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With the holidays quickly approaching, everyone will soon be on the hunt for gifts and the fastest way to get them. Thankfully, many retailers offer generous shipping policies for their products, with some even providing free two-day shipping or even same-day delivery if you’re willing to pay a little extra. And just in case the gift you choose isn’t quite right, many retailers offer extended return policies so your giftee can get something more to their liking.
For your convenience, we’ve compiled the current shipping and return policies for all the big-name retailers, from Amazon to Walmart. A few of them already have policies in place regarding the holidays, but we’ll be keeping tabs on them and updating our list accordingly. Hopefully, knowing more about how much leeway you have to make a return will help lessen that inevitable holiday angst (fingers crossed).
Amazon
Shipping: Same-day delivery is not available on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s (it’s also limited on Black Friday). However, Prime members get free same-day delivery on qualifying orders in qualifying ZIP codes provided they meet the “minimum qualifying dollar threshold” (which varies by location) of eligible items in their cart. One-Day and Two-Day Delivery with no minimum purchase amount required is also available to Prime members for qualifying products. Non-Prime buyers will find shipping options on the order page of each specific product.
Returns: As part of its holiday promotional period, Amazon says most items purchased between November 1st and December 31st can be returned until January 31st, 2026. Apple products, however, must be returned by January 15th, 2026. Note that this policy applies to both Prime and non-Prime buyers.
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge
Apple
Shipping: Apple has yet to provide details on its holiday shipping policy; however, last year, it offered free delivery of in-stock items that hadn’t been engraved by Christmas Eve if you ordered before 9PM ET on December 21st. Apple also offers free next-day or two-hour delivery from local stores in most metro areas for an additional fee, or you can opt to pick up purchases yourself by visiting your local Apple Store.
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