Sephora and Ulta Beauty quietly changed their return polices

Retailers face a massive challenge when it comes to returns.

Having a liberal returns policy makes customers feel more confident when making a purchase. If you know you have a long time to make a return, and the company has fairly loose standards for what condition the item has to be in, you're much more likely to buy something you're not entirely confident in purchasing.

On the flip side, liberal return policies allow customers to take advantage. If a retailer allows it, certain people will use the item, then bring it back for a refund.

Refunds are a large problem for the entire retail industry. Total returns were expected top $890 million in 2024, according to data from the National Retail Federation (NRF).

“Return policies and expectations impact the consumer all throughout their shopping experience. 76% of consumers consider free returns a key factor in deciding where to shop, and 67% say a negative return experience would discourage them from shopping with a retailer again,” according to the NRF.

The problem is that giving consumer what they want tends to lead to increased costs.

“Retailers must balance meeting consumer demand for seamless returns against rising costs. Fraudulent and abusive returns practices create both logistical and financial challenges for retailers. A majority (93%) of retailers said retail fraud and other exploitive behavior is a significant issue for their business. In terms of abuse, bracketing – purchasing multiple items with the intent to return some – has seen growth among younger consumers, with 51% of Gen Z consumers indicating they engage in this practice,” the trade association added.

Sephora has shortened its returns window.

Image source: Shutterstock

Sephora and Ulta Beauty make their return policies more strict

Both Sephora and Ulta Beauty rely on younger customers and that makes changing their return policies to make them tighter a major negative.

Both Sephora and Ulta Beauty changed their return windows for most purchases from 60 days to 30 days. The two beauty chains also tightened the rules around how items can be returned.

Sephora's new policy went into effect for all purchases made on and after April 24, 2025. The retailer also made a minor change to its return policy, which it did not specify, on July 23.

Ulta Beauty changed its returns policy in November, 2024, just before the holiday season.

Both companies are taking a risk in making these changes, according to David Sobie, CEO of Happy Returns, which produces an annual report on returns with the NRF.

“Return policies are no longer just a post-purchase consideration – they’re shaping how younger generations shop from the start,” said David Sobie, co-founder and CEO of Happy Returns. “With behaviors like bracketing and rising return rates putting strain on traditional systems, retailers need to rethink reverse logistics.”

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He suggested that there are strategies which can thread the needle between what's good for the retailer and what's good for the customers.

“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 added.

A look at Sephora and Ulta Beauty's return policies

Both Ulta Beauty and Sephora made the major change of moving from a 60-day return window for most returns to a 30-day window. Both also got more strict about the condition of the items being returned:

Sephora's return policy:

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.

See the full Sephora Returns policy here.

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's return policy

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.

See the full Ulta Beauty return policy here:

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.