DSW Return Policy: 60 Days, $8.50 Mail Fee and Refunds

DSW’s return policy gives 60 days from purchase to return unworn, undamaged merchandise from US DSW stores or dsw.com, in original packaging with proof of purchase, for an original-payment refund. Store returns are free; the prepaid mail label costs $8.50. Eligible receipted returns after day 60 get merchandise credit.

DSW key facts

• Standard original-payment refunds require return within 60 days of purchase, unworn and undamaged merchandise, original packaging, and a receipt, packing slip or shipping invoice.
• Store returns are free; the prepaid label or paperless FedEx code costs $8.50, deducted from the refund, for any number of items.
• dsw.com purchases can go back to a US store; store purchases cannot go back through dsw.com.
• No-proof returns require valid photo ID and receive current-selling-price merchandise credit; eligible late receipted returns also receive merchandise credit.
• Mailed refunds take 7–10 business days after DSW receives the item; separate bank posting time is not published.

DSW return rules at a glance

See DSW’s full return terms and more US store return guides.

How Long Is the DSW Return Window?

60 days from the original purchase date is DSW’s standard window for eligible original-payment refunds. Delivery does not start the clock, according to DSW’s return policy.

DSW does not specify calendar versus business days, day-one counting, cutoff time or time zone. Nor does DSW say whether requesting, dropping off, scanning or receiving a mailed return satisfies the deadline. Return a few days early; hand mailed returns to FedEx well before day 60.

Example: Assume an online purchase on October 1 and delivery on October 6. The clock starts October 1, not October 6; DSW does not publish a counting rule, so this guide gives no exact last mailing date.

DSW Canada and dsw.ca purchases must go back through Canadian channels; this guide covers US purchases only.

Why do some sites still say 90 days?

DSW’s current central returns, Shipping & Returns and General Questions pages say 60 days. The sampled Brentwood and Dedham store FAQs also say 60, despite older search snippets saying 90.

Older guides still quote 90 days or a year for VIP Elite. DSW’s VIP benefits and membership terms do not substantiate a tier-based extension.

Returning after 60 days: merchandise credit

DSW issues merchandise credit for eligible returns after 60 days with an original sales receipt or shipping invoice. DSW’s terms publish no maximum age and reserve the right to limit returns, so this is not unlimited acceptance.

Example: Assume an otherwise eligible item, original receipt and return on what DSW counts as day 75. The stated outcome is merchandise credit rather than a card refund, subject to acceptance.

Is there a DSW holiday return extension for 2026?

As of October 28, 2026, DSW has not published a 2026 holiday return extension. The notice visible on the returns page concerns the 2025 season, even when opened from a campaign link labeled for 2026.

Use the standard 60-day rule until DSW publishes a current-season notice; 2026–27 dates quoted by older guides are not DSW’s.

What Condition Do DSW Returns Need to Be In?

DSW requires unworn, undamaged merchandise in original packaging, with the original receipt, packing slip or shipping invoice for a standard original-payment refund. Keep the shoebox: original packaging is a stated requirement.

Worn shoes do not meet that standard. DSW publishes no universal tags/accessories checklist, general opened-item rule or missing-box waiver; ask before returning an item missing its packaging. DSW may limit returns even with a receipt, and some products have additional exclusions.

Items DSW Won’t Take Back

DSW excludes merchandise marked Final Sale and opened specialty products from returns and exchanges under its published policy.

A sale price alone does not establish Final Sale; check the item’s marking. DSW does not explain how defects affect Final Sale or opened specialty exclusions, so ask DSW Customer Service before returning a faulty Final Sale or opened specialty item.

Can you return fragrance, nail polish or batteries to DSW?

DSW accepts these specialty returns only unopened, in original packaging with the seal intact, at a DSW store—not through dsw.com. The seven named categories are:

• Fragrance
• Dry shampoo
• Nail polish
• Facial care
• Alcohol-containing products
• Rechargeable batteries
• USB-rechargeable devices

Opening the product or breaking/removing its seal excludes returns and exchanges. Keep specialty products out of mail returns.

How to Return to DSW

DSW permits eligible online orders to use store, printed-label or paperless routes; store purchases must return to a store. Check the return policy or General Questions for help choosing.

Return to a US DSW store

DSW stores accept eligible US store and dsw.com purchases; unopened specialty products require this route.

1. Find a location with the US store locator.
2. Bring the item in original packaging with the receipt, packing slip or shipping invoice.
3. Present the return and check the refund or credit issued.

The method is free. An instant store refund does not promise immediate bank availability.

Mail it with a printed prepaid label

DSW’s printed-label route is for eligible online purchases, excluding specialty products.

1. Open the official Narvar return portal and request a shipping label.
2. Print the label, pack the returning merchandise with original packaging and proof, and follow the supplied instructions.
3. Ship the parcel and retain the handoff confirmation.

DSW deducts $8.50 from the refund. The prepaid label is not accepted for international or Puerto Rico orders. DSW’s public pages do not say what the portal asks for, whether pickup or other label options exist, or whether you can pay your own postage, and they give no returns mailing address; follow the portal’s instructions or ask Customer Service.

Check the contents before sealing: mistaken items may not be recoverable.

Paperless FedEx drop-off

Eligible online buyers can request a FedEx code.

1. Request a return code through the Narvar portal.
2. Pack the item with original packaging and proof.
3. Show the code to a FedEx associate, who prints the label; retain confirmation.

The paperless method also costs $8.50, deducted from the refund. Paperless does not mean box-free; pack the item.

DoorDash, Uber and Same Day Delivery orders

DSW Same Day Delivery follows the standard policy, according to DSW’s help page. DoorDash/Uber purchases instead require a US store return within 30 days of purchase for merchandise credit only.

1. Check who took the order: DSW or the delivery app.
2. For an eligible app purchase, bring the unworn item, original packaging and valid DoorDash/Uber receipt to a US store.
3. Request merchandise credit; Final Sale items are excluded.

Store returns are free. DSW does not specify day counting or cutoffs for the 30-day window, so act early. Who took the order decides the rule, not how fast it arrived.

Does DSW Charge a Return Fee?

DSW store returns are free; the prepaid label and paperless FedEx code cost $8.50, deducted from the refund, for any number of items. Eligible same-item exchanges are free, as DSW’s methods and fee terms explain.

DSW does not publish aggregation rules for multiple labels, parcels or combined orders. No blanket Gold, Elite or credit-cardholder label waiver is published; free outbound shipping is a separate benefit. No restocking or packaging fee is listed, and original-shipping refund treatment is not published. Ask about these details before assuming a total refund.

Example: Assume one eligible $100 online item, one prepaid label and no coupon, Reward or tender issue. The merchandise component is $100 − $8.50 = $91.50, before tax or other adjustments; the store method has no return fee.

Compare Nordstrom Rack’s return methods and fees when choosing an off-price retailer.

Can You Return to DSW Without a Receipt?

Yes, DSW provides a no-proof route for merchandise credit at the current selling price, with valid ID, but may limit acceptance. The listed IDs are a driver’s license, passport, military ID or state-issued photo ID.

DSW does not publish a time limit for no-receipt returns or promise a receipt lookup by VIP number, card, email or account. Bank-statement acceptance is not promised; keep original proof.

Example: Assume an accepted no-receipt return with valid ID: you paid $90, but the item now sells for $60. The result is $60 merchandise credit, $30 less than paid, not cash.

Returning a gift to DSW

DSW allows eligible gift-receipt returns for merchandise credit or an even exchange. Gift funds credited through dsw.com go automatically to the original payment method—the buyer’s payment—while in-store gift credits are merchandise credit.

When Will You Get Your DSW Refund?

DSW asks for 7–10 business days after receiving mailed merchandise to process the return and credit funds, summarized as up to 10 business days. In-store refunds are advertised as instant; separate bank posting time is not published.

If 10 business days have passed since FedEx tracking shows DSW received your parcel and no refund or credit has appeared, contact DSW Customer Service at 1-866-379-7463 or customerservice@dsw.com through the General Questions page. Have your order number and return tracking ready. Your bank may take extra time to post the money, and DSW does not publish how long.

Money back as

PayPal, Venmo, Afterpay and mixed payments

DSW refunds qualifying PayPal purchases to the original payment method; fully PayPal-funded purchases go back to the method used through PayPal. For PayPal plus a gift card, DSW issues the entire refund on a gift card.

DSW does not publish other mixed-tender splits or distinct Venmo/Afterpay refund schedules. DSW recommends in-store exchanges for PayPal, Venmo and Afterpay buyers because representatives cannot access customers’ accounts to place new orders; that recommendation is not a mail-return ban.

Do VIP Rewards and points come back after a return?

DSW bases the monetary refund on the final price paid after Rewards or offers. The returns page and Shipping & Returns say used Rewards and offers are not reissued or recredited except for same-day exchanges; the VIP help page and VIP terms word it differently: help says used Rewards return within 24 hours, while the terms say a used Reward is reissued as Points.

Assume a redeemed Reward may not return, especially near expiration. Ask DSW Customer Service at 1-866-379-7463 for your order’s answer and check the VIP account afterward.

Separately, points earned on returned purchases are deducted for both store and mail returns. BOGO returns/exchanges are prorated according to the purchase discount shown on the receipt; use that allocation rather than an assumed percentage.

How DSW merchandise credit works

DSW merchandise credit has no expiration or fees and buys merchandise at dsw.com and DSW stores. The credit terms restrict use to the named recipient: credit cannot be transferred, exchanged or sold, used to buy gift cards, or redeemed for cash except where law requires. It is not usable at DSW Canada.

DSW Exchanges: Same Item vs Different Item

DSW’s exchange policy allows free swaps for the same item in a different size or color, in store or by mail for eligible online purchases. A different item requires a return and new order.

For a mail exchange, use the portal. DSW ships the replacement after confirmation of FedEx drop-off and sends tracking, without exchange shipping charges. That trigger does not define the return deadline. Prepaid labels exclude international and Puerto Rico orders.

Return the original unworn, in its packaging, with original receipt or shipping invoice: DSW warns that otherwise both the original and exchange will be charged. Receipted exchanges within 60 days credit the original payment; after 60 days, any difference owed becomes merchandise credit.

Stock reservation, sold-out handling and replacement delivery time are not published; ask before relying on availability. Compare Foot Locker’s size-exchange process when considering another footwear chain.

Defective Shoes, Warranties and Your Rights

DSW includes defective merchandise in its 60-day opening statement. DSW’s public return pages give no separate damage or wrong-item procedure, reporting deadline or postage waiver, and do not say how defects affect Final Sale or opened specialty items.

Before mailing, contact 1-866-379-7463 or customerservice@dsw.com with order details via DSW’s assistance route. Do not assume a defect waives condition requirements or postage.

DSW’s terms direct warranty remedies to the manufacturer/supplier, separately from retailer returns. FTC warranty guidance says to approach the seller, then the manufacturer if unresolved; repair may precede a refund, and implied-warranty coverage depends on state law and permitted disclaimers. If you are weighing the store against the brand for a faulty sneaker, see the Nike return guide.

The FTC Cooling-Off Rule excludes entirely online purchases and sales negotiated at permanent stores; it adds no general three-day cancellation window here.

DSW Return Policy Mistakes to Avoid

• Counting from delivery or mailing on the final day: use purchase date and allow time for the unpublished mail cutoff.
• Paying $8.50 to mail an item a nearby DSW store would take back free.
• Mailing a store purchase or an unopened specialty product: both need a store route.
• Wearing shoes outside or discarding original packaging before deciding.
• Sending a worn original for a mail exchange: DSW warns of charges for both items.
• Budgeting on a redeemed Reward coming back despite the conflicting official wording.

The DSW return policy guidance here follows published sources; order-specific Narvar options are not visible without an order. DSW’s Rewards pages word restoration differently, and no current-season holiday extension is confirmed. Read how StoreReturners checks policies, and ask DSW about those uncertainties before sending merchandise.

FAQ

Can I return a DSW Canada purchase at a US store?

No. DSW directs purchases from Canadian stores or dsw.ca back through Canadian channels; US stores do not accept those returns or exchanges. US DSW merchandise credit and gift cards also cannot be used at DSW Canada. Follow the Canadian-purchase instruction rather than using a US return label.

Does DSW refund the original shipping charge?

DSW does not publish a general original-shipping refund rule in the reviewed return pages. Check the refund breakdown rather than assuming the delivery charge comes back or is always withheld. Ask DSW Customer Service to confirm your order’s treatment; the $8.50 prepaid-label deduction is a separate return-method charge.

Does DSW charge a restocking fee?

DSW lists no separate restocking fee in its published return rules. The listed refund-return charge is the $8.50 prepaid label, also shown for paperless FedEx service; eligible store returns are free. Silence does not guarantee no other adjustment, so clarify any unexplained deduction against DSW’s fee statement.

Do DSW merchandise credits and gift cards expire?

No. DSW’s merchandise-credit terms and gift-card terms say neither expires or carries fees. Neither is redeemable for cash except where applicable law requires. Those spending terms do not establish whether an original gift-card purchase can be refunded; DSW does not publish that answer in the reviewed terms.

What if I mail the wrong item to DSW?

Contact DSW Customer Service promptly at 1-866-379-7463. Under DSW’s mistaken-return terms, unrelated items are not stored and may be donated or recycled. Recovery is not guaranteed, and DSW provides no compensation. Check every parcel before sealing, particularly when several retailers’ returns are being packed together.

Official sources

• DSW Returns & Exchanges — checked October 28, 2026.
• DSW Shipping & Returns — checked October 28, 2026.
• DSW General Questions — checked October 28, 2026.
• DSW VIP help, VIP Rewards terms and VIP benefits — checked October 28, 2026.
• DSW Terms of Use — checked October 28, 2026.
• DSW Gift Card terms and Merchandise Credit terms — checked October 28, 2026.
• DSW Narvar returns portal and US store locator — checked October 28, 2026.
• DSW Brentwood store FAQ and Dedham store FAQ — checked October 28, 2026.
• FTC Cooling-Off Rule and FTC Warranties — checked October 28, 2026.