As businesses seek tariff refunds, questions remain on whether consumers will receive relief

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- More than $150 billion worth of tariffs are set to be refunded to U.S. businesses after the Supreme Court ruled that some of President Trump's tariffs were illegal, triggering the first wave of refund requests this week.

Companies can seek repayment for costs they absorbed under the tariffs, but questions remain about whether consumers will see any of that money returned.

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On Friday night, steady traffic flowed through the Nintendo store in San Francisco's Union Square, with shoppers browsing the video game company's latest products. As businesses move to reclaim tariff payments, Nintendo is among the companies now looking to the federal government for refunds tied to those costs.

After the tariffs were deemed illegal earlier this year, thousands of businesses began pursuing reimbursement. A new government website launched this week is intended to help companies navigate the refund process, which may take months.

"It will take about 60 to 90 days, as estimated, at the least. And that is unless there are any other legal challenges or unless there is anything else put in place that will prolong the duration of this," said Julian Vogel, a professor at San Jose State University.

The potential timeline has also caught the attention of consumers who say they bore the brunt of higher prices while the tariffs were in place.

Nate Frost said he noticed a significant increase in the cost of Nintendo products over the past year.

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"Especially when they announced the Switch 2, I was just kind of taken aback by the price because it was so much more than the original Switch," Frost said.

In 2025, Nintendo publicly acknowledged price increases and told consumers the hikes were tied to the tariffs. Since then, a class action lawsuit has been filed against the company, with some shoppers arguing that if Nintendo receives tariff refunds, customers should also be compensated.

"Over time, it adds up a lot, and it really hurts the folks that are fans of these things," said Vincent Le.

So far, the federal government has indicated that refunds will be issued only to businesses, not directly to consumers. If that stance remains, some shoppers believe legal action may be the only way for customers to recoup part of the added costs they paid.

"They're getting refunds for stuff we paid for, so I feel like that's just not fair," Frost said.

As of Friday night, Nintendo did not respond to a request for comment.