What Is a Restocking Fee and When Do Stores Charge It?
Learn what a restocking fee costs, when retailers add it, and how to keep more of your refund.
A restocking fee is a deduction from a return refund that lets a retailer recover inspection, repackaging, testing, and resale costs, according to the Accounting Insights reporting guide. Stores charge it when a return cannot go straight back on the shelf, most often for opened electronics and activatable phones. That distinction matters because the fee comes out of money you expect back.
Knowing the amount, the trigger, and the disclosure rules helps you decide whether to open, keep, or return an item.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 03, 2026.
How much can the fee cost?
Typical U.S. restocking fees are 10% to 25% of the purchase price. Opened electronics often carry about 15%, while phones may carry a flat amount such as $45, according to Best Buy's Returns page.
On a $400 item, a 15% fee removes $60 from the refund. A flat $45 fee hurts more on a low-cost phone than on a high-cost one.
What costs does the deduction cover?
Inspection covers checking the item, cables, and packaging. Testing covers confirming that electronics power on and activatable devices can be resold. Repackaging covers cleaning, replacing seals, and preparing an open box for resale.
Resale covers the loss when an opened item must sell at a lower open-box price.
What must a store tell you before you buy?
No federal law caps the percentage, but an undisclosed fee can be treated as a deceptive practice under Section 5 of the FTC Act, according to the LegalClarity summary of federal and state rules. The policy must be disclosed before purchase. Read the return terms before paying, not after opening the box.
Look for the fee amount, the items it covers, and the return window.
When must an online order get a full refund?
When a mail, phone, or online seller cannot ship on time, federal mail-order rules require buyer consent to delay or a prompt full refund for unshipped goods, according to the FTC mail-order rule page. That refund leaves no room for a restocking deduction. The same logic applies to canceled orders that never ship.
You did not create inspection or repackaging work, so there is nothing to restock.
How can you lower the chance of a fee?
Open the item only after you have compared prices, measured the space, and confirmed compatibility. Save the policy page before you pay so you can compare it to your receipt.
- Check the return policy before paying and save a copy.
- Wait to open electronics until you are keeping the item.
- Keep all parts, seals, manuals, and the box until the return window ends.
- Ask whether an exchange avoids the fee when you need a different model.