Online Shoppers, Say Goodbye to Free Returns 

Nothing in life is free. Not even online returns.

For years, consumers got used to treating their bedrooms like fitting rooms as e-commerce grew in popularity and eventually boomed during the pandemic. Sure, there was the convenience of ordering a new pair of shoes and having them delivered to your doorstep. But one of the other major bonuses of online shopping was that you could send back your purchases with no questions asked and no money asked for. 

That benefit — once an industry norm — is going by the wayside. In the US, 72% of merchants charge for at least some return options, up from 66% last year, according to a report published by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and UPS-owned logistics company Happy Returns in October. That’s in part due to the same reason that shopping is more expensive across the board nowadays: tariffs. 

Got Membership? 

Tariffs have pushed up the costs of goods and labor. As companies’ overall cost of doing business increases, so has the cost of managing returns — think everything from shipping prices to labor at distribution centers. 

As a result, retailers have had to pivot. Free returns are now a perk, not a guarantee: 

• More retailers are offering free online returns as a reward for signing up for their membership or loyalty programs, says David Morin, vice president of customer strategy at returns technology company Narvar. At Macy’s, for instance, return shipping is free for Star Rewards members, but $9.99 plus tax for non-members. 
• First-party data is critical to retailers, and having customers sign up for those programs gives them access to it, Morin says. Customers don’t seem to mind: 73% of the roughly 3,500 consumers Narvar surveyed for its 2025 State of Post-Purchase Report said they would share more personal data with trusted retailers if it gave them better loyalty perks and experiences. 

Go Old School: You can also almost always just head to a physical store to avoid the return fee (and get a faster refund). Amazon, which has upended the way we think about online shopping, lets customers return items at Whole Foods, Kohl’s, Staples and UPS in addition to its own physical stores.