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How to Get a Refund From the App Store or Google Play

By Editorial Team · published 2026-09-23 · updated 2026-09-23
Add ScoredApps as a preferred source on GoogleA coin travelling backwards along a glowing arc into an open wallet on a shop counter — How to Get a Refund From the App Store or Google Play

Both stores refund, and neither makes it obvious. On an iPhone you do it at reportaproblem.apple.com, not in the App Store app, and Apple says to allow 24 to 48 hours for an answer. On Android you do it inside Google Play itself, where a self-service refund is available for 48 hours after the purchase; after that the request goes to the developer. Neither store refunds a charge that is still pending, and neither cancels a subscription just because you uninstalled the app. Here is the exact route on each platform, and what to do when the first request is turned down.

Before you start

Find the receipt first. Apple emails one for every purchase, and searching your mail for a receipt from Apple tells you which account was charged — useful when a child's purchase went through a family member's account. Apple states that a purchase still showing as pending cannot be refunded until the receipt arrives.

Know which store took the money, too. A subscription bought inside an app on an iPhone is an Apple charge even if the service is not Apple's; the same subscription bought on the company's website is not, and neither store can refund it.

One rule applies on both platforms: removing the app does not stop the billing. Google says explicitly that uninstalling an app does not cancel its subscription, and the same is true on iOS. Cancel first, then ask for the refund.

Step 1. Request an App Store refund

Go to reportaproblem.apple.com in a browser and sign in with the Apple Account that was charged. Choose "I'd like to", then "Request a refund", pick a reason, select the purchase and submit it.

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Apple's guidance is to wait 24 to 48 hours for an update, and money approved after that still needs time to reach the card. If you are the organiser of a Family Sharing group, the account selector on the same page lets you request refunds for purchases made by members of your family — which is how most accidental Robux purchases in Roblox get reversed.

Submitting the same request twice does not speed it up and can get both copies declined.

Step 2. Request a Google Play refund

On the web, open play.google.com, click your profile picture, then "Payments & subscriptions" → "Budget & order history". Find the purchase, choose "Report a problem", say you want a refund and describe what happened.

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Google's own timing is a decision usually within one day, though it can take up to four. The self-service route only covers the first 48 hours after a purchase. Past that window, Google's instruction is to contact the developer directly, and for most games that means the support form inside the app — the route you would use for an unwanted in-app purchase in something like MONOPOLY GO, where the money bought a pack of dice that arrived exactly as described.

Google also sets a separate deadline for charges you did not authorise at all: report those within 120 days.

The distinction matters more than it sounds. A pack of MONOPOLY GO dice that arrived in your account is a delivered item, and both stores treat that as a completed sale. A pack that was charged twice, or charged after a child tapped through a saved card, is a different claim and the one worth making in writing.

Step 3. If the answer is no, say why it should be yes

A declined request is not final. Both stores let you submit again with a different reason, and the reason is what decides the outcome.

What works is a specific, checkable fact: the app crashed on launch and you have the date, the subscription renewed after you cancelled, the purchase was made by a child on a shared device, the item never arrived in the game. What does not work is "I changed my mind" — neither store treats regret as grounds, and repeated identical requests get auto-declined.

For in-app purchases in games, Google points you at the developer, and developers usually restore items faster than they refund money. If the item is what you wanted, ask for that instead.

If it does not work

The purchase is not listed. Wrong account. Check the email receipt for the address that was billed and sign in with that one.

Apple shows the item but there is no refund option. The charge is still pending, or the purchase falls outside what Apple refunds in your country — eligibility follows the terms for your region.

Google shows "Report a problem" but no refund choice. The 48-hour window has closed. The only route left is the developer.

Money was approved but has not arrived. Both stores return funds to the original payment method, and a card can take several working days after the store has finished. If it was paid from store credit, it goes back as credit, not cash.

Bottom line

Ask early. Apple gives no self-service window but reviews every request by hand, so a clear reason and a receipt carry it; Google gives you 48 automatic hours and then hands you to the developer. Cancel the subscription before you request anything, keep the receipt, and make the reason a fact someone can verify rather than a feeling.

Frequently asked questions

1

How long do I have to ask for a refund?

Google Play gives a self-service window of 48 hours from the purchase, after which you deal with the developer. Apple sets no public deadline on reportaproblem.apple.com but reviews each request individually, and the older the charge, the weaker the case.

2

Can I get a refund for a purchase my child made?

Yes. If you organise a Family Sharing group, the account selector on reportaproblem.apple.com lets you request refunds for purchases made by family members. On Google Play, use the same report-a-problem flow and state that the purchase was unauthorised.

3

Does deleting the app cancel the subscription?

No. Google states plainly that uninstalling an app does not cancel its subscription, and the same holds on iPhone. Cancel it in the store's subscription settings first, otherwise the next charge lands and you are asking for a second refund.

4

How long does the money take to come back?

Apple asks for 24 to 48 hours for a decision, plus processing time to your card. Google usually decides within a day and can take up to four. Once approved, the funds return to the payment method you used, which adds several working days for a bank card.