Restocking Fee Rules at Best Buy and the Big Phone Carriers, Plus the States Where It Drops to Zero

A restocking fee is money a store keeps when you return something it can no longer sell as new. At Best Buy it is $45 on phones and 15 percent on items like drones and projectors. Verizon charges $50. AT&T charges up to $55. T-Mobile charges up to $75. Apple and Target post no such fee on their return pages.

The fee hits hardest after the holidays, when gifts come back in bulk. Most people only see it on the refund receipt. By then it is too late to plan around it.

This guide shows what each store says on its own policy page. It also covers the part almost nobody mentions. Best Buy skips the restocking fee in eight states.

What a Restocking Fee Actually Pays For

An opened box cannot go back on the shelf at full price. Someone has to inspect it, repack it, and often sell it as open box at a discount. The restocking fee shifts part of that cost back to you.

That is why the fee usually depends on two things. Was the box opened? And what kind of item is it? Phones, cameras and big gear get charged. A sealed item often does not.

Stores set these rules themselves. They also change them. Best Buy lists an effective date of February 23, 2026 on its current policy.

Restocking Fee by Store

Every row below comes from the store policy page linked in the text. If a page does not state something, the table says so.

Best Buy: Two Fees and Eight States

The Best Buy return and exchange policy splits the fee in two. Activatable devices cost $45 to return, but prepaid phones are left out. Activatable means phones, cellular tablets, mobile hotspots and cellular wearables.

The 15 percent fee covers a specific list. It includes drones, digital cameras, camera lenses, camcorders, golf launch monitors, projectors, projector screens, premium scooters and special-order products.

Then comes the line most shoppers never read. There is no restocking fee if the product is unopened. There is also none if the purchase happens in Alabama, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma or South Carolina, or anywhere the law prohibits it.

Best Buy also says the restocking fee will be taxed in select states. So the real cost can run a little above 15 percent.

A deposit you get back works the opposite way from a fee you lose:

Core Charge Refund Rules at 7 Stores and the Deadlines That Can Cost You the Deposit

Phone Carriers Charge a Flat Amount

Carriers do not use a percentage. They charge a set amount per device.

The Verizon return policy, last updated January 12, 2026, sets a $50 fee plus taxes on any wireless device return or exchange. You get 30 days from purchase.

The AT&T wireless return policy allows up to $55 at an AT&T store. You get only 14 days. Your device must be in like-new condition with all original parts and packaging, or the return may be refused.

The T-Mobile return policy ties the fee to the full retail price. It is $75 for devices at $600 or more, $50 from $300 to $599, and $25 under $300. One catch. A state policy file linked from T-Mobile still lists $70, $40 and $20. Ask which number applies before you sign.

Harbor Freight Marks It on the Price Tag

The Harbor Freight restocking fee page gives no amount. It says the fee may apply and that the item list can change at any time.

The useful part is where to look. Price tags in the store say Subject to Restock Fee. The receipt also shows it. Online, the product page carries the same warning.

Harbor Freight waives the fee in four cases. The item is unopened and new. You exchange it for an upgraded product in the same category. It is replaced under the manufacturer warranty. Or it is replaced under an Extended Service Protection plan.

Harbor Freight also notes that restocking fees are subject to sales tax in select states.

Stores That Post No Restocking Fee

The Apple returns page mentions no restocking fee. It gives 14 calendar days from the day you receive the item. The product must come back with all its parts, accessories and packaging.

The Target returns page calls returns free. It lists 90 days for most items sold by Target. It also warns that electronics have their own return rules, shown on each product page.

Phone carriers love to tack extra lines onto a bill too:

AT&T and T-Mobile Both Raised Phone Bill Fees in 2026. Your Plan Price Never Moved.

What a Restocking Fee Costs in Real Dollars

Here is a hypothetical example using the posted rules. Say you buy an $800 drone at Best Buy, open it, fly it once, and decide it is not for you.

The drone math is simple. 15 percent of $800 is $120. In states that tax the fee, you lose a bit more. That is real money for one weekend of flying.

Is a Restocking Fee Legal?

Stores may charge it, but not everywhere. Best Buy itself drops the fee where the law prohibits it, and lists eight states where it charges none. Rules differ by state, so the answer depends on where you shop.

Each fee in this guide is posted somewhere you can check, on the policy page, the price tag or the receipt. And at Best Buy and Harbor Freight, an unopened item escapes it.

How to Avoid a Restocking Fee

These steps come straight from the policies above.

1. Check the tag and receipt before you buy. Harbor Freight prints the warning on both.
2. Leave the box sealed until you are sure. An unopened item avoids the fee at Best Buy and Harbor Freight.
3. Mark the return deadline the day you buy. AT&T and Apple give only 14 days.
4. Keep every part and the original packaging. AT&T and Apple both require them.
5. Ask about an exchange. Harbor Freight waives the fee when you upgrade within the same category.
6. Use the warranty if the item is faulty. A warranty replacement skips the fee at Harbor Freight.

Return deadlines are easy to lose track of during the holidays. If you juggle several at once, a free tracker with a column for every return deadline keeps them in one place.

Honestly, the sealed box is your best friend here. Open it only when you are sure it stays.

Unplanned buying is where many of these returns start:

The Average American Spends $3,045 a Year on Impulse Buys. I Almost Became One of Them Last Week.

Have you ever lost part of a refund to a restocking fee, and which store was it?

Disclaimer: MoneyWisePro is not a retailer or financial advisor. This article is for general information only and is not financial or legal advice. Contact your store or carrier for guidance on your specific situation.