Costco's "Risk-Free 100% Satisfaction Guarantee" is famous for having no time limit on most items — but the electronics exception catches more members than you'd think. Here's the full picture.
Costco Return Policy at a Glance
| Item Category | Return Window |
|---|---|
| Most general merchandise | No time limit |
| TVs, computers, tablets, cameras, drones, smartwatches | 90 days |
| Major appliances (fridges, washers, dryers, dishwashers) | 90 days |
| Diamonds (with original paperwork) | No time limit, but requires certification |
The "No Time Limit" Reality
Clothing, furniture, toys, books, household goods, non-perishable food, and most jewelry under 1 carat can be returned essentially whenever — next month, next year. This is genuinely one of the most generous policies in retail.
The 90-Day Electronics Exception
This is the part members get wrong. Home electronics, computers, smartwatches, cameras, and major appliances all carry a strict 90-day window, counted from the delivery or purchase date. Costco introduced this specifically to stop people from "renting" TVs for big events and returning them afterward.
After 90 days, you're not out of luck entirely — Costco offers free technical support and warranty coverage on most electronics even once the return window closes.
No Receipt? No Problem (Mostly)
Every purchase is tied to your membership number, so staff can pull up your history digitally — no physical receipt required. That said, Costco does monitor return patterns, and accounts with unusually high return rates can be flagged for a membership review.
Where Members Lose Money
The "no time limit" reputation makes people complacent — and that's exactly the trap. A TV or laptop bought today feels like it has the same forever-window as a sweater, but it doesn't. The 90-day clock is running whether you're thinking about it or not.
Perkminders handles this automatically. Connect your accounts once — bank-level encrypted through Plaid, billing via Stripe — and Perkminders separates your "no time limit" purchases from your 90-day electronics and appliances, reminding you by email or push only when a real deadline is approaching. Your bank login itself is never stored, only the transaction data needed to track the return window. You can also exclude any store you don't want tracked.
Try Perkminders free for 7 days →
Policies change. This guide reflects Costco's policy as of June 2026 — always confirm time-sensitive returns directly with Costco.