How to return a Apple gift without a receipt (2026)

Short answer: With a gift receipt, Apple will give you an Apple Gift Card. Apple's policy describes returns with a receipt or gift receipt within 14 days of the date the product was received from Apple, and it doesn't describe no-receipt returns, so ask the giver for a gift receipt. Apple hasn't posted 2026 holiday return dates (checked Oct 21, 2026). Apple products bought at another store follow that store's rules.

2026 holiday return window: Not posted yet

Not announced yet: check back

Apple's Returns & Refunds page, as we fetched it on Oct 21, 2026, shows only the standard 14-day policy and no 2026 holiday dates. Until Apple posts dates, plan on 14 days from the date the buyer received the item, which can end before Christmas for an early-December gift.

Returning a Apple gift with a gift receipt or proof of purchase

Apple: "For returns with a gift receipt, Apple will offer you an Apple Gift Card."
The product must be in its original condition with all its included parts, accessories and packaging. Returned products may be inspected, and approved refunds or exchanges are issued within 10 business days.

Returning a Apple gift without a receipt

Apple's policy says you can return or exchange "with a receipt within 14 days." It doesn't describe returns without a receipt or gift receipt.
Ask the giver to share a gift receipt. If you can't get one, contact Apple before you go rather than counting on a no-receipt return.
An iPhone, iPad or Mac bought at Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Costco or any other store goes back to that store under its policy, not Apple's.

What you get back: store credit, gift card or refund?

An Apple Gift Card for gift-receipt returns.

ID and no-receipt limits

If security features (like Activation Lock) are turned on and the person returning the device can't turn them off, Apple may refuse the return. Sign out of your Apple Account first.
Products can be returned only in the country where they were bought.

Return windows that apply to gifts

The last column shows the deadline for a gift bought (or, where the store counts from delivery, delivered) on Dec 15, 2026.

Gift	Apple's rule	Bought Dec 15, 2026
Items bought from Apple (online or at an Apple Store)	14 days from when the product was received	Dec 29, 2026
Apple Gift Cards	Cannot be returned	Not returnable
Apple products bought at another store	That store's policy	See that store

Example dates add calendar days to Dec 15, 2026 (Dec 16 is day 1). If a store counts the purchase day itself as day 1, the deadline is a day earlier. Each store says whether the clock starts at purchase or at delivery; for a gift, that's when the giver bought it or it arrived, not when you opened it. Go by the date on the gift receipt or order.

Tips before you go

Returning an iPhone or iPad doesn't cancel wireless service. Whoever holds the carrier account is responsible for it.

Can I return a gift to Apple without a receipt?

With a gift receipt, Apple will give you an Apple Gift Card. Apple's policy describes returns with a receipt or gift receipt within 14 days of the date the product was received from Apple, and it doesn't describe no-receipt returns, so ask the giver for a gift receipt. Apple hasn't posted 2026 holiday return dates (checked Oct 21, 2026). Apple products bought at another store follow that store's rules.

What do I get back when I return a gift to Apple?