Mercadona Return Policy: how to take items back and get your money back

You get home, set the bags on the counter, and then you spot it. The wrong item. A pack with a crack. A jar that did not seal right. Or a thing you bought in a rush and now you do not want.

In that moment, you want a fast fix. Not a long chat. Not ten trips. Just clear steps.

This guide gives you the return rules Mercadona posts for its online shop orders, plus plain tips for store buys. It is written in simple words, so you can act fast and not waste a day.

Start here: did you buy in a store, or in the online shop?

Mercadona has two main ways you may have bought.

If you bought in a Mercadona store, you handle the return in the store. For most “not right” cases, your best move is still the same: take the item and your ticket back and ask at the till or ask for the person in charge.

If you bought in the Mercadona online shop and had a home drop, Mercadona has a clear set of steps for returns and pay back. That is what most of this page covers, since Mercadona lists these steps in its online help pages.

Why does this split matter? The online shop has a set flow, with free returns and set ways to get your pay back. A store buy can be more case by case, since food and care items have health and date limits.

Mercadona online shop: two ways to return

Mercadona says you can return an item from an online shop order in two ways.

The first way is at the door, at the time of drop. If you see the item you want to send back, you can tell the drop staff. They can take the item back right then and start the pay back for that item.

The next way is in a store. You take the item to your near Mercadona store and bring the ticket for that order. The store can then handle the return.

Mercadona also says these returns are free for online shop orders. That is good news, since food runs can add up and no one wants to pay more just to fix a bad pick.

How the money comes back for an online shop return

Mercadona says the pay back goes to the same pay way you used when you made the order. In plain words, if you paid by card, it goes back to that card.

Mercadona adds one small note: it says the pay back is done to the same pay way unless you say you want a new one. So if you need a new pay way for some odd case, ask at the time you do the return.

Do not stress if you do not see the money at once. Mercadona says it will mail you once it has made the pay back, and then your bank may take time to post it. Mercadona says it can take up to 14 days from the day Mercadona makes the pay back ask, based on the bank.

So think of it like a post card. Mercadona sends it out, but the last leg is on the bank side.

What you can return from an online shop order

Mercadona says you can return all items from an online shop order, with key limits.

One limit is for fresh items, or items with a use-by date that is the same as (or less than) the day you start the return. In plain words, if the date is at or past its end, the return is not set up the same way.

Next, Mercadona notes a limit for items that were “made” or “done” as the item title says. Think of items that you heat, bake, or mix as the pack tells you to. Once you do that, it is not the same item any more.

The last limit is for items that were unsealed or had the seal broke, when health or clean rules mean they can’t take it back. This is common for care and skin items, and for some food and baby items, since the store can’t know how it was kept once it was open.

These limits are not there to be harsh. They are there since food and care goods have real health rules. A store can resell a closed pack. A store can’t resell an open care item with a torn seal.

Online shop: how to get your ticket fast

For online shop orders, Mercadona says you can get the ticket from your order page.

In the site or app, go to “My Orders,” pick the order, and then tap the way to get the ticket. Mercadona says this is ready once the pay is made, a few hours prior to your drop time.

Mercadona also says the ticket is sent in the pay mail you get on the day of the drop.

That is handy, since a ticket is the key you will need if you want to do the return in a store.

If you got a wrong item in an online shop order

It can be as small as the wrong size pack, or as big as the wrong item type. It can feel like you asked for tea and got salt.

Mercadona says that if you got a wrong item or the wrong count, you should take your ticket to your near store. You can ask for a swap or a pay back.

Act fast on this one. The more time that goes by, the more hard it gets to sort what took place. A same day or next day trip is best if you can swing it.

If you got an item in poor shape, or a broke item

Bad food, crushed packs, a torn seal, a jar that came in with a crack, a can that is bent so it may leak. These cases need speed.

Mercadona says if you got an item in poor shape, you can reach them fast by chat in the Help tab, or by phone. It also says you can go to your near store if you want the in-person path.

For “broke or harmed” items, Mercadona says that if you spot it while the drop staff is still there, give it back to them so they can start the pay back. If you spot it after they leave, Mercadona says you can ask for a pay back in your near store by giving the ticket at a till.

Here is a good habit: take a quick photo when you spot the harm, then keep the item as-is till you talk to staff. A clean photo can save time if you need to show a crack or a leak.

How to check the state of your pay back

Mercadona says it will mail you once it has made the pay back. If you got that mail and you still do not see the money, the next step is to give it a bit of time for the bank to post it.

If you need to check, Mercadona says to use chat in the Help tab, or call its free help phone line.

This is best if you are past the time your bank tends to take for card pay backs, or if you see a hold but not a post.

Store buys: what to do in real life

Now let’s talk store buys, since most Mercadona trips are store trips.

In Spain, a store is not forced by law to take a “I do not want it” return for an in-store buy, if the item has no fault. Some stores do it as a kind act. Some do it in set cases. So for a store buy, do not bank on a “no cause” return as a right.

But if the item is bad, not safe, or not as it should be, that is a new thing. In that case, you have rights as a buyer, and stores must help fix it. A bad food item, a label that is wrong, or a pack that was not fit for sale is not “I do not want it.” It is “this is not ok.”

Your best move is still plain and old-school: take the item and the ticket back to the store, then ask for help at the till or ask for the person in charge. Keep your chat calm and short. Say what is wrong. Show the ticket. Let them see the item.

For food and fresh goods, speed is even more key. Dates and heat can change a case fast. Put the item in a cool bag if you can, so it gets back in the same state you found it.

Do you need the ticket?

For online shop returns in store, Mercadona says you need the ticket for that order.

For store buys, the ticket is still the best proof. It ties the item to the store and the date. It also helps staff see the pay way you used so the pay back can go to the same place.

If you use card a lot, keep your ticket in your phone case or snap a clear pic of it the same day. A pic is like a spare key. You may not need it, but when you do, it saves you.

One last thing: online buy law in Spain

In Spain and the EU, online buys have a “step back” right in most cases. The base rule is 14 days to tell the shop you want to step back, and then a set time to send the goods back. But food that can spoil fast, and some sealed care goods once unsealed, can be out of that right.

This is why Mercadona’s online shop notes those limits for fresh goods, date-based goods, and unsealed goods tied to health and clean rules.

Small tips that make a return easy

Check your bags the same day, if you can. Do not wait till the week end.

For an online shop drop, do a fast scan at the door while the drop staff is still close. If you spot harm then, the fix can be much more quick.

Keep your ticket. For online orders, save the pay mail or pull the ticket from the app.

Do not open seals on care goods till you are sure you will keep them. Once a seal is broke, the return may be a “no” for clean and health rules.

For fresh goods, act fast and keep them cool on the way back.

Amazon buys over $2,000 that can help if you do a lot of online buys

You do not need big gear to take a jar back to a store. Still, if you run a busy home, do lots of online buys, or keep records for work, a few high-end buys can save time.

A strong laptop like a MacBook Pro 16 can cost over $2,000 on Amazon in many builds. It can help you keep pay mails, bank notes, and ticket files in one spot. When you need to pull up a ticket fast, it is there.

A big work laser print and scan unit like an HP LaserJet Enterprise MFP class unit can also run past $2,000 on Amazon. It is more for a home office or a small firm, but it can help you scan paper tickets, print drop slips, and keep a clean file set.

If you store a lot of files, a high-end NAS kit with big drives can also pass $2,000 on Amazon as a full set. It can keep your pics of tickets, pay mails, and home files safe, even if your phone dies.

These buys are not a must. The best free tool is still the same: check fast, keep the ticket, and act quick when a pack is not right.

Last note

Mercadona’s online shop return rules are plain once you know the two paths. You can hand an item back at the door at drop time, or you can take it to a store with the ticket. The pay back goes to the same pay way, and the return is free for online shop orders. Some items have clear limits, like fresh goods, date-based goods at the end date, and unsealed goods tied to health and clean rules.

For store buys, the safe path is still: take the item and the ticket back and ask for help in the store. Move fast, keep it calm, and the fix is most often a short stop, not a long fight.