Restocking Fees: Which Stores Charge Them
Best Buy charges $45 or 15% on some opened items, Newegg up to 15%, Target up to $35 on phones, Zappos up to 50% on noncompliant returns; Micro Center none.
By Olivia HarperContributing writer. Policy checked .
On this page
Store policies change. This page sums up, in our own words, what five stores' own return pages said about restocking fees when we read them on October 27, 2026. Check the store's page before you buy something you might return.
What a restocking fee is
A restocking fee is an amount the store keeps from your refund when you return an item. Stores usually apply it to opened products that are hard to resell as new, such as cameras, phones and computer parts. Best Buy, Newegg and Target say there is no fee when the item comes back unopened; Zappos applies its fee only to returns that break its rules.
Store by store
| Store | Fee | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Best Buy | $45 | Opened activatable devices, such as phones, cellular tablets and hotspots (not prepaid phones) |
| Best Buy | 15% of the price | Opened drones, digital cameras, lenses, camcorders, projectors and screens, premium scooters, special-order products and a few other items |
| Newegg | Up to 15% | Opened hard drives, motherboards, graphics cards, projectors and TVs |
| Target | Up to $35 | Opened mobile phones |
| Zappos | Up to 50% of the item price | Returns that break the policy, such as worn, used or incomplete items |
| Micro Center | None | Micro Center's returns page says it does not charge restocking fees |
Best Buy
Best Buy's policy, marked effective February 23, 2026, lists the fee only for items sold by Best Buy. There is no fee if the product is unopened, or if you bought it in Alabama, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma or South Carolina, or wherever the law prohibits it. Best Buy adds that the fee is taxed in some states, and that missing accessories or packaging can lead to a separate deduction or a refused return.
Newegg
Newegg says the 15% fee may apply to the categories above when they come back opened. New, unopened returns are not charged, and neither are products that arrived damaged or defective. Marketplace sellers on Newegg may add their own terms, so read the seller's profile too.
Target
Target lists the phone charge under its return exceptions. It applies to opened phones only, except where prohibited, and it is taxed in some states. Phones bought on a carrier contract may also bring the carrier's early termination fee.
Zappos
Zappos does not charge a fee on normal returns, which ship back free. Its policy says a return that does not comply, for example worn shoes or a missing shoe box, may get no refund or a fee of up to 50% of the item price.
How to avoid a restocking fee
- Keep the item sealed until you are sure. Best Buy, Newegg and Target all waive the fee for unopened items.
- Return every accessory, manual and the original box.
- Check where you bought it. Best Buy names eight states where it does not charge the fee.
- If the item arrived damaged or defective, say so when you start the return; Newegg, for example, does not charge the fee in that case.
Sources
Return and Exchange Policy, Best Buy; Return policy, Newegg; Return exceptions, Target; Shipping and Returns, Zappos; Return policy, Micro Center. Checked October 27, 2026.