SEPHORA and Ulta Beauty fans will be racing to return unwanted purchases as the two retailers launch new return policies.
As the two beauty giants enforce even stricter rules, shoppers will have half the amount of time to bring back returns.
Sephora has rolled out a revamped return policy even stricter than before[/caption]
Ulta Beauty fans similarly have less time than before to bring back unwanted items[/caption]
Both Sephora and Ulta Beauty have made major changes to their return windows on most purchases, axing the time that shoppers have to return unwanted items in half.
Whereas customers at both retailers previously had 60 days to bring back items for their money back, they now only have 30 days.
The two beauty giants have also tightened the rules around how products can be returned.
Sephora’s new returns window is in effect for purchases made on or after April 24, 2025, allowing shoppers to return new or gently used items for a full refund to their original method of payment.
In order for the return to be valid, the purchase must have been made after that date, returned within 30 days of purchase, and proof of purchase is required.
While Sephora may still honor returns without a receipt or if the purchase is not linked to a Beauty Insider account, this is not guaranteed and is at the discretion of the store.
The beauty chain also made a minor tweak to its return policy on July 23, although it is not specified on its returns page.
Rival Ulta Beauty has similarly cracked down on its return policy in recent months, rolling out stricter rules in November 2024, right before the holiday season.
The retailer likewise shortened its refund window from 60 days to 30 days from the purchase date, per its returns page.
Shoppers who make returns between 31 and 60 days after purchase can receive a merchandise credit, while returns made after 60 days are no longer accepted for any refund.
Regardless of the timeframe, all returns require proof of purchase such as a receipt or a confirmation email.
The U.S. Sun reached out to Sephora and Ulta Beauty for comment on their updated return policies.
EXPERT OPINION
Sephora and Ulta Beauty are both taking a gamble by rolling out less consumer-friendly changes to their return polices, according to David Sobie, CEO of Happy Returns, which collaborates with the NRF to produce an annual report on returns.
“Return policies are no longer just a post-purchase consideration – they’re shaping how younger generations shop from the start,” said Sobie.
Return policies: Sephora and Ulta Beauty
Sephora:
If you are not completely satisfied with a Sephora purchase or gift for any reason, Sephora welcomes you to return new or gently used products for a full refund to your original method of payment if returned within 30 days of purchase, in most cases. In order to complete the return, you must have a proof of purchase.
Please review our return, refund, and exchange policies below for purchases made on Sephora.com, purchases made in Sephora stores, and purchases made on third party on-demand delivery marketplaces such as Instacart, Doordash and Shipt.
- Products must be returned in new or gently used condition.
- Sephora monitors return activity for abuse and reserves the right to limit returns or exchanges at Sephora in all instances.
- Beauty Insider points and spend associated with all refunds will be removed when the transaction is processed.
- All returns are subject to validation and approval at Sephora’s discretion.
- If a return is not approved by Sephora for any reason, the item may not be returned to you.
- We may ask you for a driver’s license or government ID to verify your identity.
Ulta Beauty:
Ulta Beauty is committed to making the return process simple and seamless for you.
You can return most new or gently used products within 30 days of the original purchase date for a refund to the original form of payment, subject to refund restrictions below. Returns made from 31-60 days of the original purchase date are eligible for a merchandise credit. Returns must include all original components.
- A proof of purchase is required for any return unless we can verify the original purchase in our system.
- To offer the best experience, Ulta Beauty reserves the right to require a government-issued physical ID and phone number or email for any returns, and to limit returns if there’s reason to suspect misuse of our policy, such as excessive returns, reseller activity, or fraud.
- All returns are subject to validation and approval at Ulta Beauty’s discretion.
- Any products that are not verified within our system or are not otherwise accompanied by proof of purchase are ineligible for a refund, exchange or merchandise credit
“With behaviors like bracketing and rising return rates putting strain on traditional systems, retailers need to rethink reverse logistics.”
He noted that there are strategies that can benefit both the consumer and the retailer.
“Solutions like no box/no label returns with item verification enable immediate refunds, meeting customer expectations for convenience while increasing accuracy, reducing fraud and helping to protect profitability in a competitive market,” he said.
PURCHASE PRIORITIES
One of the key factors that shoppers consider when determining where to shop is a retailer’s return policy, as a liberal policy instills confidence in their purchases.
Three-fourths of consumers take into account whether a store offers free returns when deciding where to spend their money, and 67% said that a negative return experience would put them off from shopping there again, per the National Retail Federation.
While lenient return policies benefit customers, refunds are a major problem for the retail industry and lead to increased costs, with the total returns estimated at a whopping $890 billion last year, per NRF.
Having generous returns guidelines also causes a number of issues for companies, such as fraudulent and abusive return practices.
Roughly 93% of retailers said that such exploitive behavior is a huge problem for their business, causing both logistical and financial strain.
One of the ways that consumers abuse return policies is via bracketing, which involves buying several products with the intention of returning some of them.
This method has become increasingly popular among younger shoppers, with 51% of Gen Z consumers admitting to have engaged in bracketing, per NRF.
Sephora and Ulta Beauty aren’t the only major chains that have switched up their store return policies.
Home Depot and Lowe’s, for example, rolled out strict new 48-hour return policies – and shoppers have threatened to sue.
Meanwhile, Costco is on the other end of the returns spectrum, with a shopper stunned by its “unbeatable” policy after returning a 13-year-old kitchen item and getting even more money back.
