Barnes & Noble is in the middle of its biggest store expansion in nearly two decades — 60 new locations confirmed for this year alone across 10 states plus Washington D.C. But the store finder is where most people get stuck, and the wrong phone number wastes 20 minutes on hold. This page gives you the right number for the right issue, the correct hours before you drive out, and the membership math most visitors never see.
📍 Find a Barnes & Noble Near You
Tap any button below to load the map. Always call your specific store before visiting for events — Storytime schedules, author signing dates, and café hours vary by location and aren’t always updated in general search results.
📌 Confirm hours and events before traveling.
Official locator: stores.barnesandnoble.com ·
Events & Signings Calendar ·
Main line: 1-800-843-2665
The questions that come up most when someone is trying to visit, call, or get something done at a Barnes & Noble — answered in plain language, with the specifics that trip people up most.
Go directly to stores.barnesandnoble.com and type your ZIP code or city name. Every result shows that store’s direct phone number, current-week hours, and whether it has a café. This is the only reliable source — Google’s results frequently display outdated hours for B&N locations, especially for stores that have recently adjusted their schedules. Third-party sites often carry old phone numbers. The official locator is updated by each store directly. If you’d rather call for the number, the main line at 1-800-843-2665 operates Monday through Sunday, 9 AM to 9 PM Eastern Time, and can direct you to your nearest location.
Most B&N stores keep the same national pattern: Monday through Saturday, 10 AM to 9 PM. Sunday hours are typically 11 AM to 7 or 8 PM, with some lower-traffic locations closing as early as 6 PM. Mall stores often stay open until 9 PM or 10 PM on weekends to align with mall hours. Stores are closed on three days every year: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and Easter Sunday. They stay open with regular hours on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Always confirm with your specific store — since CEO James Daunt handed scheduling control to individual stores, hours can differ meaningfully between two B&N locations in the same city.
Possibly. Barnes & Noble confirmed plans to open 60 new stores this year across Ohio, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Colorado, Washington state, California, Virginia, Georgia, and Washington D.C. — its largest single-year expansion in nearly two decades. New stores appear in the official locator at or just before their opening day, so a store that hasn’t appeared yet may already be confirmed. Check barnesandnobleinc.com/news for the corporate newsroom announcements, or search your city name plus “Barnes Noble opening” for local press coverage. Grand openings typically generate significant local social media activity two to four weeks ahead of the opening date, which is often how nearby residents find out first.
No — Barnes & Noble does not offer a formal price-match policy against Amazon, Target, Walmart, or other competitors. The practical alternative is the Premium Membership’s 10% everyday discount, which automatically brings the in-store price closer to online discounters without any negotiation at the register. For bestsellers and frontlist titles specifically, B&N runs occasional “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” promotions that can outperform Amazon pricing when you’re buying multiple books at once. These promotions are often only advertised in-store rather than online — ask a bookseller what’s currently running. Premium Members also receive double-stamp bonus events several times per year that significantly boost the effective return.
Yes, with conditions. Most in-store purchases are returnable within 30 days with the original receipt for a full refund in the original payment method. Without a receipt, B&N can look up the transaction using your membership account or the credit card used at the time — in that case, you’ll receive store credit at the current selling price. Books must be in original, unread condition with no writing inside. Items bought on bn.com can be returned to any physical store within 30 days — a convenience many shoppers don’t know about. NOOK digital content is generally non-refundable once accessed, though there is a narrow 14-day window for eligible ebook purchases if you haven’t read past the opening chapter. Per Barnes & Noble’s current published terms, the refund eligibility window for new Premium Memberships is also 30 days if you haven’t used any benefits.
Most — but not all — B&N locations have a café inside, typically serving coffee, tea, pastries, and light food under either a Starbucks or a Barnes & Noble branded café program. Newer stores and recently renovated locations are more likely to include full café seating. To check whether your specific store has one, look at its listing at stores.barnesandnoble.com — café availability appears on each store’s detail page. Premium Members receive a free drink size upgrade on any café prepared beverage on every single visit — that’s one benefit that adds up quickly for regular visitors. Note that the 10% membership discount does not apply to café purchases, only the size upgrade.
Yes — most B&N locations host multiple free events every week, including Storytime for children (typically Saturday mornings, many stores also offer a midweek session), local and national author signings, book club meetings, and themed programming around new releases. Most events are free and walk-in; major author appearances at flagship stores may require a ticket purchase that often includes a signed copy. The only accurate place to see your store’s specific upcoming calendar is stores.barnesandnoble.com — click your store’s listing, then “View Upcoming Events.” The national B&N email newsletter also announces touring author appearances and virtual events weeks in advance. Sign up at bn.com to receive it.
Call 1-800-843-2665, which handles all bn.com order questions and runs Monday through Sunday, 9 AM to 9 PM Eastern. When the automated system picks up, press 0 repeatedly or say “representative” to skip through the menus faster. Real-world data shows average hold times run about 33 minutes — the least busy day is Sunday, and Thursday tends to have the shortest hold times during the week. Friday is the most congested. If your issue isn’t time-sensitive, live chat at help.barnesandnoble.com connects in under 5 minutes on weekdays and is available 7 days a week, including weekends when some phone-line options are reduced. For membership issues specifically, call 1-866-238-7323 — it’s a separate team with typically shorter waits than the main order line.
Different issues need different lines. Calling the wrong number means being transferred and waiting twice. The chart below matches each contact method to what it actually handles.
Orders, returns, delivery, gift cards
Cancellations, account questions
Balance, fraud, replacement
Same issues as phone · written record
This is the right number for anything related to orders placed at barnesandnoble.com: tracking a package, reporting a missing or wrong item, cancelling an order, requesting a return label, or getting a refund on an online purchase. It also handles gift card balance questions and bn.com account access problems. Fastest path to a live agent: when the system picks up, press 0 twice or say “representative” clearly. The system will attempt to route you through multiple menus — pressing 0 before it finishes speaking skips most of them. Hours are Monday through Sunday, 9 AM to 9 PM Eastern. Real-world hold time data puts the average at 33 minutes; Thursday is typically the shortest wait, Friday the longest.
Use this number — not the main line — for anything touching your Premium or Rewards Membership: stamps that didn’t post after a purchase, billing disputes on the annual $39.99 renewal, cancelling auto-renewal before it charges your card, questions about the 10% discount not working, a lost membership number, or switching between Rewards and Premium tiers. Calling this line puts you in front of a team that handles only membership issues — typically shorter hold times than the main customer service number. If you want to cancel auto-renewal before it hits your card, call here and request it. According to B&N’s published policy, you can also get a full refund on a renewal if you call within 30 days and haven’t yet used any Premium benefits in the new term.
Barnes & Noble has a dedicated gift card number separate from general customer service — a detail most people don’t realize until they’ve waited 30 minutes on the main line for something the main team can’t fully resolve anyway. This line handles balance checks, suspected fraud or unauthorized use on a gift card, replacing a lost or damaged card, and bulk or corporate gift card orders. For a simple balance check, you can also go online to barnesandnoble.com/giftcard and enter the card number and PIN — no hold time required. Gift cards issued by B&N never expire and carry no inactivity fees, so any card received years ago is still fully valid today.
For anything specific to a physical store — the store’s direct phone number, current hours this week, whether the location has a café, Storytime schedules, and upcoming author events — the official store locator is the only consistently accurate source. Search by ZIP code, city, or state. Each listing shows the store’s direct number, which rings the floor directly, not a call center. New stores are added to the locator at or just before opening day, so if a B&N recently opened near you and it isn’t showing yet, check again in a day or two. Bookmark this page so you always have your store’s direct number ready without searching.
Live chat at help.barnesandnoble.com is typically the fastest contact method during business hours — connect time under 5 minutes on weekdays, and the chat is available 7 days a week when some phone options are reduced on weekends. It handles the same issues as the phone lines and gives you a written record of the conversation, which is useful if you need to reference a resolution later. For written or escalation inquiries — corporate matters, persistent unresolved issues, or formal complaints — email [email protected]. Expect a response in 24 to 48 business hours. For publisher or author inquiries about carrying books: [email protected].
Hours follow a consistent national pattern but are managed store by store. Mall locations run later. The café inside a store may open 30 to 60 minutes later or close earlier than the bookstore floor — call the store to confirm café hours separately if that’s your reason for visiting.
| Day / Holiday | Typical Hours | Mall Locations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday – Friday | 10 AM – 9 PM | 10 AM – 9 PM | Standard weekday hours |
| Saturday | 10 AM – 9 PM | 10 AM – 9 or 10 PM | Busiest Storytime and event day |
| Sunday | 11 AM – 7 or 8 PM | 11 AM – 7 or 8 PM | Opens 1 hour later — verify locally |
| Thanksgiving Day | CLOSED | CLOSED | One of three full closure days annually |
| Christmas Day | CLOSED | CLOSED | bn.com remains open for online orders |
| Easter Sunday | CLOSED | CLOSED | Reopens Monday with normal hours |
| Memorial Day | 10 AM – 9 PM | 10 AM – 9 PM | Open — regular hours |
| Independence Day | 10 AM – 9 PM | 10 AM – 9 PM | Open — regular hours |
| Labor Day | 10 AM – 9 PM | 10 AM – 9 PM | Open — regular hours |
| Day After Christmas | 10 AM – 9 PM | 10 AM – 9 PM | High traffic — gift card & returns day |
In many stores the café opens 30 minutes later in the morning and closes an hour before the bookstore floor does in the evening. If you’re visiting specifically to use the café — for a coffee before browsing or a seat to read — call your store directly and ask for café hours as a separate question. The store locator at stores.barnesandnoble.com also notes café availability per location when you click into a store’s full detail page.
The membership program has two tiers. The free one earns rewards on every purchase. The paid one adds a 10% everyday discount — and that single benefit is the only one that needs to pencil out for the whole thing to pay for itself.
The Rewards Membership is completely free with no annual fee. You earn one virtual stamp for every $10 spent in a single eligible transaction — at any Barnes & Noble or Paper Source store, or on bn.com. Every 10 stamps automatically converts to a $5 reward, which can be spent in-store or online. That works out to a 5% effective return on spending, with no caps, no blackout categories, and no complicated tiers to track. Stamps also count on purchases made using gift cards, which matters for families who receive B&N gift cards as presents. Sign up at the register when you next check out — it takes about 60 seconds using your email address. No physical card is required; your phone number or email pulls up the account at any register. You can also sign up at barnesandnoble.com/pages/membership.
Premium Membership costs $39.99 per year — up from the old $25 plan when B&N restructured the program. What you get: a 10% everyday discount on eligible purchases at Barnes & Noble stores and on bn.com (including ebooks and audiobooks); free standard shipping on orders of $15 or more; a free size upgrade on any café prepared beverage on every visit; an annual Barnes & Noble tote bag (up to $24.99 value); birthday offers; and full Rewards Membership stamp benefits included at no extra cost. The break-even math: the 10% discount covers the $39.99 membership fee once you spend approximately $400 per year — about $33 per month, or one to two new hardcover books. Above that threshold, every dollar spent returns an additional 10 cents in discount. Auto-renewal applies each year; to cancel, call 1-866-238-7323 before your renewal date. Per B&N’s own published terms, you can also get a full refund on a renewal if you contact them within 30 days and haven’t used any benefits in the new term. The 10% discount currently does not apply at papersource.com (only in Paper Source stores), though B&N has stated they are working to fix this.
Before paying the annual fee, add up what you actually spent at Barnes & Noble over the past 12 months — in-store and online combined. If it’s under $400, the free Rewards tier earns 5% back and costs nothing. If it’s over $400, Premium’s 10% discount saves more than the fee, and free shipping on orders of $15 or more adds additional value on top. You do not have to decide at the register. You can sign up for Premium at any time at barnesandnoble.com/pages/membership — the 10% discount activates immediately.
Most regular visitors use a fraction of what their B&N location offers. Here’s what exists at most stores — and how to access it without stumbling in by accident.
Most Barnes & Noble locations host free Storytime at least once per week — typically Saturday mornings between 10 AM and noon, with a themed story reading by a bookseller, a simple craft activity, and often songs. Many stores also run a Wednesday morning session for families who find weekends too crowded. Storytime scheduling is set at the store level — one location may run three sessions a week, a nearby store one. The only reliable way to see your store’s schedule is the events calendar at stores.barnesandnoble.com — click your store’s listing, then “View Upcoming Events.” No registration or purchase is required for most sessions, though arriving early is smart at popular locations. Bring a small blanket or mat for younger children — sessions typically run 20 to 30 minutes on the floor.
Barnes & Noble hosts thousands of author events each year — signings, readings, Q&A sessions, and panel discussions ranging from debut local authors to major national names. Most events at standard stores are free to attend and walk-in. Larger touring events at flagship locations may require a ticket purchase, typically $25 to $50, that usually includes a signed copy of the book. Pre-signed stock is often available for a few weeks after an author visit — stores frequently receive signed copies from the publisher even for authors you missed. Ask any bookseller whether a recent or upcoming author has pre-signed copies in stock. Virtual events through the national B&N online program are free and do not require you to be anywhere near the author’s tour location — see barnesandnoble.com/h/events.
Barnes & Noble’s book club operates on two tracks. The national program announces a monthly selection and closes the month with a free virtual author discussion that anyone can join. Many individual stores also host their own informal local book clubs — monthly meetings in the café area, focused on a title chosen by the store’s booksellers. To find out if your store runs a local club, call the store directly and ask. Some stores also make café space available for customer-organized groups at no cost — if your neighborhood book club needs a meeting venue, it’s worth asking.
Booksellers can place special orders for any in-print title not currently on the shelf — most orders arrive within 3 to 7 business days at no extra charge. Special orders qualify for the Premium Membership 10% discount — remind the bookseller to apply it. Gift wrapping is available at most stores, particularly through the holiday season. NOOK device setup help and basic troubleshooting are available at the service desk, though hardware repairs go through bn.com/support rather than in-store. For self-published local authors, B&N’s B&N Press platform allows book submissions for consideration in the local interest shelf — ask store management how to submit.
Call 1-800-843-2665 (Mon–Sun, 9 AM–9 PM ET) or use live chat at help.barnesandnoble.com any day of the week. Have your order number ready — it’s in your confirmation email. B&N’s policy on items shown delivered but not received is to investigate with the carrier first, which typically takes 2–3 business days. If the carrier confirms non-delivery, B&N will reship at no cost or issue a full refund. Don’t wait more than 5 days past the expected delivery date to contact support — some carrier dispute windows have time limits. Paying by credit card also gives you a parallel dispute option with your card issuer if B&N’s investigation stalls.
Call 1-866-238-7323 as soon as you see the charge. Per Barnes & Noble’s published membership terms, they will refund the annual fee if you haven’t used any Premium benefits in the new term and you contact them within 30 days of the renewal date. The refund eligibility window is narrow — act quickly. To prevent this in the future, call the same number and ask to have auto-renewal turned off. Your membership runs out through the current paid term, then converts to the free Rewards membership automatically — your stamps and earned rewards carry over.
Go to stores.barnesandnoble.com, search your ZIP code, click your nearest store, then scroll to “View Upcoming Events.” Storytime events appear on the calendar with the exact day and time for that location. If nothing shows up online, call the store directly — some stores don’t list all events in the system, and the bookseller at the information desk will know the current week’s schedule. Saturday morning between 10 AM and noon is the most common Storytime window nationally, but specific times vary. Arrive 5 to 10 minutes early for popular sessions — seating is first-come on the floor. No purchase is required.
Yes — any in-print title can be special-ordered at no extra charge. Ask any bookseller on the floor: “I’m looking for [title or author] and don’t see it — can you order it?” They’ll check availability and place the order immediately if it’s in print. Books typically arrive in 3 to 7 business days and can be shipped to your home or held for pickup. Tell the bookseller your Premium Membership number so the 10% discount applies to the special order. For out-of-print titles, the bookseller can point you toward bn.com’s marketplace or used book listings, but special orders only cover in-print inventory.
Allow 24 hours first — stamps sometimes don’t post until the next day, especially for online orders. If they still haven’t appeared after 48 hours, call 1-866-238-7323 or use live chat. Have your receipt or order number ready. The most common reason stamps don’t post: the bookseller scanned your membership after the transaction was completed rather than at the start. Stamps only count when the membership is linked at the time of purchase, not retroactively. However, a store manager can apply a manual adjustment within 30 days of the original purchase if the error was the store’s — ask specifically for the manager.
Three ways: online at barnesandnoble.com/giftcard (enter the card number and PIN on the back), at any B&N register by handing it to a bookseller, or by calling the dedicated gift card line at 1-800-295-3029. Barnes & Noble gift cards issued directly by B&N never expire and carry no inactivity fees — a card from years ago is still valid at its full remaining balance. If the balance is lower than expected, the gift card line can pull up the full transaction history on any card purchased at B&N or bn.com. For gift cards purchased at grocery stores, pharmacies, or other third-party retailers, contact the issuer listed on the back of the card rather than Barnes & Noble — those cards are administered separately.
This guide is for general informational purposes only. Store hours, phone numbers, membership terms, and event schedules are subject to change — verify all details directly at barnesandnoble.com or by calling your local store before visiting. Hours are set by individual stores under Barnes & Noble’s localized management model and may differ from the national patterns described here. Membership fees and terms were confirmed against Barnes & Noble’s published help center documentation. Store count and expansion data reflect Barnes & Noble’s publicly stated plans confirmed to USA Today, Fox Business, and Fast Company as of the most recent reporting period. Phone number accuracy verified against Barnes & Noble’s official help center and third-party contact databases as of September 2026. This content is entirely original and has not been sponsored or endorsed by Barnes & Noble, Inc. or any affiliated entity. Key sources: barnesandnoble.com; help.barnesandnoble.com; stores.barnesandnoble.com.