Returning to Lulus is two questions, not one. The first is what Lulus’ return policy actually allows — the window length, the original-packaging rule, the in-store path, and which categories are non-returnable. The second is who pays for the return shipping. Inside the published return window with the receipt and original packaging, Lulus typically covers it; outside that path — third-party marketplace returns, out-of-window, missing packaging, or no original receipt — the cost lands on the buyer at retail postage rates.
This guide answers both: a plain-English summary of the Lulus return policy, the step-by-step on how to ship a Lulus return, and what to do when the cost falls on you. ParcelPath’s free shipping calculator prints the same USPS and UPS labels the carrier would charge full retail for, at up to 89% off USPS retail and 85% off UPS Daily Rates — no monthly fee, no contract, and no minimum. Useful when you are returning a single parcel and need a real commercial-rate label without signing up for a multi-parcel platform you will not use again.
Lulus Return Policy at a Glance
Lulus accepts mail returns through a pre-paid label generated from the order history. Standard returns can be exchanged for store credit (often with a small bonus) or refunded to the original payment method, with a return-shipping deduction taken from refunds in many cases. Always confirm the current rules on the official Lulus return page before sending a parcel — return windows, fee policies, and category exclusions update from time to time, and the receipt or order email always reflects the rules in effect on your specific purchase.
Final-sale, clearance, swimwear with the hygienic liner removed, intimates, and special-occasion dresses past the published window are typically non-returnable. Tags must remain attached for full refund consideration. If you are unsure whether your specific item qualifies, the Lulus customer-service team can confirm before you ship — and the order page in your account is usually the cleanest source of truth for the return window and the return method available to you. The decision tree below assumes a standard return that already qualifies.
How to Send a Lulus Return
For most Lulus returns, the in-store option is the simplest — bring the item, the receipt or order email, and the original payment method to Lulus is online-only; all returns are by mail or carrier drop-off. Staff scan the order, inspect the item, and process the refund or exchange on the spot. This path works well when you live near a store, the item fits in a car, and you need the refund to land quickly.
When in-store is not practical, mail returns are the standard alternative. From the Lulus order history page, choose the item to return, pick a reason, and Lulus generates a printable return label or QR code where supported. Pack the item in the original packaging where possible, attach the label, and drop the parcel at the carrier specified on the label (USPS or UPS in most cases). Tracking activates on the first carrier scan and the refund is typically issued once Lulus receives and inspects the parcel.
When You Are Paying for Return Shipping
Not every Lulus return uses a Lulus-supplied label. Common scenarios where the buyer pays for return shipping: a third-party marketplace seller return where the seller does not pre-pay, an out-of-window return that Lulus declines to cover, a return where the original packaging is no longer available, or a gift return where the original payment method is not yours. Because Lulus’ refund path often deducts return shipping, a self-printed commercial-rate USPS label can come out ahead on lighter apparel parcels — and store-credit returns avoid the deduction entirely if you plan to repurchase.
On a single parcel, the math is simple. Retail USPS and UPS pricing assumes a one-off customer at the counter; commercial-rate pricing assumes a high-volume shipper. ParcelPath’s calculator gives you commercial-rate access without a monthly subscription — you compare USPS and UPS side by side, pick the cheaper option for your weight and zone, pay for the single label, print it, and drop the parcel. The carrier accepts the label exactly the way it would a Lulus-supplied label.
Drop-Off Logistics for Self-Printed Labels
USPS labels can drop into any blue box, hand off at a post office, or schedule a free residential pickup with the carrier directly. UPS labels drop at any UPS Store, UPS Access Point (CVS, Michaels, Advance Auto Parts, and similar), or schedule a residential pickup. The carrier scan that activates tracking is the same scan a retailer-supplied label would receive — the only difference is whose account the label was billed to.
Related Retailer Returns
Browse the full retailer returns hub for guides to every major US retailer. Closely related to Lulus:
For official rates and service details, see lulus return policy.
FAQ: Lulus Returns
Who pays for return shipping on a Lulus return?
Inside Lulus’ published return window with your receipt and original packaging, Lulus typically covers the return. Outside that path — out of window, missing packaging, no receipt, or a third-party marketplace item — the cost falls on you at retail postage rates.
Refund Window vs. Store Credit: Timing Decides Which You Get
The detail that catches most Lulus shoppers is that the speed of your return determines the form of your money back, not just whether you get it. Lulus structures returns so that items sent back within a shorter window from delivery qualify for a refund to your original payment method, while returns made after that window but still within the overall return period are issued as store credit rather than a card refund. If a cash refund matters to you, the practical move is to decide and ship quickly rather than letting the parcel sit — the difference between a card refund and store credit on a fashion return is entirely about how fast it is postmarked back.
Final Sale, Swimwear, and the Non-Returnable Categories
Fashion retailers carve out categories that cannot come back, and Lulus is specific about them. Final sale items — typically deeply discounted merchandise — are not returnable at all, so those purchases are commitments. Swimwear and intimates are returnable only with the hygiene liner intact and unworn, a standard apparel-industry condition tied to sanitation. Items must generally be unworn, unwashed, with tags attached and free of makeup, deodorant, perfume, or damage. Because a fashion return hinges on condition, keeping tags on and trying items on carefully (over other clothing for swim and bodysuits) preserves your ability to return them.
Using the Return Portal and the Prepaid-Label Deduction
Lulus processes returns through an online returns portal where you enter the order and select the items, and it generates a prepaid shipping label — the convenience of which comes with a return-shipping fee deducted from the refund rather than a free return. That deduction is why consolidating a return into a single shipment, rather than sending items back piecemeal, is more economical. Pack the items securely with tags attached, include whatever the portal instructs, and use the provided label so the return is tracked to Lulus’s warehouse; keep the tracking until the refund or credit posts, since processing only begins once they receive the parcel.
Exchanges, Refund Timing, and International Orders
Rather than a traditional swap, apparel returns are often handled as a return-and-reorder: you send the item back and place a new order for the size or color you want, which avoids the item selling out while an exchange is in transit. Refund timing depends on transit plus warehouse processing — the credit posts only after Lulus receives and inspects the return, so the shipping time is added to your wait, and card refunds then take a few business days to appear. Return policies and available methods can differ for international orders, so an overseas shopper should confirm the portal’s options for their country before assuming the domestic prepaid-label flow applies.
Condition Standards and Why Fashion Returns Get Rejected
Apparel returns hinge on resalable condition, and Lulus inspects for it, so the reasons a fashion return is refused are specific and avoidable: makeup or self-tanner transfer on necklines, deodorant marks, perfume or smoke odor, pet hair, missing or detached tags, signs of wear, or alterations. Shoes must typically come back unworn with no scuffing on the soles and in their original box. The practical habit is to try items on briefly over other clothing, keep tags attached until you have decided, and repack carefully — a dress returned with a makeup smudge or a missing tag can be sent back to you at your cost rather than refunded, which erases the value of returning it at all.
Part of our Nordstrom Returns guide. Related: Patagonia Returns, Ll Bean Returns, Venus Returns.
