Amazon Extends Holiday Returns to January 31, 2026

To encourage earlier holiday shopping and give sellers more runway for Q4 sales, Amazon will extend the holiday return window again this year. For purchases made November 1 through December 31, 2025, most items will be eligible for return through January 31, 2026. (An exception applies to Apple-branded products, which must be returned by January 15, 2026.)

What's Covered

The Amazon holiday return policy 2025 applies to:

• Amazon Retail (sold by Amazon)
• Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) orders
• Seller-fulfilled (FBM) orders

Amazon notes that the return eligibility criteria remain unchanged. Shoppers can review category-specific standards on the official returns page, while sellers should continue following existing guidelines for condition, packaging, and restocking where applicable.

Why It Matters

Amazon says the extended window mirrors prior years and is designed to boost shopper confidence, which typically lifts seasonal conversion rates. The company also appears to be giving sellers more lead time than in 2022—when a late-September announcement left barely a week to prepare. Since 2023, the effective start date has been standardized to November 1 to keep October events like Prime Big Deal Days separate.

Category Update: Collectibles

Beginning October 1, 2025, certain collectibles fulfilled via FBA—specifically trading cards and Funko Pop! figures—are designated “final sale” and not eligible for return. This carve-out aims to reduce condition disputes and handling risks unique to collectible items.

International Note

Amazon's Japan marketplace has already confirmed the same extended window: items shipped by Amazon.co.jp or third-party sellers between November 1 and December 31, 2025 are returnable through January 31, 2026.

What Sellers Should Watch

While a longer window offers buyers flexibility, some merchants worry about a post-holiday return surge squeezing margins in January. Best practices include:

• Forecasting January “giveback” rates in your P&L
• Tightening packaging and QC to lower defect-driven returns
• Clarifying listing details (size, compatibility, materials) to reduce remorse returns
• Tracking FBA returns reasons to identify fixable issues quickly

A Logistics Note

If you're staging inventory for Q4 or planning January reverse-logistics, Forest Shipping, a China-based freight forwarder, can help coordinate end-to-end solutions—from factory pickup and FBA prep to international freight and delivery into Amazon fulfillment centers. Streamlined inbound logistics can offset some volatility that extended returns may introduce.

Bottom Line

The extended return window—most items returnable until January 31, 2026—is meant to build trust and stimulate holiday demand. Sellers that plan for January returns, optimize listings, and align their logistics will be best positioned to capture peak-season sales while keeping costs in check.