Feb 28, 2023

Costco Canada Return Policy: What You Can and Cannot Do

Some of our readers were asking about the Costco Canada return policy. Even if it’s so generous, better than any other major store in Canada, you’d want to know the details. You must have heard stories about how people were trying to return a broken appliance purchased at a local Costco several years ago. We don’t know if that trick worked - and we don’t recommend trying to return stuff from years ago. But we suggest looking at Costco Canada’s return policy in detail here.


Costco’s return policy is legendary without doubt. You can return almost everything, anytime. But there are some exceptions and limitations a smart shopper should know before heading back to a Costco Canada store to return an item.

Costco Canada’s Official Return Policy


Costco’s official slogan is “Risk-free, 100% satisfaction guarantee”. These are not empty words. Costco does delivery on this promise with their liberal return policy. 

The trick is different here - you are not limited with the buyer’s remorse anymore. You can buy more, try, and return if you don’t like the product. Costco people know that some of the big purchases stick - people actually like owning more things than what they dislike and return.

The majority of the products you buy at Costco have the 90-day no-question-asked return policy. But there are some exceptions from this rule. You will find these exceptions when you scroll down here. 

Let’s first start with what you can return without any problems.

What’s the Refund Policy on Your Costco Membership Card



If you are not happy with your Costco membership, Costco will refund your membership fee in full. This is a good way to downgrade your membership if you realize that you’re not using your membership to its full potential.

What’s Costco Canada’s Return Policy on Electronics?



Costco Canada accepts returns within 90 days from the date of purchase for:

  • TVs
  • Projectors
  • Computers
  • Cameras
  • Aerial Cameras
  • Camcorders
  • Tablets’
  • Smart watches
  • Smartphones (unless there are individual conditions related to your contract)

You should also know about the existence of Costco’s Concierge program for electronics. Within this program in Canada, Costco extends the manufacturer's warranty on TVs, projectors, major appliances and computers (excluding tablets) to 2 years from the date of purchase if the manufacturer's warranty is less than 2 years. It’s such an amazing consumer-focused program! 

With this 2-year coverage, Costco still accepts returns within 90 days from the date of purchase for the following items:

•     Refrigerators
•     Wine Cellars
•     Washers
•     Dryers
•     Dishwashers
•     Freezers
•     Ranges
•     Range Hoods
•     Cooktops
•     Wall Ovens

What’s Costco Canada’s Return Policy on Mattresses?



Mattresses fall under the regular 90-day return policy. Well, you may get looks from Costco employees if your returned mattress shows signs of heavy usage. But, hey, all mattress companies allow you to return the mattress within the first 30-days (at least), if you don’t like it.

What’s Costco Canada’s Return Policy on Furniture?



The answer here is similar to the one about mattresses. Here act fast if you don’t like that coach or armchair. Return within the 90-day period after the purchase.

What’s Costco Canada’s Return Policy on Food?



Costco will accept all foods for a refund, even if it’s opened food. If you always fear buying something because you might not have liked it. It’s time to try those foods. In the end there is nothing to lose.

What’s Costco Canada’s Return Policy on Jewellery?



Expensive jewellery is a different category. So be careful about what you buy at Costco and when and how you want to return it. The issue is usually with diamonds.

When you return an item with a “large” diamond (1.00 carat or larger), Costco will not refund straight away. They need some time to verify the return to make sure the diamond is all legit. Such a process takes between 2-5 business days before the refund happens.

Limited Return Period



Certain products with a limited useful life expectancy like tires or batteries will have a shorter return period and usually have a specific limited warranty. The restrictions will be mentioned to you at the cashier or at the point of purchase.

Non-returnable Items at Costco Stores in Canada



Costco Canada does not accept these products if you want to return them:

  • Alcohol 
  • Cigarettes

If your province prohibits such returns to stores, Costco complies with it.

If you ordered custom products or services, Costco will not accept these as returns. Such products and services may be covered by their own individual repair warranties.


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Well, there are a couple of important questions about Costco’s return policy that you may want to have answers to:

Can you return your Costco.ca orders in store?


Yes, you can. To make the process fast at the return desk, have all the order details with you. Print out the invoice or show it on your smartphone to the clerk.

Will Costco adjust the lower price on Costco.ca?


Yes, if you shop on Costco.ca and you see the price of something you bought went down within 30 days of your purchase, you can request a price adjustment. So Costco.ca will issue a credit for the difference between the price paid and the current lower price on Costco.ca if your purchase was made online at Costco.ca and placed within 30 days prior to the change in the price of the item. 

What is Costco’s return policy without a receipt?


You can return a product without a receipt at Costco. There is no joking about it! Because Costco is a membership based store, all your purchases are registered in their system. So the clerk can find your past purchases within a couple of clicks in their computers.

Can your Costco membership be cancelled due to many returns?


Yes, Costco may cancel your membership because of a high amount of returns made within a short period of time. Such stories are rare, though.

Will Costco Travel accept returns?


Costco Travel is a service. So the returns are possible for specific hotels or airlines. Costco will help cancel, but they cannot control the cancellation fees from the airline or hotel if there is anything.

We hope we helped you understand Costco Canada’s return policy better. You can always refer to their official return policy page in Canada for more details. 

Our Verdict


Costco's return policy in Canada is very generous, as it offers customers great flexibility to return products without any friction.

Costco offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all products sold. This means that if you are not satisfied with your purchase, you can return it for a full refund, even without a specific reason.

Costco offers an unconditional 90-day return policy on most electronics, appliances, jewelry, and furniture. You can therefore return items for any reason within 90 days of purchase and receive a full refund. 

Costco also offers an easy and convenient return process, where you can return items to any Costco store, even if they were purchased online.

This extremely generous return policy is a proof of the company's commitment to customer satisfaction and its reputation for providing excellent customer service.

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