T-Mobile Return Policy 2026: 14 Days, 20 Online

The T-Mobile return policy gives you 14 days from the purchase date to return a phone at a T-Mobile store, and 20 days from the date it shipped if you ordered online or by phone. You may owe a $25, $50 or $75 restocking fee, set by the phone's full retail price. Buy the same phone through Costco and you get 90 days.

Below, every clause is quoted from T-Mobile's live policy: the condition rules, what comes off your refund, the prepaid and gift-card exclusions, the authorized-dealer split, the two return phone numbers, what happens if you miss the window, how Hawaii and Puerto Rico differ, and how T-Mobile compares with Verizon and AT&T.

The T-Mobile Return Policy in 60 Seconds

If you read nothing else, this is the official T-Mobile policy compressed into the rules you actually need at the register or at the keyboard.

• In-store: 14 days from the purchase or lease date of the original device. Bring the receipt, the original packaging, and every accessory and cable.
• Online or phone order: 20 days from the date the device shipped to you — not the date it arrived, not the order date. Ship it back or take it to a T-Mobile store.
• Costco partnership: 90 days from the purchase or lease date of the original device. Costco's dedicated T-Mobile support team handles these returns at 833-906-2803.
• Restocking fee, tiered by Full Retail Price (FRP): $75 for devices with FRP of $600 or more, $50 for FRP between $300–$599, $25 for FRP under $300.
• Condition requirement, verbatim: "in its package, with all contents, undamaged and in good working condition, with no material alterations to the Device's hardware or software."
• Deducted from your refund: any rebates received, applicable taxes and fees, and shipping costs — though the deduction list is shorter in Hawaii, which drops taxes and fees. See the three jurisdiction documents.
• Non-refundable, full stop: prepaid services, e-coupons, and gift cards.
• Authorized third-party dealers (think kiosks, mall stores, big-box partners other than Costco) follow their own return policies for refunds and exchanges; T-Mobile's policy only adds a 14-day path to cancel service by returning the device to that dealer.
• Two return phone numbers: 1-866-675-1292 if you are new to T-Mobile, 1-800-937-8997 if you are an existing customer returning an upgrade.
• No holiday extension: T-Mobile's return policy page lists none. A phone bought in store December 10 must be back by December 24; an online order shipped December 10, by December 30.

The detail that's easy to miss: T-Mobile's online window is longer than its in-store window — 20 days vs 14. If you're undecided about a phone, ordering online adds six days to the clock, minus however long the box spends in transit. And Costco's 90-day partnership window is more than six times longer than walking into a T-Mobile store for the same device on the same day.

Which of T-Mobile's Rulebooks Applies to You

T-Mobile does not publish one return policy. It publishes four, one per sales channel, and then layers a jurisdiction document on top of whichever one you land in. Where you bought the phone sets the window and the fee; where you live can change the fee again. A device bought at a T-Mobile store gets 14 days; the same device bought through Costco gets 90. The policy text never puts them side by side, so here they are.

The last row is not a fifth sales channel — it sits on top of whichever of the four applies to you. Two rows cost people real money. The Costco row buys 76 extra days on the identical device, and it's easy to miss that the warehouse-club version of the same purchase runs on a 90-day clock. The jurisdiction row is the one people rarely check, because you have to open a PDF to find it.

Read the last row first. The restocking fee, the deduction list and even where you are allowed to hand the phone back all change depending on which of T-Mobile's three jurisdiction documents applies to you. Full breakdown in the three jurisdiction documents.

In-Store Returns: The 14-Day Retail Window

T-Mobile's policy for purchases made at a T-Mobile retail store is exactly 14 days — and the clock starts on the purchase or lease date of the original device, not on activation, not on the date you first opened the box.

Here's the rule, pulled verbatim from t-mobile.com/responsibility/legal/return-policy:

"You can return or exchange a Device or accessory ('Device') for a refund within 14 days of the purchase or lease date of the original Device. Return the Device with your receipt, in its package, with all contents, undamaged and in good working condition, with no material alterations to the Device's hardware or software, to a T-Mobile retail location."

A few non-obvious mechanics fall out of that one paragraph.

Day 0 is the purchase date. A phone you bought on June 1 must be returned by June 15 at the latest. The policy builds in no extra time for weekends, store hours or holidays, so if your store is closed on June 15, go on June 14. Holiday shoppers get the same 14 days: a phone bought in store on December 10 is due back by December 24.

The clock applies to the original device. The policy measures the 14 days from "the purchase or lease date of the original Device," so if you exchange Phone A for Phone B on day 8, don't expect a fresh 14 days for Phone B. You get the remainder of the original window.

Bring the receipt. The policy says to return the device "with your receipt," and it describes no no-receipt path. A printed copy or the receipt emailed to you at checkout is the safe bet.

"All contents" means everything in the box. Charging cable, SIM tray pin, paperwork, the cardboard insert. A missing piece means the return doesn't meet the policy's "all contents" condition.

"No material alterations to the Device's hardware or software" is the clause that catches jailbreaks, custom ROMs, unauthorized network unlocks, and physical case modifications. If you sideloaded a custom Android image to test something, restore the factory image before returning.

If you've already opened the phone and you're close to day 14, pull the receipt out of your email now and walk it to the nearest T-Mobile store the same day. Fourteen days is short by retail standards: Costco gives 90 days on most electronics, phones included.

Online and Phone Orders: The 20-Day Window From Ship Date

If you bought the phone on T-Mobile.com, through the T-Mobile app, or by calling T-Mobile customer care, the window is six days longer — 20 days from the date the device shipped to you. Verbatim from the official policy:

"Return the Device or accessory ('Device') to a T-Mobile retail location or ship the Device back to us within 20 days of the date the Device shipped to you, to return or exchange the Device or cancel your new service activation for any reason."

That single sentence does three things many online buyers miss.

The clock starts at ship date, not delivery date. If your phone shipped on June 1 and arrived on June 4, you do not have 20 days from June 4 — you have 20 days from June 1, which means your true return-by date is June 21. The three days in transit ate three days of your window. The same math applies to holiday orders: a phone that shipped on December 10 is due back by December 30, however late it arrived.

You can return online orders to a T-Mobile retail store. The policy lets you "Return the Device ... to a T-Mobile retail location or ship the Device back to us," so you don't have to ship it. Walking into a store removes the transit risk, and you can cancel the new service activation in the same visit.

The window also covers canceling a new service activation. This is the "buyer's remorse" path for people who switched carriers, hated the coverage in their neighborhood, and want to undo the whole port-in. T-Mobile expressly lets you cancel inside the 20-day window.

When you do ship the device back, T-Mobile emails you a prepaid shipping label. But, as we'll see in the refund-deduction section, the policy also lists "shipping costs" among the deductions from your refund, so don't expect shipping you paid at checkout to come back.

T-Mobile Restocking Fee: $25, $50 or $75 by Full Retail Price

This is the line item that catches T-Mobile returners off guard, and it is the same in the in-store rule and the online rule. The official policy:

"You may also be required to pay a restocking fee based on the Full Retail Price ('FRP') of the Device as follows: $75 for devices with a FRP of $600 or more; $50 for devices with a FRP between $300-$599; and $25 for devices with a FRP of less than $300."

Two clarifications carriers sometimes elide:

Restocking fee is tied to Full Retail Price, not your discounted out-of-pocket cost. If you bought a $1,200 iPhone through T-Mobile's equipment installment plan (EIP) and only paid $0 down at the register, the FRP is still $1,200 — you'd owe the $75 tier, not the $25 tier, because the restocking calculation looks at the phone's sticker price.

Check how the fee is collected. The policy says you "may also be required to pay" the fee but not whether it comes off your refund or lands on your bill, so look for it on both.

A small but meaningful note in the official text: T-Mobile says the fee "may be required" — not "will be." T-Mobile doesn't publish when it waives the fee; document any T-Mobile error before asking. Geography matters more than persuasion here. The only jurisdiction where T-Mobile's own paperwork drops the fee is Hawaii, whose return-policy document carries no restocking clause — and both AT&T and Verizon name Hawaii as an exclusion in their own fee text. The three jurisdiction documents covers that in full. Other states regulate refund practices in various ways, which our return policy laws by state guide tracks.

For a deeper dive on how every major retailer structures its restocking fee, see our complete guide to restocking fees in 2026.

What "Good Working Condition" Actually Means

The condition clause is short, but each adjective carries weight. From the policy:

"Return the Device with your receipt, in its package, with all contents, undamaged and in good working condition, with no material alterations to the Device's hardware or software."

In practice, that sentence breaks down into four things to check before you hand the phone over:

1. Physical condition. Cracks, dents, a bent frame or a tripped water indicator mean the phone isn't "undamaged," and T-Mobile's policy then allows a repair charge, or full retail price if destroyed (see consequences).
2. Working condition. Make sure the phone powers on, resets and connects before you go. If it doesn't, tell the store it's defective rather than presenting it as a change-of-mind return.
3. Packaging and contents. Charging cable, SIM tray, eject pin (in older boxes), documentation, and original box. Missing items can get the return refused or charged.
4. Software state. Run a full factory reset (Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings on iOS; on Android, Settings → System → Reset options, though the path varies by manufacturer). Turn off Find My iPhone and Google's Factory Reset Protection first — both keep the phone locked to your account even after a reset.

What's Deducted From Your Refund

T-Mobile's policy names three deductions, and a restocking fee may apply on top. Verbatim:

"Refunds and exchanges will be less any rebates received, applicable taxes and fees, and shipping costs."

That short clause expands to:

Rebates received — if you got a $200 promo rebate for switching from Verizon, it comes off your refund. Promotions can cost you more than the rebate, too: "Certain promotional offers may require you to return all items you received with your Device and could cause you to become ineligible for any promotional discounts."

Applicable taxes and fees — the policy lists these as deductions without saying which taxes or fees it means. Ask the store or the return line to itemize them on your refund, and compare against your original receipt.

Shipping costs — T-Mobile emails a prepaid label for the return, but the policy doesn't say which shipping it deducts, so expect any shipping you paid at checkout to stay charged.

Restocking fee — see the tier table above.

For a refund that started as a $1,099 phone with $20 outbound shipping and a $200 switch-rebate, the math looks something like:

$1,099 device price
- $ 75 restocking fee (FRP $600+)
- $200 rebate received
- $ 20 original outbound shipping
= $804, before any taxes and fees T-Mobile deducts

That assumes the restocking fee comes off the refund rather than landing on your bill; the policy doesn't say which.

That's why the credit card you used for the original purchase matters: if the math feels wrong when the refund posts, you have a dispute path through your card issuer's chargeback process — but only if you can document the policy and the deductions.

The Costco Partnership: 90 Days and a Dedicated Line

This is the easiest rule in T-Mobile's policy to miss. T-Mobile lists "Purchases made in partnership with Costco" as their own channel, and its Legal Center carves out a much longer window for those buyers. Verbatim:

"Purchases made in partnership with Costco. To receive a refund or exchange, you must return the device within 90 days of the date of your purchase or lease date of the original device. Costco's dedicated T-Mobile support team is ready to assist with any returns by calling 833-906-2803. All original contents must be undamaged and in good working condition, and you must provide your original receipt."

Three things to know:

90 days is more than six times longer than T-Mobile retail. Buy the same iPhone through Costco on June 1 and you get until August 30 to test it. Buy it at a T-Mobile store and you get until June 15.

The Costco return runs through Costco's dedicated T-Mobile line, not the T-Mobile customer-care numbers. Call 833-906-2803, not the general numbers we'll cover in the process section.

Costco's own electronics rule is also 90 days, so the two line up. Costco's return policy gives 90 days on electronics, and its list includes "Cellular Phones (return details will vary by carrier service contract)." For the full Costco electronics return rules, see our dedicated guide.

If a phone matters and you want maximum testing time, the math is clear: buying the device through Costco gets you the same phone on the same network with more than six times the window. One more sentence in the Costco paragraph matters before you count on those 90 days: every device you received as part of a promotional offer, such as a "Buy One Get One Free" deal, "must be returned," and the same sentence warns that "some limited edition and other devices may not be refunded or exchanged." If you bought a limited-edition phone, confirm with Costco's T-Mobile line at 833-906-2803 that it can come back before you rely on the window.

Prepaid, E-Coupons, and Gift Cards Are Non-Refundable

T-Mobile draws a hard line on three categories of purchase. Verbatim:

"Prepaid services, e-coupons, and gift cards are non-refundable."

Each line item is its own trap.

Prepaid services — if you bought a T-Mobile Prepaid plan with airtime credit, the airtime credit is not refundable, even within the 20-day window. The policy doesn't carve prepaid handsets or SIM kits out of the device rules, but the service you paid for is gone.

E-coupons — promotional codes you redeemed at checkout are non-refundable: return the item and you get back the cash you paid, not the coupon's value.

Gift cards — T-Mobile gift cards cannot be refunded. State gift card expiration laws can protect the balance for whoever holds the card, but T-Mobile won't turn the card back into cash for the person who bought it.

This carve-out matters most for gift purchases. If a relative paid for your phone with a T-Mobile gift card, ask before you return it how the refund will be issued, because the policy doesn't say.

Authorized Third-Party Dealers: A Separate Rulebook

This is the trap that surprises customers who bought a phone at a mall kiosk, a "T-Mobile Authorized Retailer" storefront, or a third-party big-box partner. T-Mobile's own policy hands the refund question to the dealer:

"For Device and accessory refunds and exchanges, see the individual authorized dealer's return policies applicable to your purchase. To cancel service, return your Device in its original package with all original contents undamaged and in good working condition with no material alterations, within 14 days of the purchase date of the original Device to the authorized dealer location where you purchased it."

Two practical effects:

The 14-day service-cancellation path still runs through the dealer. Whatever the dealer's own refund terms say, T-Mobile's policy tells you that to cancel service you return the device to the dealer location where you bought it within 14 days of the purchase date. The device refund, though, depends on the dealer's separate policy.

Authorized dealers set their own fees. T-Mobile's $25/$50/$75 tiers don't bind them, so a dealer's restocking fee, refund rules or exchange-only terms can differ. Read the receipt at point of sale, especially the small print.

A simple test if you're not sure whether you're at a corporate T-Mobile store or an authorized dealer: corporate stores list "T-Mobile" on the receipt. Authorized dealers usually list their own business name (a company name ending in LLC or Inc.) on the receipt and may have additional non-T-Mobile branding inside.

Costco is also a partner channel, but as we saw in the Costco section, T-Mobile carves Costco out into a specific 90-day rule rather than leaving Costco subject to the generic dealer carve-out.

Trade-Ins, Promotions, and Bundle Returns

T-Mobile's policy gives the carrier broad latitude to claw back promotional discounts when you return a phone that anchored the promotion:

"Certain promotional offers may require you to return all items you received with your Device and could cause you to become ineligible for any promotional discounts."

In practice, this affects three common scenarios:

Trade-in promos. The return policy doesn't say what happens to a phone you traded in. Don't count on getting it back, and wipe your personal data from it before you hand it over.

Bundle deals. On a "Buy One, Get One" style offer, the policy's promotional clause can require you to return everything you received with the device, and the return can cost you the promotional discount. The Costco paragraph is blunter: every device received as part of a promotional offer "must be returned." Check the offer terms for what happens to the device you keep.

Promo credits paid as monthly bill credits. Many T-Mobile promotions pay out as monthly bill credits rather than an upfront discount. T-Mobile's deal terms say that if you cancel your entire account before receiving all bill credits, "credits stop," and that "Bill credits end if you pay off device early," so expect the remaining credits to stop when the phone goes back. The return policy itself warns a return "could cause you to become ineligible for any promotional discounts."

If you're considering a switch, scan the T-Mobile vs Verizon vs AT&T comparison below to compare windows and fees before you commit. Our AT&T return policy guide covers that carrier's 14-day window (the same length as T-Mobile's in-store window) and its refund timing of up to two AT&T bill periods. For how stores handle price drops after you buy, see our guide to price adjustment policies at every major store.

How to Start an Online Return: The Two Phone Numbers

T-Mobile's policy spells out two separate phone numbers for online return authorizations, and which one you call depends entirely on whether you're a new customer or an existing customer upgrading.

"If you chose to ship the Device contact us and we will email you a prepaid shipping label for your return. You are responsible for any charges incurred prior to service cancellation. If you are new to T-Mobile contact us at 1-866-675-1292 to request a Return Authorization for all returns and exchanges or to return your Device and cancel your new service activation. If you are a current T-Mobile customer returning an upgrade Device contact us at 1-800-937-8997 to request a Return Authorization for all returns and exchanges."

The policy assigns the first number to customers new to T-Mobile and the second to current customers returning an upgrade.

• 1-866-675-1292 — new to T-Mobile: returns, exchanges, or returning the device and cancelling your new service activation.
• 1-800-937-8997 — current T-Mobile customer returning an upgrade device: returns and exchanges.

Keep the order number and ship date handy when you call; our guide to tracking online purchases shows how to keep them in one place.

Six steps to a clean online return:

1. Day 1 of decision — find the order in your T-Mobile account or the original order email. Note the ship date (not delivery date).
2. Call the appropriate number (new vs upgrade) — request a Return Authorization. T-Mobile emails you a prepaid shipping label.
3. Factory reset the device. Turn off Find My iPhone or Google Factory Reset Protection first. iOS: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings. Android: Settings → System → Reset options (the path varies by manufacturer).
4. Repackage with every original component — charging cable, paperwork, eject pin if applicable.
5. Attach the prepaid label and drop the package with the shipping carrier named on the label.
6. Track the return until T-Mobile confirms receipt and processes the refund. T-Mobile's return policy does not publish a refund-processing time, so treat any specific figure you see quoted elsewhere with suspicion.

The alternative is walking the box into any T-Mobile retail store. Same window applies; you skip the carrier transit. If you do ship it, the refund timing guide gives realistic expectations for how long the credit takes to land back on your card.

What Happens If You Don't Return the Device: Four Consequences

T-Mobile's policy lists four specific things the carrier can do "If you do not return your Device or if you return your Device in a damaged or altered condition." Verbatim:

"Prevent your Device from working; Elect not to process your service cancellation; Charge you the cost to repair a damaged or altered Device; or Charge you the suggested full retail price of a destroyed or altered Device, or a non-returned Device, (which may be greater than the price you paid), plus any shipping and handling charges."

What each one means for you:

1) Prevent your Device from working. The policy doesn't say how T-Mobile does this or how far the block reaches. If you start a return or cancellation and never send the device back, or send it back damaged, assume it may stop working.

2) Elect not to process your service cancellation. T-Mobile can decline to treat the line as cancelled, so charges keep accruing until you cancel; the policy already warns, "You are responsible for any charges incurred prior to service cancellation." It cannot hold your number: the FCC says your old company "cannot refuse to port your number, even if you owe money for an outstanding balance or termination fee" (FCC). You still owe the balance.

3) Charge you the cost to repair. If the device comes back damaged or altered, T-Mobile can bill you what it costs to repair it.

4) Charge you the SRP of a destroyed or non-returned device. This is the most expensive consequence. T-Mobile expressly notes the suggested full retail price "may be greater than the price you paid" — so if you paid $799 after a promotion on a phone whose suggested full retail price is $1,299, a non-returned or destroyed device can be billed at the full $1,299, plus shipping and handling.

Bonus: if any of these consequences land on your bill and the math feels off, document everything and consider a credit card dispute. Card-issuer chargeback rights cover services and goods not delivered as promised, but the dispute window is typically 60 days from the statement date — moving fast matters.

The Three Jurisdiction Documents, Line by Line

T-Mobile's restocking fee is not national. The policy page links three separate jurisdiction documents — All Other States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico — and they do not say the same thing. The Hawaii document contains no restocking-fee clause at all. The other two both carry the full $25/$50/$75 schedule.

That difference is only visible if you open two PDFs and compare them, because T-Mobile's main fee sentence carries no geographic qualifier. Here is what each document actually says.

What the Hawaii document leaves out, and why

The Hawaii document runs through the same condition requirements as the others and then simply stops before the fee. It also trims the deduction list: refunds are "less any rebates received and shipping costs," with no mention of the "applicable taxes and fees" that the All Other States document and the Puerto Rico document both include.

T-Mobile never explains the omission. Its competitors are more explicit. AT&T files its fee schedule under the heading "Restocking Fees (except where prohibited)" and then lists "Device restocking fee: Up to $55 (excludes Hawaii)" in its wireless return policy. Verizon is equally direct in its return policy: "A restocking fee of $50 applies to any return or exchange of a wireless device (excluding Hawaii)." Two of the three national carriers name the state in the fee sentence itself. Only AT&T ties the exclusion to a prohibition, through that "except where prohibited" heading; Verizon simply says "excluding Hawaii."

The Hawaii law on point is Hawaii Revised Statutes § 481B-5.5. The statute defines the refund a merchant owes as the full amount of the payment "without any deduction for restocking of the merchant's inventory, or for administration of the refund, exchange, or merchandise credit." Hawaii's Office of Consumer Protection states the rule for shoppers plainly: "Merchants may not charge or deduct restocking fees for processing a refund, merchandise credit or exchange," with narrow exceptions for certain custom orders and for disclosed repacking, pickup and transportation charges on goods the merchant delivered and set up.

One inconsistency worth knowing about. Hawaii's own sources are not perfectly aligned on this. A DCCA consumer alert dated November 26, 2025 describes repacking, transportation, restocking and administrative fees as deductible if those charges were disclosed before purchase — looser than both the statutory definition and the Office of Consumer Protection's own guidance page. We are flagging the discrepancy rather than resolving it; whether a disclosed restocking fee survives § 481B-5.5 is a question for a Hawaii consumer-protection lawyer, not a return counter.

What this means at the register

1. Work out which document governs you before you argue about the fee. If you are in Hawaii, the restocking schedule you found on T-Mobile's main policy page is not the document that applies to your return.
2. Check the deduction line, not just the fee. In Hawaii the refund is reduced only by rebates and shipping; elsewhere taxes and fees come out too.
3. If you bought in Puerto Rico, ask about accessories specifically. Puerto Rico's document is the only one of the three that singles out earpieces and similar accessories as possibly non-returnable, and it defers to the store.
4. If you were charged a restocking fee on a Hawaii return, the fee is worth questioning, and Hawaii's Office of Consumer Protection is the body that publishes the rule.

Scope note. This section is about how T-Mobile's own documents differ from one another. For the carve-out compared across carriers — including Verizon's three hedged fee exceptions and AT&T's flatly stated Apple-unopened waiver and 10% accessory fee — see our Verizon return policy guide, our AT&T return policy guide, and the cross-carrier cell phone restocking fee breakdown. For non-carrier retail, return policy laws by state covers the broader statutory picture.

JUMP! Upgrades vs Returns: When Each Path Applies

T-Mobile's JUMP! Upgrade program is sometimes confused with the return policy, but the two are different mechanisms with different windows.

The return policy covers returns and exchanges — 14 days at retail or 20 days online for a new device purchase, a refund minus deductions.

JUMP! is an upgrade program. Under the JUMP! 2.0 rules that T-Mobile says apply from August 31, 2026, you're eligible to upgrade when your device is "50% paid off through your Equipment Installment Plan (EIP)," your EIP and service payments are current, you trade in an eligible device in good working condition, and you're enrolled in Protection360 (T-Mobile). JUMP! is not a refund; it trades the phone in toward a new one.

A few rules where the two intersect:

JUMP! does not extend the return window. On regular monthly installments, a 50% paydown takes far longer than 14 or 20 days, so JUMP! is not a realistic exit inside the return window, and JUMP! never refunds the phone anyway — it trades it in.

If you want your money back, the return window is the only path. Once your window closes, JUMP! can eventually swap the phone for a new one, but nothing in either program hands you a refund.

Damage and defects are a separate conversation. If the phone is covered by a protection plan such as T-Mobile's Protection360 or AppleCare+, a damage or defect claim runs through that plan, not through the return policy.

How to Return T-Mobile Home Internet: The 15-Day Test Drive

T-Mobile Home Internet doesn't run on the 14-day and 20-day phone clocks above. Its way out is a separate offer T-Mobile calls the 15-Day Test Drive, and the fine print on its Test Drive support page is short:

"Cancel within 15 days of Home Internet service activation. Limited-time offer; subject to change. Qualifying new Home Internet line and timely gateway return required. Refund via one-time bill credit. Max 1/account."

What that means in practice:

When the 15 days start. If you signed up in a T-Mobile store, the Test Drive "starts once we activate your account, and you take home your device." If you signed up online or by phone, it "starts the day you receive a notification that your 5G gateway has shipped." Either way it runs "regardless of when you set up your gateway," so unbox and connect it the day it arrives.

How the money comes back. Not as a card refund. T-Mobile applies a one-time bill credit "to zero out any T-Mobile Internet service charges on your bill." If you had already paid and that leaves a credit balance, T-Mobile says it pays the balance out after 30 days on a prepaid Mastercard sent to your billing address.

The gateway has to go back. "You will need to return your equipment within 45 days of cancelation, or you will be charged a non-return fee of up to $370." T-Mobile adds that non-return fees "are not eligible for a money back adjustment."

It's one per account, on a new line. The page limits the Test Drive to one per account and requires a "Qualifying new Home Internet line." Keep the service past day 15 and "No Test Drive bill credit is applied."

Pack everything that came in the gateway's box when you send it back, so there's no question about a missing piece.

T-Mobile vs Verizon vs AT&T: Side By Side

The big-three carrier return policies look similar at a glance but differ in three of the numbers that matter most. Here's how they compare on the dimensions T-Mobile's policy text addresses directly:

Sources for the competitor columns, read directly from the carriers' own published policies on 2026-10-28: Verizon's return policy and AT&T's wireless return policy. Two cells deserve a flag. T-Mobile's Costco paragraph says nothing at all about restocking fees — it covers the 90-day window, the dedicated support line, the condition requirement, the promotional-bundle rule and a warning that "some limited edition and other devices may not be refunded or exchanged," but it never mentions a restocking fee, so we will not tell you the tiers do or do not apply there. And AT&T's fee is "up to $55," not a flat $55.

A few practical conclusions from this table:

Verizon gives the longest window of the three for a direct purchase: 30 days from purchase, with a flat $50 restocking fee (Hawaii excluded).

T-Mobile's online window is longer than its retail window. Part of the extra six days goes to shipping, because the 20-day clock starts when the device ships, not when it arrives.

Costco beats every direct carrier window by a factor of three to six. If you're buying a phone and there's any doubt, buying through Costco gets you the longest window in this table — 90 days — on the same device and the same network.

Sealed boxes differ by carrier. AT&T flatly waives its up-to-$55 fee on an unopened Apple device; Verizon's $50 "may" be waived on any sealed or shrink-wrapped device (not authorized retailers); T-Mobile states no waiver.

For the deeper category-level comparison, see our cell phone return policy guide with windows and restocking fees and the best return policies of 2026 comparison.

Five T-Mobile Return Mistakes That Cost You a Refund

Each of these is a real failure mode pulled from the policy text or its absences — and each has a quick fix.

1) Counting the wrong day as Day 0. It's easy to count from delivery rather than ship. The clock starts at ship date, not delivery — if your phone shipped on June 1 and arrived on June 4, your true return-by date is June 21, not June 24.

2) Walking into an authorized dealer expecting T-Mobile's policy. The kiosk in the mall is not the carrier. Its return policy may be far stricter than 14 days, may include a higher restocking fee, or may permit exchanges only. Buy at corporate stores or order online if you want T-Mobile's policy to apply directly.

3) Treating JUMP! as a way out. JUMP! 2.0 requires the phone to be 50% paid off, your payments current, a trade-in and Protection360 enrollment, and it swaps the phone for a new one rather than refunding it. If you want your money back, use the return window.

4) Forgetting to turn off Find My iPhone or Google's Factory Reset Protection. Both keep the phone locked to your account even after a reset. Sign out of iCloud or your Google account and run the factory reset before you walk into the store.

5) Not checking which jurisdiction document applies to you. T-Mobile publishes three — All Other States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico — and only Hawaii's omits the restocking-fee clause entirely. If you are returning a device in Hawaii, the fee schedule printed on T-Mobile's main policy page is not the document that governs your refund, and the fee is worth questioning. See the three jurisdiction documents.

For more strategies to recover refunds you've already missed, our guide on how to get money back after the return window covers credit card protections, manufacturer warranties, and chargeback flows.

How Purchy Helps With T-Mobile Returns

T-Mobile's policy has three different windows on the same phone purchase — 14 days at retail, 20 days online from ship date, 90 days at Costco. It's easy to lose track of which one applies to you, and of the date it ends. Purchy helps with the remembering; the rule is still yours to check.

Purchy captures the receipts and order confirmations already in your inbox, files each purchase and starts a return reminder on it — and it can put that reminder on your calendar. Its date is a general estimate, not T-Mobile's window, so check it against the rule that applies to you: 14 days from purchase at a T-Mobile store, 20 days from the ship date for a phone or online order, and 90 days through Costco.

Purchy is free to download on iPhone and Android. Purchy Pro is $12.99 per month or $99.99 per year, cancellable from the App Store or Google Play.

The result is that you stop tracking return windows in your head and the phone you weren't sure about stops timing out into a non-return.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to return a T-Mobile phone in 2026?

It depends on the door you walked in through. T-Mobile retail stores: 14 days from the purchase or lease date. Phone or online orders: 20 days from the date the device shipped to you. Costco partnership purchases: 90 days from the purchase or lease date, handled through Costco's dedicated T-Mobile support line at 833-906-2803. Authorized third-party dealers set their own refund terms; T-Mobile's own policy separately tells you to return the device to the dealer you bought it from within 14 days of the purchase date if what you want is to cancel the service.

How much is T-Mobile's restocking fee?

T-Mobile's restocking fee is tiered by the device's Full Retail Price (FRP): $75 if the FRP is $600 or more, $50 if the FRP is between $300 and $599, and $25 if the FRP is under $300. The fee is calculated on FRP — the phone's sticker price — not on the discounted out-of-pocket cost you actually paid. T-Mobile's policy says the fee "may be required," not "will be." Geography matters more than negotiation: T-Mobile publishes three jurisdiction documents, and the Hawaii one carries no restocking clause at all.

Why does Costco give 90 days when T-Mobile retail gives only 14?

T-Mobile and Costco have a specific partnership carve-out written into T-Mobile's official policy: "Purchases made in partnership with Costco. To receive a refund or exchange, you must return the device within 90 days of the date of your purchase or lease date of the original device." Costco's dedicated T-Mobile support team at 833-906-2803 handles these returns. The 90-day partnership window is more than six times longer than T-Mobile's own retail window for the same phone on the same network — which is one of the strongest reasons to buy a T-Mobile phone through Costco if you might want testing time. One caveat from the same paragraph: "some limited edition and other devices may not be refunded or exchanged," so confirm a limited-edition model can come back before you count on the 90 days.

Is the 20-day online window from delivery or ship date?

From ship date. T-Mobile's policy is explicit: "Return the Device or accessory ('Device') to a T-Mobile retail location or ship the Device back to us within 20 days of the date the Device shipped to you." If your phone shipped on June 1 and arrived on June 4, your true return-by date is June 21, not June 24. The three days in transit count against the 20-day window.

How do I return a T-Mobile phone I bought online?

Two options. (a) Walk it into any T-Mobile retail store within 20 days of the ship date — the store will process the return and cancel any service activation. (b) Call T-Mobile for a Return Authorization and prepaid shipping label. The right phone number depends on your customer status: 1-866-675-1292 if you are new to T-Mobile, 1-800-937-8997 if you are an existing customer returning an upgrade device. T-Mobile emails the prepaid label after the Return Authorization is issued.

What does T-Mobile deduct from my refund?

Three named deductions, plus any restocking fee: (a) any rebates received as part of a promotional offer, (b) applicable taxes and fees, (c) shipping costs (T-Mobile emails a prepaid label for the return, but expect any shipping you paid at checkout to stay charged), and (d) any applicable restocking fee, which may come off the refund or land on your bill — the policy doesn't say which. T-Mobile's policy: "Refunds and exchanges will be less any rebates received, applicable taxes and fees, and shipping costs." If a promotion pays out as monthly bill credits, expect the remaining credits to stop: T-Mobile's deal terms say credits stop if you cancel your entire account before receiving them all and end if you pay off the device early. The return policy also warns a return "could cause you to become ineligible for any promotional discounts."

Can I return a T-Mobile prepaid plan or gift card?

No. T-Mobile's policy is unambiguous: "Prepaid services, e-coupons, and gift cards are non-refundable." The policy doesn't carve a prepaid handset or SIM kit out of the device rules, but the airtime credit, prepaid service charges, redeemed e-coupons, and activated gift card balances are not refundable.

What if I bought my phone from an authorized T-Mobile dealer in a mall?

Authorized third-party dealers follow their own return policies, not T-Mobile's. T-Mobile's official position: "For Device and accessory refunds and exchanges, see the individual authorized dealer's return policies applicable to your purchase." However, T-Mobile's policy still gives you a 14-day service-cancellation path: return the device to the dealer location where you bought it within 14 days of the purchase date to cancel the service — but the device refund itself depends on the dealer's separate policy. A simple test: corporate T-Mobile receipts list "T-Mobile" as the retailer; authorized dealer receipts list the dealer's own business name (a company name ending in LLC or Inc.).

What condition does the phone have to be in for a refund?

T-Mobile's exact wording: "in its package, with all contents, undamaged and in good working condition, with no material alterations to the Device's hardware or software." In practice that means: powers on, completes a factory reset, registers on the network, has no cracked screen or water-indicator trigger, contains every original accessory (cable, paperwork, eject pin), and is not jailbroken, custom-ROM'd, or locked to an Apple ID or Google account. Disable Find My iPhone and Google Factory Reset Protection before returning.

Does T-Mobile's return policy change depending on what state I live in?

Yes. T-Mobile's policy page links three separate jurisdiction documents — All Other States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The restocking-fee clause appears in the All Other States and Puerto Rico documents and is absent from the Hawaii one. The documents also differ on what comes out of your refund and on where you are told to hand the device back.

Does T-Mobile charge a restocking fee in Hawaii?

T-Mobile's Hawaii return-policy document contains no restocking-fee clause, while its All Other States and Puerto Rico documents both set out the $25/$50/$75 schedule. T-Mobile does not explain the difference, but AT&T and Verizon both name Hawaii as an exclusion in their own fee text, and Hawaii Revised Statutes § 481B-5.5 defines the refund owed without any deduction for restocking inventory or administering the refund.

Does the restocking fee apply to a Costco T-Mobile purchase?

T-Mobile's Costco paragraph does not say. It sets the 90-day window, the dedicated support line at 833-906-2803, the undamaged-and-original-receipt condition, the rule that promotional bundle items must all come back, and a warning that some limited edition and other devices may not be refunded or exchanged — but it never mentions restocking fees either way. Ask Costco's T-Mobile team before you assume.

Can I return T-Mobile Home Internet?

Yes, through T-Mobile's 15-Day Test Drive. Cancel within 15 days of Home Internet service activation. In store, the clock starts when your account is activated and you take the device home. Online or by phone, it starts the day you're notified the gateway shipped. The refund comes as a one-time bill credit, and the gateway must go back within 45 days of cancelation or you can be charged a non-return fee of up to $370. It's limited to one per account on a qualifying new line.

Does T-Mobile extend its return window for the holidays?

T-Mobile's return policy page lists no holiday extension, so the normal clocks apply. A phone bought in store December 10 must be back by December 24; an online order shipped December 10, by December 30. Costco partnership purchases keep their 90 days from the purchase or lease date.

The Bottom Line on the T-Mobile Return Policy in 2026

T-Mobile's policy reads short but it carries real teeth. The two-window structure — 14 days in store, 20 days online from ship date — is short by retail standards, and unlike Verizon's flat $50 and AT&T's up-to-$55 fee, T-Mobile publishes a tiered restocking fee of $25, $50, or $75 tied to the phone's Full Retail Price. The Costco partnership is the rule most worth knowing: 90 days through Costco on the same device and same network, though T-Mobile warns that some limited edition and other devices may not be refunded or exchanged. The condition language is strict, the dealer carve-out is real, and the four documented consequences for a device that isn't returned, or comes back damaged — a device that stops working, a service cancellation T-Mobile declines to process, a repair charge, and the full suggested retail price for a destroyed or non-returned device — give the carrier broad latitude to recover its losses.

Read the policy the day you walk out of the store or the day the device ships. Decide within the first week whether the phone earns its keep. If it doesn't, the return path is well-defined — provided you're inside the window and the device is in good working condition.

For the head-to-head category comparison, our cell phone return policy guide with windows and restocking fees drops T-Mobile alongside Verizon and AT&T. For the broader retail context, our 2026 best return policies comparison shows how T-Mobile's 14/20-day window sits against every other major retailer. And if you bought a phone through Costco, our Costco electronics return policy guide explains Costco's own 90-day electronics rule and why the carrier's terms decide the details on a phone.