Can I get a refund on my Staples membership fee?

Yes, with a cut-off. Cancel **within the first 30 days** and Staples refunds the membership fee in full. After 30 days the terms provide a **pro-rata refund** of the unused portion of the subscription period, returned to the original payment method, **less the value of benefits you already received**. That deduction is where disputes happen, so ask for an itemised breakdown of what's being subtracted. Note this covers the membership fee only, merchandise you bought sits under the separate returns policy.

Does Staples Plus auto-renew?

Yes. The membership auto-renews one year from your sign-up date and the fee is charged to the card used for the first year. Staples says it emails a reminder **at least 30 days before** the renewal date, if that reminder went to an old address or a promotions folder, it's a strong point to raise when asking for the charge back. Cancel before the renewal date to avoid it entirely, or within 30 days of the charge for a full refund.

Is there a cancellation fee for Staples?

No cancellation fee appears anywhere in Staples' membership or AutoRestock terms, cancellation itself is free. The costs that catch people out are different: a pro-rata refund after day 30 has the value of used benefits deducted, unredeemed rewards are forfeited on deactivation, and returning an item that came with a promotional gift card has the gift card's value subtracted from the refund. If anyone quotes you a fee to cancel, ask them to point to the clause.

How long do I have to return something to Staples?

Most products: **30 days**. Technology and business machines, computers, laptops, printers, tablets, cameras, and furniture: **14 days from date of receipt**. Unopened boxed software is more flexible, but opened and downloadable software isn't refundable, and custom print, personalised and special-order items are non-returnable unless defective. Refunds go back to the original payment method; mail-in returns can take around ten business days to process after Staples receives them. Electronics and furniture bought in the run-up to the holidays get an extended window.

What if Staples ignores my cancellation request?

Build the paper trail, then escalate. Keep your original dated email to rewardsplus@staples.com, then send a single escalation copying **support@orders.staples.com**, quoting the 30-day full-refund clause and the auto-renewal reminder requirement, and give a 7-day deadline. Phone backup is 1-800-333-3330 (1-800-STAPLES). If it's still unresolved, dispute the renewal charge with your card issuer as an unauthorised recurring payment, attach the cancellation email as evidence. Business accounts should route through support@staplesadvantage.com.

How do I cancel AppleCare+ bought at Staples?

Within **30 days**, take it back to Staples and they'll cancel AppleCare+ for a full refund, but only if you bought the plan at Staples. Staples can't cancel an AppleCare+ plan purchased anywhere else. **Beyond 30 days**, Staples won't handle it at all: all cancellation requests go directly to Apple, which issues a prorated refund based on the unused portion of the plan. Keep the Staples receipt either way, since Apple may ask for proof of purchase date.

REFUND GUIDE

How to Get a Staples Refund After the 14-Day Window.

Inside 30 days their own policy is on your side; statutory cooling-off rights may stack on top. Outside it, you've still got tools, a clear email, a card-issuer chargeback, the lot. Here's the playbook for Staples.

Last verified 22 days ago against Staples’s own Terms · UK, US, and EU rights covered below

The short answer

Three different charge types, three different rules. The paid Staples Plus MEMBERSHIP FEE is fully refundable if you cancel within 30 days of the charge; after that Staples refunds a pro-rata share of the unused term to the original payment method, minus the value of benefits you already used. MERCHANDISE is separate: most products are returnable within 30 days, but technology, business machines and furniture drop to 14 days from receipt, and custom print, downloadable software and gift cards are generally non-returnable. AppleCare+ bought at Staples can be cancelled at Staples within 30 days for a full refund; beyond 30 days Apple handles it on a prorated basis. AutoRestock has no fee, an unwanted shipment is handled as a return, not a subscription refund.

Or let yoink chase the refund.

30 seconds to set up. yoink emails Staples, cites the policy, escalates if ignored, and surfaces the win when the money lands.

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What Staples actually says

“If the membership is cancelled within the first 30 days, the member will receive a full refund.”
, verbatim from Staples’s terms

30-day cancellation windowPro-rata refund: yesStatutory cooling-off: 14 days in UK + EU on new subs

How long does a Staples refund take?

Most merchants agree to a straightforward refund within 1 to 3 working days of a well-written email request. Once agreed, the money itself takes another 3 to 5 working days to land, that part is card-network processing and no merchant can skip it. If nothing has arrived 10 working days after a written “refund approved”, reply on the same thread asking for the ARN (acquirer reference number), which your bank can trace.

Note Staples’s own policy works on a 30-day window, ask inside it and the request is routine; outside it you’re relying on goodwill or statutory rights.

What you can claim

The law where you live is the strongest hook, lead with it when you contact the company.

United States

Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA)
Dispute any credit-card charge in writing within 60 days.
For US credit-card payments, the FCBA gives you 60 days from the statement date to dispute a Staples charge in writing. Your card issuer is required to investigate and may withhold the disputed amount during the process.
California ARL refund right
Refund if cancel was blocked or unclear.
If Staples made it hard to cancel under California ARL, you’re entitled to a refund of charges taken since the obstruction. Multiple class actions (including against Adobe + Hulu) have set the precedent.

Worldwide

Card-issuer chargeback
Visa/Mastercard chargeback works everywhere they do.
Open a chargeback for “subscription not cancelled” or “services not as described”, your bank initiates, Staples has ~45 days to defend. Works regardless of where Staples is headquartered.
PayPal Buyer Protection
If you paid via PayPal, open a dispute.
PayPal’s Buyer Protection covers “item not as described”, applies to services that didn’t deliver. Resolution typically within 20 days.

Rights in other regions (United Kingdom, European Union)

United Kingdom

Citizens Advice + Trading Standards
For repeated bad-faith refusals.
Free escalation lane: file with Citizens Advice (08082231133), they pass it to Trading Standards. Slow (8-12 weeks) but creates a paper trail Staples can’t ignore.

European Union

ECC-Net cross-border escalation
EU Consumer Centre network mediates against EU sellers.
If Staples is based in another EU country, your local European Consumer Centre will mediate the dispute for free. List of national contacts at commission.europa.eu.

The 4-step refund email

Email the right address
Use betty.thompson@staples.com, the route yoink has verified actually gets read for Staples.
Use a clear subject line
Subject: Refund Request, [your account email]

Send this body

Hi Staples team,

I'm requesting a refund of the recent charge on my subscription, account [your account email].

Under the FTC's Click-to-Cancel rule, cancellation must be available through a channel as simple as the one I signed up through. Please confirm by reply that the refund will be processed to my original payment method.

If a full refund isn't available under your policy, I'd accept a pro-rata refund for the unused portion.

Best,
[your name]

Wait 7-14 days, then escalate
If you haven’t heard back in 14 days, escalate via the regional route above, a card-issuer chargeback works in every market.

Refund FAQ for Staples

Staples' own membership terms give two routes: **email rewardsplus@staples.com** or **call 1-855-815-5390**. Email is the better option because it timestamps the request. Include your name, member/account number, the email on the account and the line "Please cancel my Staples Plus membership effective today and confirm in writing." Members report getting a cancellation email back within about 24 hours, with the account still showing as Plus for another 24 to 48 hours while systems update. If you're inside 30 days of the annual charge, ask for the full refund in the same message.