Sephora
return policy.

What is Sephora’s return deadline?

Most Sephora purchases of new or gently used merchandise qualify for a refund within 30 days of purchase with proof of purchase. The policy applies to purchases made on or after April 24, 2025 and was last updated September 2, 2026. Sephora.com says it will not refund items more than 30 days after the purchase date, so do not rely on an older 60-day summary.

The date of purchase matters more than the date you opened the product. For a Sephora.com mail return, Sephora says it must receive the eligible item within the 30-day window; allowing time for shipping is therefore important. The rule covers many products, but an order's seller and channel also determine where it can go. A pickup order, a freestanding-store purchase and a TikTok Shop order do not all follow the same return path.

Can you still rely on an older 60-day Sephora return summary?

No. The cited current policy says Sephora.com will not refund items more than 30 days after purchase. Do not use an older 60-day summary to calculate your return deadline.

Can you return opened or used beauty products to Sephora?

Sephora allows new or gently used products when they otherwise meet the return rules. That does not make every opened product eligible: gift cards, certain Sephora Favorites kits and some intimate-care items are final sale. Sephora validates returns and may limit returns for abuse.

Gently used means the item has been tried, not that any amount of use is accepted. Sephora states that every return is subject to validation and approval and may request a government ID. Keep the original product and any available packaging or order information together so staff can identify the purchase. If a product is damaged or arrived wrong, explain that problem rather than describing it as an ordinary change-of-mind return. The final-sale categories remain final sale even when unopened.

What proof of purchase does Sephora accept?

For an in-store return of a Sephora.com order, Sephora lists the packing slip, order or shipping email, the order on your phone, or Beauty Insider information. Bring the payment card used for the online order. For a store purchase, a receipt or gift receipt is expected. An item that Sephora cannot verify in its system is ineligible for refund, exchange or credit.

For an online order, the confirmation email or order on your phone can be easier to find than a paper slip. Sephora also names Beauty Insider information as a way to locate a Sephora.com purchase in store. For a purchase without a receipt, an item found in Sephora's system may still be processed under the applicable policy; if it cannot be verified, the store says no refund, exchange or merchandise credit is available. Keep the original payment card available when bringing an online order to a store.

How do you start a Sephora return in a store?

Visit a freestanding Sephora store with the item and proof of purchase. Sephora.com orders may be returned there within 30 days, as can eligible store, pickup and same-day delivery purchases. Purchases from Sephora.com and freestanding Sephora stores cannot be returned or exchanged at Sephora at Kohl’s.

A freestanding Sephora store offers the fastest processing for a Sephora.com purchase according to the policy. Bring the item, order proof and the card used to pay. Store staff can also handle eligible pickup, same-day and third-party delivery purchases under the store rules, but the payment marketplace may issue the refund. Sephora at Kohl's is a separate sales channel: a purchase made there goes to Kohl's, while a Sephora.com purchase does not go to a Kohl's counter.

How do you return a Sephora.com order by mail?

Open Sephora’s linked return portal, choose the products and reasons, then use the prepaid label or an available printerless FedEx code. Pack the item securely and use the specified drop-off method. Mail returns from Sephora.com are free when Sephora’s prepaid label is used. Store purchases, pickup orders, same-day delivery, and Instacart, DoorDash or Uber Eats purchases cannot be mailed back under this process.

The return portal asks which products you are sending back and why. If you use Sephora's prepaid label, its instructions say a packing slip is unnecessary; protect the product in its manufacturer box and an outer package or a padded box. A printerless FedEx option may appear, but restricted products such as some hazardous materials need the specified USPS method. Follow the carrier shown by the portal, keep the tracking information and check that the package can arrive within the policy window.

How does Sephora refund a return?

The refund route depends on how and where you paid. A timely mailed Sephora.com card purchase generally returns to the original card; a PayPal purchase mailed back goes to PayPal. Returning a PayPal online order in store instead yields store credit. Sephora says mail processing can take up to 30 days, and the financial institution may take longer to post the credit. Original shipping charges are generally not refunded unless Sephora made an error.

A refund to an original card is different from a Sephora store credit, which is spendable in a store and not on Sephora.com. Likewise, online credit from a mailed return is for Sephora.com and not a physical store. This difference matters for gift-card, online-credit and PayPal purchases. Sephora also removes Beauty Insider points and spend associated with a refunded transaction. The policy separates Sephora's processing period from the additional time a bank may need to display the credit.

Does Sephora refund an in-store return of a PayPal order to PayPal?

No. Returning a Sephora.com PayPal purchase in store yields store credit. An eligible timely mail return instead goes to PayPal. Choose the route with that refund difference in mind.

Can you exchange a Sephora purchase?

Sephora's published return and exchange policy allows eligible new or gently used products to be brought to a freestanding Sephora store within 30 days of purchase, with proof of purchase. The store can validate the transaction and may limit exchanges if it finds abuse. If you bought the item on Sephora.com, bring the packing slip, order or shipping email, the order on your phone, or Beauty Insider information. A gift recipient who wants an exchange without sending a refund to the purchaser should go to a store with the gift receipt or order details. Sephora's mail portal describes returns for refund and does not publish a separate mail exchange procedure. Purchases from Sephora at Kohl's must follow Kohl's channel instead.

Can you exchange a Sephora at Kohl’s purchase at a regular Sephora?

Use Kohl’s channel for Sephora at Kohl’s purchases. A regular Sephora exchange route and the Sephora.com mail return portal do not replace that separate purchase channel’s process.

How do Sephora gift returns work?

If you received a gift by mail and do not want the refund sent to the purchaser, take the item to a Sephora store for help with an exchange or merchandise credit. Bring the packing slip, order or shipping email, or gift-receipt email. Sephora specifically says not to use a mail return for that situation.

If you do not have the purchaser's payment details, the gift receipt email or order information helps the store locate the transaction. A mail return is a poor fit when you want the buyer kept out of the refund, because Sephora directs gift recipients in that situation to a local store. Ask for the exchange or merchandise-credit option before the item is processed. Gift cards themselves are final sale under the published policy; a gift product and a gift card are treated differently.

Which Sephora purchases cannot use the ordinary return route?

Gift cards, certain Sephora Favorites kits and some intimate-care items are final sale. TikTok Shop purchases must be registered and returned through TikTok Shop, not a Sephora store or Sephora.com. Purchases made at Sephora at Kohl’s follow that channel’s separate terms. Check the seller and fulfillment channel on the order before starting a return.

Sephora lists separate instructions for in-store purchases, buy-online-pickup orders, same-day delivery, third-party marketplaces and TikTok Shop. Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats orders can use a freestanding Sephora store but cannot be mailed through the Sephora.com process. TikTok Shop purchases start and finish through TikTok Shop. If the item came from Sephora at Kohl's or kohls.com, follow Kohl's return guidelines. Check the order email and seller before printing a label or visiting a counter.

How do you contact Sephora about a return?

Sephora lists 1-877-737-4672 for US and Canadian customers on its official customer-service page. Its Beauty Insider terms also publish [email protected] as a customer-service email, including for customer-service disputes. Chat and online contact options are available through Sephora's contact page.

For a return that might miss the deadline, contact customer service with the order number, purchase date, item and intended return method. Ask which route applies before shipping a restricted product or visiting a store with a marketplace purchase. Sephora's published customer-service phone and email give you official points of contact; its return page remains the source for eligibility and refund details. Save any response along with your order and tracking information.

Can pickup and delivery purchases go back by mail?

A Sephora buy-online-pickup-in-store order, same-day delivery purchase or order placed through Instacart, DoorDash or Uber Eats cannot use the Sephora.com mail-return process. Bring an eligible item and receipt or gift receipt to a freestanding Sephora store within the 30-day window. The marketplace order is refunded through the marketplace's original payment channel under Sephora's terms, and marketplace fees or shopper tips are not refunded. TikTok Shop is different again: register and complete that return in TikTok Shop. Looking at the fulfillment channel first avoids a wasted mailing label or a trip to the wrong counter.

What happens to Beauty Insider points after a return?

Sephora removes the Beauty Insider points and spend tied to a refunded purchase when it processes the transaction. A return can therefore change both the money you receive and the rewards balance shown in your account. If you used a gift card, online credit or buy-now-pay-later service, the refund destination also depends on whether you returned the item by mail or to a store. Keep the order record and the refund confirmation so you can compare the final amount and reward adjustment. Ask Sephora customer service about a mismatch rather than assuming every credit posts on the same day.