Aldi's Return Policy Explained: 7 Things Every Shopper Should Know

There are endless ways to shop at Aldi, from the retailer's extensive grocery aisles, to its seasonal Aldi Finds products. Maybe you've been busy exploring our ranking of Aldi cheeses or tasting your way through Aldi's baked goods. But what happens if you end up buying a food product that's spoiled, or a décor item that you just don't like?

Fortunately, Aldi's return policy is generous — so if you fall victim to the chain's oft-spoiled onions, you can get your money back. If you read the return policy closely, you'll also notice that, in some cases, the retailer might even give you more than just a refund. We've parsed through all the different types of returns that Aldi accepts to ensure you get the most money back on your purchase (yes, even if you accidentally lost your receipt). So before you try to bring a purchase back to your local Aldi, read up on the most important things to know about the retailer's return and refund policy.

Aldi's return policy is generous, and by far the best part of it is the "Twice as Nice" Guarantee. If an Aldi-exclusive food product happens to have a little blue label on the package with the term "Twice as Nice," it means you're in for a treat. Should you try the product and not like it, not only can you return the product and get your money back, but you can also get a free replacement.

In order to qualify for the Twice as Nice guarantee, you need to bring your original receipt back to the store. You'll also need to bring the item's packaging with you, along with any uneaten product. Now, you might be wondering why you would want a replacement of a product you didn't like, but there are two reasons you might need to use the Twice as Nice guarantee. 

The first is if you purchase an ALDI product that happens to taste unusual or off in some way, you can get a replacement if you think your original purchase was spoiled. Alternatively, if it's a personal issue with how the item tastes, ALDI will usually allow you to pick a similar item around the same price point out for free. Let's say you bought a jalapeño-flavored bag of chips that were just too spicy for you — you might want to swap them out for a similar bag of salt and vinegar chips instead.

Aldi's alcohol return policy varies from store to store. If you're hoping to try a new alcoholic drink but aren't sure if you'll want to keep it, you should ask for your local store's return policy before you buy. ALDI's return policy recommends speaking with an ALDI store manager to check whether you can return a bottle of alcohol from that particular location.

The same applies if you've already purchased a bottle of alcohol that you want to return. In this case, be sure to bring your original receipt to see if the return can be completed. As alcohol laws vary by state, Aldi can't guarantee any returns on alcoholic drinks.

You should also note that even if your local store accepts alcohol returns, it may not be able to take back opened products. If there's an issue with an open bottle, some customers have had success by providing evidence (such as a broken cork or pictures of the issue) in the store. 

So you want to return an item you didn't like, but you've accidentally misplaced the receipt. Fortunately, hope is not lost. Just bring the item back to the store you purchased it from, along with its original packaging. If it's a food item that you've already opened or started eating, be sure to bring along an uneaten portion of the item if possible.

Although Aldi won't be able to provide a cash refund without a receipt, it will give you store credit. This is typically in the form of a gift card worth the same amount the item costs at the time of your return. While this means that you could miss out on part of your refund if you lost your receipt and the item's price has dropped since purchasing, it's still better than not getting anything at all.

Aldi's Twice as Nice guarantee only applies to food items with the Twice as Nice label. For any other items that you want to return, you'll need to bring them back to the store within 90 days of the date you first purchased them. Make sure the item is in its original packaging, and don't forget to bring the receipt with you. Aldi will refund you via your initial method of purchase.

Naturally, you might be wondering what happens if you make a return for store credit without your original receipt. Some employees have advised on social media that the store may not be able to tell exactly when you purchased the item, and you'll only be able to return it if it's still in Aldi's system. If you wait too long, the item will no longer be in the store's system, and you won't be able to receive credit for it. Plus, the longer you wait to return an item without a receipt, the more you risk that the item's price will drop and you won't receive the same amount you paid for it. 

If you buy electronics from Aldi, you get the same 90-day return window as you would with other purchases. In many cases, Aldi may be able to accept returns even if you aren't able to bring in the product's packaging. However, this isn't the case for electronics.

Aldi's return policy specifies that the retailer cannot accept any electronics returns that do not include the original packaging. You'll also need to make sure that you put all of the included parts back in the box if you want to be refunded. So, before you bring back those headphones that you didn't like, make sure you have the original box and any extra wires or charging cords that came with them.

Let's say that you found out after you purchased an item that something was wrong with it. Maybe you bought a shirt that you didn't realize had a hole in it, or you mistakenly bought spoiled meat. 

If this is the case, and the item is not guaranteed under Twice as Nice, you can choose to swap out the item for a new one instead of asking for a refund. As long as you still want the original item you purchased, doing an exchange is easier than being refunded to your original payment method. 

Maybe you're returning an Aldi food product because you have buyer's remorse, or because you over-purchased an item. Before you take advantage of the Twice as Nice guarantee, you should know that Aldi cannot resell any of the food products you bring back. While you probably expected that outcome for products you've already opened and started eating, you might not have guessed that Aldi also cannot resell sealed products.

Aldi has this rule in place for safety reasons, but it's something you might want to think twice about before you hit the check out. Food returns contribute to the store's food waste, so don't abuse the Twice as Nice program. It's a fun way to safely try new foods you aren't sure about or fix any issues with food products (especially if there are signs your food has already gone bad), but over-using Aldi's return program isn't sustainable.