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Everybody Loves Your Money

Living for today - Planning for Tomorrow

by: Taylor Haahr

How to Return Items to Walmart Without a Receipt


Sometimes you get an item that simply doesn’t work for you. Maybe the item doesn’t work how you wanted it to, it’s broken or you simply decide that you no longer want it. And then, to make matters worse, you lose your receipt. Can you return items to Walmart without a receipt?

Can You Return Items to Walmart Without a Receipt?

Yes, you’ll be pleased to know that you can return items to Walmart without a receipt. Though there are some limits on what you can return, and multiple no receipt returns could be flagged in their system. 

A while back Walmart updated their system to make it easier to make a return, even when you don’t have a receipt on you. Their system is able to retrieve the receipt on it’s own so long as you have the information required on-hand.

But there is a maximum of three no receipt returns that you can make within a six month period of time. More than that and they will flag you for security purposes. It’s also important to note that going to a different Walmart won’t help because their systems are all connected. 

You might also need to take into consideration stores that no longer have that in their inventory. While you tend to be able to return items to any Walmart, regardless of where you purchased it, you might come into issue if the store doesn’t carry the particular item. 

Credit or Debit Returns Without a Receipt

Credit and debit purchases are the easiest to return without a receipt because Walmart’s system can scan the UPC code and search the last few digits of your card to verify the purchase. 

Some shoppers do share that if your purchase is over a certain amount (most sources say $20) they will return an item and probably issue you a store credit. Really large items will likely be returned as a store credit, plus they will have to be returned to the store they were purchased at. 

It’s also important to note that if something is returned outside of the window, or the cashier even believes it might be, then they have the right to refuse to return the item. You will also likely to present a government issued ID.  

Cash Returns Without a Receipt

It tends to be a bit more challenging to return an item without a receipt if you paid cash. But these purchases still can technically be returned— but there is a little more cashier or management discretion with these returns. 

However, in the case of a cash purchase, you’re most likely looking at a store credit return. If the item isn’t ridiculously expensive, they can typically ring the sku or UPC number through and give you cash or store credit for the time.

But if you are acting suspiciously, they might require a government-issued ID to make the return. They’ll likely record it for security purposes and could flag you if they find you’re returning too many items. 

Special Cases

While Walmart has a 90-day return policy on most items, there are a few cases where you might not be able to take advantage of their generous return policy. This is especially the case with items that have time limits on their return policies.

Some items that you could run into issues with include:

  • Cellular phones
  • Other electronics 
  • Alcohol or tobacco

Most cellular phones have a seven day return policy, and, in some cases, they cannot be returned even in that time frame if they’ve been used a certain amount. Many electronics that have memory have a 15-day return limited. 

Alcohol and tobacco have a 24-hour return policy, not only that but they often need a receipt (per state or federal regulations) and need to be returned to the exact store they were purchased.

That said, some time periods, like holidays might have an extended return date to take into consideration gifts. 

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