Refund policies on Google Play and the App Store

Mr. Latte ∙ Software Development Expert

Summary

• You can request a refund yourself within 48 hours of purchase
• Digital content such as books and music can be claimed within 65 days
• Unauthorized charges, such as identity theft, can be claimed as well
  • Google: within 120 days, here
  • Apple: no stated deadline, file here

Play Store

Details are in the Google Play refund policy.

1. Apps and in-app purchases: refundable within 48 hours of purchase.
2. Digital content (music, movies, books): still refundable after 48 hours, though a request within 2 hours goes through most easily.
3. eBook errors: refundable within 65 days.
4. After 48 hours: contact the app developer directly. The outcome depends on the developer’s policy and on legal requirements.
5. Multi-item purchases: only the whole purchase can be refunded, not individual items.
6. An app whose distribution has been cancelled gets no different refund treatment. Worth keeping in mind when you shut a service down.

App Store

Details are in the Apple App Store refund policy.

1. Some items bought on the App Store, iTunes Store or Apple Books can be refunded.
2. The request goes through reportaproblem.apple.com.
3. You cannot request a refund while a charge is still processing or an order is unpaid.
4. Eligibility differs by country and region, and some regions add consumer law protections.

Filing for unauthorized charges

• Google: within 120 days, here.
• Apple: no specific deadline stated, file here.

How long refunds take by payment method

• Credit or debit card: 3 to 5 business days
• Carrier billing: up to 60 days
• PAYCO: 3 to 5 business days