When it comes to raising babies, parents can count on using a ton of diapers during the first couple of years. Unfortunately, babies grow quickly and before you know it, they’ve outgrown their current diaper size. If you’ve been stockpiling diapers or received a bunch as a gift from Target then you might be wondering about returning diapers to Target for a refund or exchange.
Most major retailers, including Target, will allow you to return or exchange unopened diapers within 90 days even without a receipt. Open packages of diapers will likely need a receipt if they are accepted at all. In most cases, you won’t be allowed to return diapers purchased in a different store to Target.
Every store will be a little different, but these days it’s usually pretty easy to return items at major retailers. Let’s check about the policy about returning diapers to Target and what you should know before taking your items to the store.
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What to do when returning diapers to Target
Whether you decided to buy a lot of diapers to prepare for your new baby or you received diapers at a baby shower, there’s a good chance you have some left over. Since babies grow pretty quickly, you may not get through all the diapers in one size before your baby is too big for them. If you’re left with diapers that no longer fit your baby, you might wonder about returning diapers to Target.
If the diapers are unopened, you shouldn’t have any problem returning them to Target even without a receipt although they may give you store credit or a gift card when you don’t have proof of purchase. If you purchased the diapers yourself and you don’t have a receipt but you do have the Target app, they will be able to look up your purchase to refund it.
Can diapers be returned or exchanged at any store?
If you received your extra diapers as a gift, then you might not know exactly where they came from. Unfortunately, you could run into trouble here because most major retailers won’t let you exchange or return diapers that were purchased at another store. There have been some success stories from many parents that were able to do this, but it is definitely not the norm.
In most cases, different stores will carry slightly different packages of diapers (count size, number of packages in the box, etc.) so they will know right away if they were bought somewhere else. In other cases, the bar codes will be different enough that they won’t scan into their system for an exchange or refund.
Oddly enough, most parents that ask about returning or exchanging diapers to a different store originally bought their diapers on Amazon and don’t want to deal with their return policy. Honestly, Amazon has one of the easiest return policies I’ve seen for an online retailer and driving over to drop it off at the UPS store isn’t that much different than driving over to Walmart or Target, in my opinion.
Either way, returning the diapers to a different store probably isn’t going to work, even if they sell the same pack.
By the way, diapers don’t have an expiration date so if you think you might use the diapers down the road then it might just be easier to keep them for the future!
Target diaper exchange and return policy
In general, it should be quite easy to do diaper exchanges or returns at Target for items that were originally purchased there and unopened. If you have your receipt and it has been less than 90 days, their return policy clearly states you’re allowed to return the unopened items. In this case, you’ll receive a full refund via whatever method you used to buy them (cash, debit card, credit card, etc.)
If you purchased the diapers with Target’s RedCard, you’ll also get an extra 30 days to return those items – a total of 120 days!
They do have exceptions to their return policy that might not allow you to bring them back, but it’s unlikely that diapers would fall into this category and it would be noted on the receipt or packing slip if this is the case.
One-year return policy on baby registries and the Up & Up brand
Recently, Target has also extended their normal return to one year for products made by Target brands (of which there are many) as well as items purchased under a gift or baby registry.
Regarding Target Owned Brands and registry items, the return policy states “If you’re not satisfied with any Target Owned Brand item, return it within one year with a receipt for an exchange or a refund.”
This is great news if you decided to have your baby registry at Target because you won’t have to worry too much about which sizes of diapers you get as gifts – you can just bring them back or exchange them!
I have heard anecdotally that Target can be a bit of a pain to return items off of a baby registry so please try to bring in a gift receipt with those items if you have one.
Since Target’s store brand of diapers is Up & Up, that particular brand will be eligible even if it wasn’t purchased through a registry.
For a full list of Target brands, you can check the list here.
Returning diapers to Target without receipt
If you don’t have a receipt, Target reserves the right to deny a return or exchange so it will really be up to the customer service rep on this one. If the diapers are in good condition, then you probably won’t run into a lot of trouble, but there are no guarantees.
Assuming that you purchased them recently, the customer service rep can also try to look up the purchase and print out a copy of the receipt for you if you paid with a debit card, credit card, Target gift card, or check. If you used your Target account or Target app during the purchase, you can also select the “Return” option through the app or mobile site to receive a return barcode. All you have to do is then show this barcode to the customer service rep.
If no receipt can be found or you paid with cash, but they still give you the go-ahead for the return, you’ll receive funds on a ‘merchandise return card’ which is similar to a gift card but you can’t add more money to it. Merchandise return cards can only be used in store.
They will scan your photo ID and there may be a $150 limit for your total returns without a receipt for a year. You can also only return something without a receipt three times per year with the same ID.
This limit is company-wide as every Target store is connected with the same computer system.
Returning diapers to Target after 90 days
For items purchased after 90 days or longer than one year if it was a baby registry or Target-branded item, you are unlikely to receive a refund. Although it is against store policy to do a refund at this point, some parents have reported that they were still able to return an item after speaking to customer service. In some cases, the amount they were offered was less than the normal price though.
If the diapers are truly in good condition and you have a receipt, I would plead your case to the manager on duty if customer service denies your return initially. If all else fails, go for an exchange.
Exchanging diapers at Target
Exchanges will mostly follow the same rules for returns. If you have a receipt and it has been less than 90 days, you’ll be fine.
After that, it will depend on the same variables as a return would. In some cases, you would have to take credit on a merchandise return card rather than exchanging an item outright.
Can I return an opened box of diapers to Target?
If you have a receipt and it has been less than 90 days (or a year for qualifying items) then the answer is probably yes. You are way more likely to get a refund for an open package of diapers if it is because of a product defect, allergic reaction, or some other serious issue the diapers caused for you or your baby.
For those of you that only realized you bought the wrong size of diapers AFTER you opened the box, the answer might be yes, but Target has the right to refuse a return if the box is opened. Speak to customer service and plead your case. While there have been anecdotal reports of customers being allowed to return open diapers, it will be up to the store manager.
The problem is that because diapers are a sanitary product they can’t be resold under any circumstances once they’ve been opened. If they accept the return, they will be eating the loss.
What about online orders?
Online orders will follow the same rules as for in-store purchases as far as policy goes. You can also generally return items bought online to a physical store as long as you have the receipt or payment details.
The only major difference between online and in-store orders is that shipping may or may not be covered depending on the situation. If your return is declined or the return is not because of an error on Target’s end then your shipping charges won’t be refunded.
If you are returning diapers to Target because you simply ordered the wrong size, then you won’t get your shipping back.
It’s also pretty simple to get a receipt from your online purchase. You can do this through your purchase history in your Target.com account. You may choose to pull up the return barcode or print the receipt.
How to return diapers at Target
If you have diapers to return to Target, the process is simple. You can return unopened items that were purchased less than 90 days ago. If you purchased Target brand diapers (Up & Up) or received them from your baby registry, you can return them for up to a year.
To return your diapers at Target, follow these simple steps:
- Find your receipt, return barcode, or other proof of purchase
- Take your proof of purchase to the guest services desk inside Target
- Tell the customer service rep that you would like to return or exchange the item
If you purchased the item online or used the Target app for your purchase, you can pull up the return barcode through the app or website. When you don’t have a receipt, ask the customer service rep if they can pull up the purchase or give you store credit for the amount of the item.
FAQs
Can you exchange unopened diapers without a receipt?
Returns or exchanges without a receipt can be tricky. If you don’t have a receipt but they’re able to verify the diapers were purchased at Target, they likely give you store credit at the bare minimum.
What items cannot be returned to Target?
There are many items that can’t be returned to Target, but regarding diapers, the only ones that can’t be returned are opened or damaged diapers. If they are open, it will be up to the store manager whether they give you credit or not. You also can’t return diapers that were purchased at a different store.
What can I do with leftover diapers?
If you’re unable to return your diapers to Target, you may choose to keep them, especially if you plan on having more kids. If not, you might choose to donate your diapers to a local non-profit or pregnancy center.
Can I return unopened diapers to Target without a receipt?
Target’s policy states that unopened items can’t be returned in some cases. Your local Target may choose to accept your opened diapers, especially if there was a problem with them. They also might refuse to accept the return if they can’t locate the purchase.
What is the maximum amount you can return at Target without a receipt?
Typically, there is a limit to how much you can return without a receipt. Most reports have shown that the limit for exchanges without a receipt is $150-$200. There isn’t a limit for exchanges that have proof of purchase.
Can I exchange diapers for a different size at Target?
Whether you can exchange them or not will depend on if you have a receipt and if the diapers are opened. If the diapers are not opened and you have a receipt, you’ll be able to exchange them for a different size. If not, it will be up to the customer service rep or store manager.
Conclusion
Overall, returning diapers to Target should be a pretty painless process if you have your receipt and you do it quickly. In general, a polite conversation with a manager can help in situations in which you are outside of the return or exchange policy. Don’t be afraid to ask!
You may also be interested in returning diapers to Walmart. If so, I’ve covered all of that information right here!
