How to get a refund on Google Play Store purchases
Sometimes, purchasing from the Play Store isn’t a happy experience. The app isn’t what it claimed to be, or the music is just rubbish. But if you want a refund, you need to act fast. Here’s how to return paid apps, games or media purchased in Google Play.
The process for a refund can differ depending on the kind of purchase that was made. Jump ahead to the section relevant to you.
Jump to:
- Know your statutory rights
- Refund apps and games or in-app purchases
- How to return and refund ebooks
- Refund movie or TV purchase
- Refunds on Google Play Music
Know your statutory rights
In law, paid-for goods are generally covered by some basic principles: if they’re faulty or misdescribed, you should be given a repair, a replacement or a refund. It’s important to note that when consumer legislation talks about “satisfactory quality” they mean technical quality, not artistic: “this song doesn’t play” should trigger a refund, but “this song sounds like a bunch of drunks shouting into a bucket” doesn’t - unless the item wasn’t labeled properly and you thought you were getting the new Taylor Swift single.
With Google, the rights you have depend on what you’re buying and in some cases, what country you live in.
If you live in the EU, some purchases are subject to different rules:
- If you buy digital content such as in-app items, apps, games, music, or movies on Google Play, you waive an automatic statutory right of withdrawal and our standard refund rules apply.
- If you buy a service from a developer or another third party, even if you buy it on Google Play, contact the seller to withdraw and get a refund.
How to return paid apps and games or in-app purchases
Google’s Android App return policy is simple: if you buy an Android app or game and you aren’t happy with it for any reason, you can return it within two hours for a full refund. After that two hour period is up, though, you have a 48-hour window during which a refund request can be processed by Google. After that, it’s up to the app developer to decide whether or not you should get your money back.
For in-app purchases, while it's not easy to get a refund without the approval of the developer, you can try via the same process as with the 48-hour window.
To claim a refund within two hours of purchase:
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Tap on the Menu icon and choose Order History.
- Select the app or game you want to return.
- Tap on Report a problem and select a problem from the drop-down menu.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to get your money back and uninstall the app or game.
If the two hour period has already passed you won’t see a refund button; it will say Uninstall instead.
To claim a refund within 48 hours of purchase:
- Open a web browser and go here.
- Scroll down to "Order History" and find the order you want to return.
- To the right of the order, click More.
- Select Request a refund.
- Complete the form and note that you would like a refund.
How to contact an app or game developer for a refund
On your mobile device:
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Search for the app whose developer you want to contact.
- Tap on the app.
- Tap on Read More.
- Hope that the contact information isn’t “M. Mouse, Disneyland”.
How to get a refund on an ebook
Google Play generally gives you a 7-day return period on books (30 days on educational titles through Google Play for Education) but there are some exceptions, such as books that were only available for a very short period of time. To make a refund request, you need to contact Google Play Customer Support.
How to get a refund on a Google Play movie purchase
If the video clip is defective, you can get a refund at any time within 65 days - but if you’ve simply decided that Killer Klowns from Outer Space isn’t really the movie for you, you’ve got only 7 days. That period only applies if you haven’t started watching the movie: if you get three minutes in and think “this is rubbish!” that’s your tough luck. The same rules apply to TV shows.
How to get a refund on a Google Play Music purchase
Once again, Google will happily refund your purchase if you haven’t streamed or downloaded it; as soon as you do either of those things Google will only consider a refund if the track is technically, not artistically, inadequate. You’ve got 7 days to request a refund, or 14 if you live in the European Union. To request a refund:
- Using a web browser, go into your Play Store account.
- Look for Order History and find the item you want to request a refund for.
- Click on the menu icon.
- Select Report A Problem.
- Select I’d Like To Request a Refund.
If you don’t have access to a computer, you can contact the support team instead.
Have you tried to get a refund and been refused? What did you do? Let us know in the comments!
Refund me
I have transfer Rs. 5000/- by mistek to google play. Kindly the that amount. Pls call on 8810440229. I have raise same query to other links also. But i did't get any response.
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Admin
Mar 18, 2020 Link to commentAnd you will never get any response. Read the article
A developer dosent care for them constumers
You purchase packs on game and you don't recieve anything then you ask refund or resend items... Answer (sorry we can't process your refund) What is going on must be something where you can claim all purchase and get rid of the game
Anyone know how to do it?
Google pay/play transaction failed amount ANY problem complaint contact customer care number 9002223308 // 6294203577 thanks you for any problem solve Me refund money all India 24x7 hours available complain
Any offer
Google pay transaction failed amount ANY problem complaint contact customer care number 9002223308 // 6294203577 thanks you for any problem solve Me refund money all India 24x7 hours available complain
Any offer
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Admin
Jan 8, 2020 Link to commentand for the people asking for refunds on this forum and without even reading the article : you are just paying a tax on stupidity
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Admin
Jan 8, 2020 Link to commentI never buy anything but good to know
I made payment on google pay it was failed Rs 2000 karur vysya bank kindly refund my amount
I am paying £42 a month for a service that I didn't even know had been set up. Cancel it and refund me immediately please.
I have had £42 collected since May, which needs to be refunded, what was this even for? A big rip off taking place.
Sir refund my amount dobara payment ho gaya sir Rs 15500
Sir plese rfund my money.
Sir my 2000 rupees debit but not credit
I am paying twice a month for one subscription to youtube tv. I want a refund. calvindavidson4@gmail.com 251-777-8638 Calvin Davidson 710 Nerene Baxter Road Vinegar Bend, AL 36584
I need refund mony
My Google play 🎁 card didn't work . Am I out a$100?
5000 rs transaction done by phonepe plz refund my money
I made a payment on google play store for the game Designer home and was $20 dollars for gems I would like a refund because it was a mistake so can u please put the money back on my card for this purchase please my name is Rashi Gilbreath my email is gilbreathrashi540@gmail.com thanks
Am I Just S.O.L.??
After a Security/System update on
my 8 yr old son's device
(unbeknownst to me at the time), it
"defaulted" and/or reset some of
the settings??!! This on turn
allowed my son to make purchase
of $52.91 on my PayPal account
for a game on Google-Play
WITHOUT my consent??!! He's 8yrs
old, he THOUGHT he was
downloading Free Games as
usual?!!
I've contacted the developer
numerous times with no return
reply?? I explained ALL of this to GooglePlay... Their response:. "My situation does NOT meet their refund policy guidelines"!! PayPal, basically told me the SAME THING,
"It's not covered in their policy"??!!
I simply can not afford to just let
$52.91😕 go, LITERALLY!! Is there
anything else I can do??
Rebecca
Sadly Google will do nothing for you, they literally steal money from customers! If you ever buy a Google play card make sure you do it from one of their "authorized " sellers if it's not from an "authorized" seller google tells you it's the seller's problem, but the seller will say it's Google's problem. And unfortunately not all stores that u can buy the cards in are authorized sellers, I found out the hard way I'm out $70
Can you put my money back in my account
i want to councel the service that was made last month for you tube on my new tv that i dont have any more please send me a refund to my account at pnc bank my email address is audrienej@yahoo.com you charge my account $49.00 for a service i did not use and wont use. phone number is 302 6608524 my name is audriene jenkins please call me or email me Thank you
Can you please put my money back in to my account
plase sir mujse ko.hospita da na hay galti sa ho gay
1000 rs payment has been done by mistake so kindly refund the amount
Google recharge code please
779 Ka recharge ho Gaya hii Galti se plz return my fund plz
Sir mera transection fash Gaya h please refund my amount money
Refund my amount wrongly paid
Maine galati se Google play recharge kar diya hai 2159 ka please refund kar dijiye
Refund sir my mony 2159 Galati se Google play recharge kar diya tha. Please please
Refund plz sir
Please refund my 1000 rs. Nothing purchase app but debit my amount 1k
How many times in refund my amount 9891936391
Nazeemkhan.nk81.nn@gmail.com
By mistake 1000 purchased through Paytm please refund my amount please
By mistake 5000 purchased through phone pay please refund my amount are
Google app store have not helped me at all.
None of the above instruction work on the LG V40 android phone!!!!!!
I am recharged with gogle play rs 1500 we have return my money
Hiii sir 3 months ho gye h amount refund aaya
??????
I had made a purchase in the DESIGN HOME app for 1.99...I did not reciieve my 3,000 diamond's. I tried again thinking it did not go thru and my cardcame back declined. I went to order history. Like many I see on here. I was in dire straits. A single parent on disability. A 99.99 purchase would devasted me. after 2 mins a second charge appeared It took me 7
Took me. 100 emails 2 live chats 100 hours investigating leaving comments on goigle pay and help tooics when ask did i fibd this helpful i tapped No how can we make it better i would tell them how i followed pocedure and it failed me.I read their app developer google agreement. Developer guidelines comments suggestions on unauthorised purchases. I was redirected between google and the developer in a circle jerk of buck passing . I had iordered in app on Design Home for a 1.99 purchase. I did not recieve them. I tried again my card declined on order history I see the 1.99 charge and a 99.99 charge wiping out my account putting me in overdraft at 40.00 each out standibg purchases I still had out on the card. The deveooer after 5 days send me an email with a google play link for refund sane as their in app instructions to get a refund from google. The developer says they cannot see or access charges. I offered google to forward the developers email. Didnt accept or request to see it. I kept poundibg at both dev and google ..nothing. I filed with the BBB on the dev and their parent co. Kept sending emails revealing the dev D- BBB rating for their lack of customer support to google. I left a one star rating on google play at the top of the app I tapped the 3 dots rteported as inappropriate hit submit a comment box appears. I kept reporting no reply from dev.. They repied 5 days later directing to me gooole. I kept on daiky about prodedure how I followed each step as in the guidelines for dev and thier agreenent with Google and their guidelines for developers they were not honoring or standing by their own policies. I filed a claim for unauthorised use however they denied saying didnt see any fraud may be a family member Google's own guidelines to the developer states all unauthorised claims had to be refunded even if made by a family member or other party. In the meantime I filed Google help support again I had a call back from them failed dropped the call at hello and didn't call back. I opted again for googklle help support by emai. I had requested a supervisor during live chat contacted me by email lied to me about not beibg able to do refunds only. dev while I tell her the dev emailed me directing me back to Google they cant see charges and I would forward email from the dev. I request google contact me again by email. In explainl my problem I let them know I understand they have a large amount of refund abuse however this is my first request for arefund I say I followed their procedure in the 1st 15 mins 2 hour 48 hour windows I was denied. I was in a circle jerk redirected back and forth have an email from dev instructing me to use google for the refund but no one would look it. On disability singke mon overdraft charges. Bad BBB rating on dev D-. I got a response email grantibg me a ONE TIME COURTESY REFUND. I had also posted to google forum and Google help communities. All this big comment only details in part of how I kept on them around the clock non stop. I heard from both developer and parent company on the BBB. I cancelled as I had my refund. You can stop the charge immediately with your cardholder but in my case I was kax in writing pin and password by the time I recovered it the charge it had cleared. However you can do a chargeback and have the bank request the money often the bank will credit the money to you under their card protection policyor push google to honor their policy.if nothing file a claim in small claims court if significant amount worth filing fees and get a judgement against them and the court's will pursue them. THE SQUEAKIEST WHEEL GETS THE GREEASE!
Interesting my partner had her account hacked and 2 unauthorised devices registered on her account and bought apps up to 140 pounds. We didn't get the email till returning from holiday so all too late. There were emails telling us that unknown devices had registered and do we accept that it is us. We hadn't responded due to being away. They still allowed the purchases on Google play despite the devices not having permission. They refunded half but not the other. The call cost us 40 pounds due to them being so long dealing with it. I feel google play are totally at fault and owe us all the money plus the cost of the phone call. Useless incompetent pricks.
I have been trying to get a refund for utune premium that was ordered acccidentally by my great grandson. They are still taking money from me. What can I do. I have tried and
tried.
I just realised I've charged for TuneIn Premium subscription but it was accidentally subscribed on my Android phone. I've asked TuneIn for refund but they refused. The app doesn't even inform me when the free trial expired on 3rd April 2019! It is an easy thing to overlook. Don't ever subscribe to their free trial! They are out to cheat your money!
Well, that's really not exclusive to TuneIn as basically all of the internet services are handling it that way. You get a free trial, and if you don't quit during that time, you are charged afterwards.
apps that have a pro version, but only available via in-app purchase
DEAR TEAM LAT FEW DAYS I WANT TO TRANSFER MONEY PAYTEM TO GOOGLE PAY BUT BY MISTAKE MONY SEND TO GOOGLE PLAY, PLAZ HELP ME HOW TO REFUND MONY
DEAR TEAM LAST FEW DAYS I WANT TO TRANSFER MONEY PAYTM TO GOOGLE PAY BUT BY MISTAKE MONY SEND TO GOOGLE PLAY , PLEASE HELP ME HOW TO REFUND MONY
I CANNOT BELIEVE IT, IVE BEEN A LOYAL & PAYING MEMBER OF SLOTOMANIA FOR MANY YEARS SND YES I MAKE PURCHASES, YESTERDAY UNAUTHORIZED PURCHASES WERE MADE FROM MY ACCOUNT TO THE SMOUNT OF THE LMOST $1400!!!!!! THIS MONEY WAS FOR ME TO USE FOR MYSELF SND MY 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO MOVE OUT OF OUR TENT AND FINALLY INTO A NEW HOME.....HIW DO I EXPLAIN TO HER NOW SHE WONT BE GETTING HER OWN BEDROOM FOR CHRISTMAS???? WHO COULD BE SO LOW TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS......LOOKS LIKE THIS WILL BE ANYTHING BUT A HAPPY CHRISTMAS, IM DEVESTATED AND INCREDIBLY UPSET. THAT WAS ALL THE MONEY I HAD.....FINALLY ABLE TO GET IN NEW HOME TO RENT AND SOME PRICK HAS DESTROYED THAT FOR US BOTH
Heart wreaking story Maam. My sympathy is with you.
I was charged 99.99 for a sports radio app, to which did not order. I haven't a clue how or why I was charged. I Never used it, I've Never been to the site and I caught it pretty quickly but so far Google and Tunein have pointed fingers at each other as to whos the responsible party. Im now approaching the 20 email mark and its been a simular process every time. They blow me off; I get pissed and express my frustrations. Then magically theirs a "new step" I can take. This usually results in the exact same process. So far; no joy. Guess Ill eventually find out if there reputable or not because I WILL NOT give up. I cant afford to eat a 100$ I'm an unemployed full time student who doesnt enjoy sports of any kind!
For me was NOT two hours - was more like max 15 minutes if any, currently in Romania with VPN in USA - not sure how this would affect anything however InuYasha above says "I am in canada and I got 2 hours" ... Go figure ...
I tried this and got a message saying that this app cannot be refunded ath this time, why?
Hi Zaheer, when did you buy the app? Was it longer than 2 hours ago?
Here is the bullshit that should get apps and developers removed from the Android ecosystem: apps that have a pro version, but only available via in-app purchase; THAT IS NOT AN IN-APP PURCHASE ACCORDING TO THE ANDROID DEV RULES. That practice needs to be stopped.
I tried this and got a message saying that this app cannot be refunded ath this time, why?
thanks! :D
Google doesn't refuse refunds unless you abuse the system. You can get a certain number every month refunded, I will not tell you that number.
Absuse of refunds no longer occurs (no more limit) as the time to refund has been set to 15 minutes for the last 5 years. What is this 2 h
our limit lie now? This is the year 2016!
>15 minutes for the last 5 years. What is this 2 h
I call bullshit. I am in canada and I got 2 hours. Also, check the date of the article.
Stop trolling and go back to 4chan you newfag.