The short answer

There is no single U.S. deadline called a "dropshipping refund deadline." Start with the business that took your payment and the return or refund policy shown when you checked out. A supplier's private deadline doesn't automatically replace the storefront's policy.

If you checked out directly on a marketplace such as AliExpress, use the order's marketplace terms and dispute deadline instead. That's different from buying from an independent store that happens to use AliExpress or another supplier behind the scenes.

Three deadlines are often confused:

• The FTC's 30-day period concerns shipping. If no shipping time was promised, the seller generally has 30 days to ship.
• The store's return window concerns returns or refunds. It might be 14 days, 30 days, or another period stated in the policy.
• A credit-card billing dispute has a separate clock. An eligible billing error generally must be disputed in writing within 60 days of the statement that first showed it.

Which deadline applies?

The FTC 30-day rule is about shipping, not returns

The FTC's Online Shopping guidance says that when a seller doesn't promise a shipping time, it generally must ship within 30 days after receiving your name, address, payment, or permission to charge your account.

The FTC Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule also requires a seller to have a reasonable basis for the shipping time it advertises. If the seller can't ship as promised, it generally must obtain your consent to a delay or promptly refund payment for the unshipped merchandise.

This isn't a general 30-day right to return an unwanted product. A change-of-mind return usually depends on the store's disclosed terms. The shipping rule deals with an order that hasn't shipped on time.

If no shipping date was given, ask the seller in writing:

1. Has the order shipped?
2. What carrier and tracking number apply?
3. What is the expected delivery date?
4. Can you cancel for a refund rather than accept a delay?

Keep the response. A written acknowledgment that the seller missed its promise may help if you later contact your card issuer or file a complaint.

Read the policy that applied when you bought

Check the order confirmation, checkout page, email receipt, and the site's return or refund page. Don't rely only on a policy you find later; save a copy or screenshot of the terms that were visible at purchase.

Look for:

• How long you have to request a return or refund.
• Whether the period starts on the purchase date, delivery date, or the date you discovered the problem.
• Separate rules for damaged, defective, incorrect, or misdescribed goods.
• The return address and whether the seller must authorize the return first.
• Exclusions for personalized, perishable, or hygiene-related products.
• Whether the remedy is a refund, replacement, or store credit.
• Shipping and customs instructions.

If the product page promised a different delivery time or remedy from the general policy, save both. Point to the specific promise in your message to the seller.

The store may tell you to contact its supplier or say that the supplier's dispute period has expired. Your purchase was from the storefront that charged you, so ask that storefront to identify the buyer-facing policy and explain, in writing, why it believes your request is outside the deadline. That doesn't guarantee a refund, but it keeps the store from treating its supplier arrangement as the whole answer.

Direct AliExpress orders follow AliExpress' process

A direct AliExpress order is not the same as an order from an independent dropshipping store. For an AliExpress purchase:

• Open the dispute from the order page as soon as a problem appears.
• Use the deadline shown in the order's dispute or buyer-protection interface.
• Follow the platform's required steps instead of relying only on email with the seller.
• Upload clear photos, tracking information, the product listing, and a short explanation.
• Screenshot the order status and deadline before they change.

Some third-party guides quote a 15-day period after delivery is confirmed. That number shouldn't be treated as a universal deadline for every AliExpress order. Delivery status, product category, buyer-protection terms, and the individual order page can affect the process. Check the current terms attached to your order.

If an independent store used AliExpress or another supplier, you may not be able to use the supplier's buyer-protection process. Deal with the store that charged you, while keeping the supplier name, tracking details, listing, and package information as evidence.

If the store says you missed the deadline

First check whether the deadline really passed. The clock may run from delivery rather than purchase, or the policy may have a separate rule for damage or a hidden defect.

Send a written request that includes:

• Order number and purchase date.
• Delivery date, or the date the package should have arrived.
• A precise description of the problem.
• The refund, replacement, or other remedy you want.
• Photos, tracking records, and the relevant policy language.

If a return is required, ask for authorization and the correct address before mailing anything. Use tracked shipping and keep the receipt.

If the store's stated window did pass, ask for a goodwill exception, replacement, or store credit. Explain why the request was delayed, such as a defect that appeared only after delivery or a return page that was unavailable. The seller may refuse, but ask for its decision and policy basis in writing.

Don't spend the payment-provider deadline waiting for the seller to negotiate with its supplier. If the item never arrived, the seller promised a refund that never appeared, or another billing error occurred, check your payment provider's dispute rules immediately.

Credit-card disputes have a separate 60-day deadline

A merchant refund and a credit-card billing dispute are different remedies. The first comes from the store's policy or a voluntary agreement. The second goes through the card issuer and may cover an eligible billing error, including certain non-delivery problems.

According to the FTC's guidance on disputing credit-card billing errors, an eligible error must generally be disputed in writing within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. Follow your issuer's instructions and send the letter to the billing-inquiries or dispute address specified for that purpose. A regular customer-service message may not be enough.

The issuer generally must:

• Acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days, unless it has already resolved the issue.
• Resolve it within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after receiving the written dispute.
• Let you withhold the disputed amount and related finance or other charges during the investigation, while you continue paying amounts that aren't disputed.

This is not a universal 60-day dropshipping return period. The federal credit-card process also doesn't apply in the same way to debit cards, ACH payments, prepaid cards, wire transfers, or peer-to-peer payment services. Contact the provider for the payment method you used and ask which dispute process, if any, fits the facts.

Describe the problem accurately. Don't call a purchase "unauthorized" if you made it. State whether the issue is non-delivery, an item that materially differs from what was ordered, a promised refund that never posted, or another billing error. Whether a particular product-quality complaint qualifies is a question for the issuer's process and the applicable rules.

Save evidence before you escalate

Put the records in one folder:

• Order confirmation and receipt.
• Screenshots of the product page, price, delivery promise, and return policy.
• Emails, chats, and contact-form submissions.
• Tracking history, delivery scans, and carrier messages.
• Photos or video of damage, incorrect contents, packaging, and labels.
• Return authorization and tracking information, if you sent the product back.
• A written promise of a refund, if the seller made one.
• The relevant card statement or other payment record.

Make a simple timeline: purchase, promised shipment, actual shipment, delivery, complaint, return request, and refund promise. Dates in order often show the issue more clearly than a long message thread.

If the seller still won't help

Use this order:

1. Send one final written request stating the problem, the remedy you want, and a deadline for the seller's response.
2. If you bought directly through a marketplace, open its dispute before the order-specific deadline expires.
3. Contact your credit-card issuer or other payment provider and ask whether the facts qualify for its dispute process.
4. For a U.S. online-purchase complaint route, consult USAGov's online purchase complaint guidance.

A complaint can create a record, but it doesn't guarantee a refund. Before escalating, find the seller's legal name, mailing address, and customer-service details. If the store is outside the United States, enforcement options may be limited.

Common questions

Is 30 days the standard dropshipping refund deadline?

No. A store may choose a 30-day return policy, but the FTC's 30-day rule generally concerns shipping when no delivery time was promised. It isn't a blanket U.S. return deadline.

Can a supplier's deadline cancel my refund request?

Not automatically. The supplier's deadline usually concerns the store's ability to recover money from its fulfillment partner. Your request should first be measured against the policy and promises made by the store that charged you.

What if I missed the store's return deadline?

Ask for a documented goodwill exception, replacement, or store credit. If the item wasn't delivered, was materially different from what you ordered, or a promised refund wasn't provided, review your payment provider's dispute deadline right away.

Does the credit-card 60-day period start when the package should have arrived?

The FTC describes the deadline as 60 days from the date the first statement containing the billing error was sent. Timing and eligibility can depend on the facts, so contact the issuer promptly and use its written-dispute process.

This information is for U.S. consumers and is general information, not legal advice. Store policies, state laws, marketplace terms, and payment-provider procedures can differ.