipping charges (unless Lowe’s made an error), in-store credits and refund cards, merchandise cards, all gift cards, safety masks and face coverings, highway trailers, whole-house generators, as-is merchandise, paint samples, trading cards, and items that may have touched bodily fluids or waste once used.
Three more rules can catch you out:
- Special-order configured products: returned or canceled more than 72 hours after purchase, they carry a 20% restocking fee, and they go back to the store where you bought them.
- Christmas and Halloween items: return them on or before the holiday itself. Lowe’s treats items bought after the holiday as final sale.
- Trees, shrubs, and perennials: the 365 days need a receipt.
Lowe’s return policy page shows no holiday extension as of October 20, 2026; see holiday return deadlines by store for the stores that do.
Can you mail a return or return an online order?
You can mail back an online purchase only if Lowe’s gave you a FedEx label. Without one, take online and in-store purchases to any Lowe’s store. Orders placed through a third-party marketplace such as Instacart, DoorDash, Shipt, or Uber go back to a store with proof of purchase, within 90 days with some exceptions, and are refunded as in-store credit. Items sold and shipped by third-party sellers on Lowes.com follow the same guidelines as Lowe’s own items.
For an order that arrived damaged or incomplete, call 1-800-445-6937. For a defective product, Lowe’s points to its service line, 1-888-775-6937, and the manufacturer’s warranty.
Does Lowe’s price match?
Yes. Under its Lowest Price Guarantee, Lowe’s matches a current lower price on an identical in-stock item from another retailer, in a store or online. In a store, show the website, ad, printout, or photo to an associate. For a lower online price, chat with Lowe’s or call 1-877-465-6937. The competitor must be able to ship the item to your location, and Lowe’s compares the price including shipping or delivery.
If you find a lower price after you buy, Lowe’s FAQ says to contact it by chat or at 1-877-465-6937, and it honors only requests from the person who made the purchase. Lowe’s pages give no time limit for that request.
Lowe’s does not match:
- Black Friday, Spring Black Friday, and other seasonal or one-time promotions, Buy 1, Get 1 offers, rebates, free offers, bundles, and tax-free events.
- Prices from membership-based retail wholesalers, auction sites, and third-party marketplace sellers. It matches items sold by Amazon.com, but not by other sellers on Amazon.
- Discontinued, used, refurbished, open-box, clearance, seasonal, closeout, or damaged items, and custom special-order products.
- Discounts for groups such as military or loyalty members, volume pricing, and prices from another Lowe’s store or ZIP code.
The guarantee can’t be combined with other Lowe’s offers or coupons, and Lowe’s may limit requests to reasonable quantities. Lowe’s pages don’t say whether it adjusts the price when Lowe’s itself lowers it after you buy.
Sources
- Returns, Refunds & Exchanges at Lowe's (checked )
- Lowest Price Guarantee - Lowe's (checked )
- Cover photo: Mike Mozart, CC BY 2.0
