Ulta is one of the most visited beauty stores in the US with huge $7 billion yearly revenue.
As well as stocking a wide array of bespoke cosmetics products, they also have an excellent selection of perfumes from brands such as:
- Armani
- YSL
- Mugler
- Dolce & Gabbana
- Miss Dior
- Viktor & Rolf
- Tom Ford
- Versace and Estee Lauder
If you’ve purchased perfume from Ulta but want to make a return; perhaps it’s not the smell you were looking for, was a mistaken order or is an unwanted gift, then it’s important to get up to speed with their return policy.
Most companies have a limited returns window and if you miss it, you’ll be stuck with the product.
To help you there, we’ll cover what the return window is, how to make a return, when to expect a refund, and much more…
What is Ulta’s Perfume Return Policy? The Short Answer
You can return perfume to Ulta for a full refund or exchange provided you do it within 60 days of purchase. The refund is issued to the original method of payment you paid with.
You can return perfume for pretty much any reason such as:
- If you don’t like the smell
- If the perfume is defective (i.e. broken bottle or goes off quickly)
- If it’s an unwanted gift
- Duplicate order
- Mistaken order
How to Return Perfume to Ulta?
Ulta provides two methods to make a return to Ulta.
You can either do this by returning the perfume in-store. Use the handy store finder to find your nearest store.
Within 60 days of purchase, simply take the product to the checkout or desk and they will process your return and make a refund to your original payment method.
You can return perfume purchased from Ulta.com in-store at any of Ulta’s branches.
The other option is to make the return using the mail-in returns process.
To do this you need to ship your perfume to Ulta.com Returns Center, 1135 Arbor Drive, Romeoville, IL 60446.
We would advise including a copy of your invoice and a cover note confirming the reason for the return. Ulta will then email you to confirm receipt.
Does it Cost to Return Perfume to Ulta?
While Ulta does not charge a restocking fee for making a return, unfortunately, they do not cover return shipping.
So there is no pre-paid return label sent to you when you make the return and you will need to cover the cost of this.
We recommend returning the perfume using a tracked service so you know Ulta has received it.
Do I Need a Receipt to Return Perfume to Ulta?
If you’re returning perfume purchased in-store back to the store, and are looking to secure a refund, then you will need your receipt unless you are an Ulta Ultimate member in which case Ulta can usually trace the sale.
If you don’t have a receipt then Ulta will only offer an exchange or refund you in-store credit to use in-store.
If you only have a gift receipt, then Ulta will either offer an exchange or store credit to spend in-store.
If you purchased online, then remember that you will have been emailed an invoice upon purchase which you can use if you’re making the return in-store. Print that out or take your cell phone to the store to show the invoice.
How Long Does it Take to Get Refund When Returning Perfume to Ulta?
If you take the perfume back to the store, then your refund will be issued there and then to the payment method you paid on.
If you paid online using PayPal or PayPal credit, you will be refunded to a card of your choice or as a credit to use in-store.
For items returned using the mail-in returns process, expect to wait between 7-10 business days depending on your bank or card issuer.
This allows time for Ulta to receive the return, to check it, and then to process it on their system.
How Does Ulta’s Perfume Return Policy Hold Up?
We’ve taken a look at other returns policies from a few other stores to see how they compare to what Ulta is providing.
Here is what we found:
| Store | Returns Policy |
| Macy’s | 90 days |
| Dillard’s | 30 days |
| Amazon | 30 days |
| Nordstrom | Return any time |
| TJ Maxx | 30 – 40 days |
| Costco | Return any time |
| Walmart | 90 days |
Final Thoughts
In summary, Ulta provides a very average 60-day return window to return perfume to them.
This is well below some of the competition such as Costco and Nordstrom who allow returns at any time.
The other issue is that Ulta doesn’t provide free returns like most others stores.
However, they do have a fairly good selection of perfume on offer at reasonable prices.
