How do I return a gift on Amazon without the order number?

If you have the tracking number from the shipment, contact Amazon Customer Service and they can help locate the order. If you have neither the order number nor tracking, the person who bought the gift needs to contact Amazon or start the return from their own Your Orders page.

Will the person who sent the gift get the refund?

Not when the recipient starts the return. Amazon pays a recipient's refund as a gift card balance on the recipient's own account. The buyer only receives the refund when the buyer starts the return, in which case it can go to their balance or original payment method.

How long does an Amazon gift return refund take?

Amazon issues the gift card refund after it receives and processes the returned item. Gift card refunds then post within a few hours of being issued, although Amazon says the full return and refund cycle can take up to 30 days depending on shipping and processing.

Can I exchange an Amazon gift for a different size?

Recipients cannot swap directly. Return the gift for a gift card refund through the Gift Returns Center, then place a new order for the size or color you want using that balance. The original buyer can request a replacement from Your Orders where eligible.

Do I need an Amazon account to return a gift?

Yes. The Gift Returns Center asks you to sign in, and you can create a free account if you do not have one. The gift card refund is added to the balance of the account you used to create the return, so use an account you plan to shop with.

Amazon Gift Returns: How to Return a Gift in 2026

What changed: Returning items marked as a gift on Amazon.com
When: Updated October 2026
Who it affects: Gift recipients, gift buyers and the sellers who fulfill those orders
What to do: Find the 17-digit order number, then start the return in the Gift Returns Center

Key takeaways

Recipients return gifts with the 17-digit order number and get an Amazon gift card balance.
Exchanges are not direct: return the gift, then reorder with the balance.
Registry gifts have longer windows: 90, 180 or 365 days depending on the list.

1Find the order number
Packing slip or gift receipt
2Open Gift Returns Center
Sign in or create an account
3Pick items and reason
Seller items need a request
4Drop it off
Refund as gift card balance

How Amazon gift returns work

Amazon lets recipients return items that were marked as a gift at checkout without involving the buyer. The recipient signs in to their own Amazon account, or creates one, and the refund lands in that account as a gift card balance once Amazon receives the item.

The buyer can also start the return from their own Your Orders page. In that case the refund can go to the buyer's gift card balance or back to the original payment method. Every gift return follows Amazon's normal return policy on condition and return windows.

Recipient: return through the Gift Returns Center, refund as gift card balance
Buyer: return through Your Orders, refund to balance or original payment
Gift items over $2,000: refunded only to the buyer's original payment method

How to return a gift on Amazon, step by step

The process takes a few minutes. You need the order number, an Amazon account and the item in the condition you received it.

Go to the Gift Returns Center on Amazon
Sign in, or create a free Amazon account
Enter the 17-digit order number and select Search
Select the items and a return reason
For third-party seller items, select Submit Return Request
Choose a return method and follow the on-screen instructions
Track the return in Your Returns or from the confirmation email

Where to find the gift order number

The 17-digit order number is printed on the packing slip that came with the gift and appears on the digital gift receipt Amazon emails to recipients. It looks like 123-1234567-1234567.

If you lost both but still have the shipping tracking number, Amazon says you can contact Customer Service. If you have neither, the person who bought the gift needs to contact Amazon or start the return from their own order history.

How gift refunds are paid

Gift recipients are not eligible for instant refunds. Amazon processes the refund as a gift card balance after it receives the returned item, and the balance goes to the account used to create the return. Once a gift card refund is issued, Amazon lists processing at about two to three hours, but Amazon also says the full return and refund cycle can take up to 30 days.

Refunds can be reduced if the item comes back used, damaged or missing parts. Amazon's refund and return process guide covers partial refunds and fees in more detail.

Refund issued after Amazon receives the return
Paid to the recipient's Amazon gift card balance
Partial refunds possible for used or incomplete items
Check status anytime in Your Returns

	Recipient returns	Buyer returns
Uses the 17-digit order number
Refund to gift card balance
Refund to original payment
Can request a replacement
Needs own Amazon account

Gifts over $2,000 refund only to the buyer's original payment method.

Can you exchange a gift on Amazon?

Not directly as a recipient. Amazon's help page says a recipient who wants a different size, color or a replacement should return the gift for a refund and place a new order with the gift card balance. The buyer, on the other hand, can request a replacement from Your Orders where the item is eligible.

Gift return windows, including registries

Most items can be returned within 30 days of delivery, and Amazon runs an extended holiday window each year for items bought in November and December. Your return flow always shows the exact return-by date for the item.

Registry and gift list purchases get longer windows. Amazon's return policy lists 90 days for items bought from a Birthday or Custom Gift List by someone other than the owner, 180 days for Wedding Registry purchases and 365 days for Baby Registry purchases.

Standard: 30 days from delivery for most items
Birthday or Custom Gift List: 90 days
Wedding Registry: 180 days
Baby Registry: 365 days
Some categories are non-returnable, such as perishables and customized items

Tips before you send a gift back

A few simple steps avoid partial refunds and lost credit.

Return the item in the condition you received it, with accessories
Erase personal data from laptops, cameras and other devices
Do not mix items from different orders in one box
Keep the drop-off receipt or QR code until the refund posts

What gift returns mean for Amazon sellers

For sellers, gift returns arrive in a wave after the holidays, when Q4 revenue has already been counted. Gift returns count toward a product's return rate like any other return, and a recipient who picks a reason such as wrong size or not as described tells you something useful about the listing.

Plan Q1 cash for refunds, check returned FBA units quickly for sellable condition, and watch for customer returns that are refunded but never received. Those unreturned units are often eligible for reimbursement, which our FBA reimbursement guide explains. Reading Amazon return reasons by ASIN after the holidays is the fastest way to spot a sizing chart or image that needs fixing.

How PPC Spider helps with seasonal returns

PPC Spider's inventory and reimbursements service tracks returns per ASIN, files claims for lost or unreturned units each month and feeds return trends back into listings and ad spend, so a January return spike does not quietly erase Q4 margin. A free Amazon audit shows where returns and reimbursements stand today.

Sources

Amazon: Return a Gift (amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GMTDJ6XPUMN7NWNB)
Amazon: Amazon Return Policy (amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GKM69DUUYKQWKWX7)
Amazon: Refunds (amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GKQNFKFK5CF3C54B)

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