The strongest evidence for a U.S. in-app purchase complaint connects the store's record to the charge on your statement. Save the receipt or order ID, the matching billing entry, a brief timeline, and any account or device records that show who could access the account.
A screenshot by itself doesn't establish who made a purchase. Apple, Google, and payment providers use different review processes, and a child's accidental purchase, an account takeover, a pending authorization, and a purchase you regret may lead to different outcomes.
Usually, start by asking Apple or Google to review the transaction and keep the submission confirmation. That request is separate from a credit-card billing dispute, and waiting for a store decision doesn't extend the credit-card deadline described below.
Identify the charge before calling it unauthorized
Before you report a transaction, check four details:
- Match the statement to the store account. Search the email account connected to Apple or Google and review its purchase history. Google's Payments Center guidance recommends comparing purchase history with the card or bank statement before reporting a charge.
- Check the transaction status. A pending authorization, duplicate entry, or recently canceled order can appear before the final charge is posted. Apple says a pending charge can't yet be submitted through its refund tool.
- Work out who had access. An unfamiliar device or sign-in alert may support an account-compromise explanation. A child using a shared device that was already signed in is a different situation. Describe the facts rather than labeling every unknown purchase an account takeover.
- Identify the payment rail. A U.S. credit-card charge has a different dispute process from a debit card, prepaid card, mobile-carrier bill, bank transfer, or peer-to-peer payment.
The distinction affects the explanation you give. For an accidental family purchase, describe the shared access and lack of approval. For suspected fraud, identify the account activity suggesting that someone else used the account.
Save records a reviewer can match
| Evidence | What to save | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Store receipt or order ID | Receipt email, product name, price, currency, date, and Apple or Google order number | Identifies the exact transaction |
| Billing statement | Charge descriptor, posted date, amount, and last four digits of the payment method | Connects the store record to the account charge |
| Timeline | When you noticed the charge, who had device access, and what happened before and after the purchase | Gives the review a consistent sequence of events |
| Account and device records | Sign-in alerts, unfamiliar devices, password-reset messages, Screen Time, or parental-control history | Supports an account-takeover or family-access explanation |
| Screenshots | Purchase history, in-app balance, purchase confirmation, or relevant account settings | Shows what appeared on the device, but not who authorized the purchase |
| Communications | Refund confirmations, support replies, and messages with the developer or payment provider | Shows what you reported and when |
Keep the original receipt emails and image files. If you annotate a screenshot, save the unedited version as well. Before uploading records, redact passwords, authentication codes, full card numbers, and unrelated transactions. Don't alter dates or submit a family purchase as a hacking incident.
A useful evidence packet is short enough to read in one sitting. Include the order number, app name, item, amount, currency, transaction date, statement entry, timeline, and any relevant security or parental-control records. Add prior support confirmations and replies. The reviewer should be able to move from the statement charge to the store transaction without having to guess which purchase you mean.
Request a refund from the app store
Apple App Store
Apple's refund instructions direct consumers to sign in to Report a Problem, choose Request a refund, select a reason, choose the app or other item, and submit the request.
Include the receipt details and explain why the purchase wasn't authorized. Apple says eligibility can vary by country or region, and its site lets you check the request status after submission. If the charge is still pending, the refund tool may not accept the request yet.
Can't find the item? Confirm that you're signed in to the Apple Account that made the purchase and that the statement charge is actually from Apple. When Apple purchase history and the statement don't match, preserve both records and contact the payment provider about the unidentified charge instead of guessing at the transaction.
Google Play
Use Google's instructions for reporting charges you don't recognize. Compare the order history with the statement, then follow the account-specific reporting form.
Google's help page says to use its form for transactions within the past 120 days. It separately tells consumers about charges older than 60 days to contact their mobile carrier's billing fraud department immediately. The page also directs people who can't access their Google Account to contact the fraud department for the payment method.
Those are Google support instructions, not a universal deadline for every payment type. A different bank, card program, or carrier may use different rules.
Save the email confirmation and Claim ID after submitting the report. Google says the process typically sends an email update within seven business days, but the review and refund decision can take a different amount of time.
Protect a U.S. credit-card dispute deadline
A store refund request and a credit-card billing dispute are separate processes. When a charge on a U.S. credit card may qualify as a billing error, the Federal Trade Commission's credit-card guidance says to send a written dispute so the issuer receives it within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.
The FTC also says that, unless the problem has already been resolved, the issuer generally must acknowledge the complaint within 30 days and resolve the dispute within 90 days.
Your written dispute should identify:
- Your name and account information
- The exact amount and date of the charge
- The statement descriptor and app store, if known
- The order or transaction ID
- A factual explanation of why you didn't authorize the purchase
- Copies of the receipt, statement, timeline, and store response, if available
Send the letter to the billing-error address listed by the issuer. That may not be the same address used for payments. Keep a copy and proof of delivery, and send copies rather than original documents.
Don't wait for Apple or Google if the 60-day period is close to expiring. Tell the issuer if the store later refunds the charge so the same transaction isn't credited twice.
The FTC's 60-day guidance shouldn't be applied automatically to debit cards, prepaid cards, mobile billing, bank transfers, or peer-to-peer payments. Contact the relevant bank, card program, or carrier promptly and ask for its dispute process and deadline.
What an FTC complaint can do
A complaint through the FTC's complaint page can help the agency identify patterns involving deceptive or unauthorized billing. It generally doesn't decide your individual refund claim or order Apple, Google, or a card issuer to credit you immediately. Submit the store or card dispute separately if recovering the money is your goal.
The FTC previously took action over children's in-app purchases. Its 2014 Apple announcement said Apple would provide at least $32.5 million in refunds in connection with that case. The FTC's Google announcement described at least $19 million in refunds.
Those were settlement-specific actions involving affected consumers at the time. They don't create an automatic refund right for every current purchase made by a child.
When reporting a broader pattern, include dates, amounts, app names, billing descriptors, and copies of your communications. Avoid sending passwords, authentication codes, or unnecessary payment details.
If the store denies the request
Read the denial reason before doing anything else. New information can justify one concise follow-up: include the order ID and identify the specific evidence that answers the reason for denial. Repeating the same screenshots without addressing the stated reason is unlikely to clarify the record.
If the transaction may qualify as a credit-card billing error, use the issuer's written process before the 60-day deadline rather than waiting indefinitely for another store review. After an issuer denies a dispute, ask how to appeal and what documentation it relied on.
For a suspected account takeover, monitor the payment account and change the affected account password from a trusted device. Turn on multifactor authentication where available, and review unfamiliar devices and saved payment methods.
A clear explanation to submit
A factual format can keep the store or issuer focused on one transaction:
Charge: [amount], [date], [statement descriptor]
Order ID: [Apple or Google transaction number]
What happened: I found this charge on [date]. I did not authorize it. [Briefly explain whether the account was compromised, the device was shared, or a child made the purchase without approval.]
What I checked: I reviewed the purchase history and account activity and secured the account by [actions].
Request: Please review this transaction and explain whether it qualifies for a refund.
Change the wording to match what actually happened. Don't describe a known family purchase as identity theft, and don't say a digital item was never delivered if it was added to the account.
Evidence mistakes that weaken a complaint
- Sending only a screenshot without the order ID or statement charge
- Disputing the whole statement instead of identifying the individual transaction
- Treating a pending authorization as a completed charge
- Waiting for a store decision until a credit-card deadline has passed
- Giving the store and card issuer conflicting explanations
- Sharing full payment details, passwords, or authentication codes
- Assuming the historic FTC Apple or Google settlements guarantee a current refund
Questions consumers commonly ask
Is a transaction ID required?
It may not be required to begin a report, but it helps Apple, Google, or the issuer locate the exact purchase. If you can't find it, provide the receipt email, app name, amount, date, and statement descriptor.
Do screenshots prove that an in-app purchase was unauthorized?
No. A screenshot shows what appeared on the device. It doesn't establish who tapped the purchase button or whether the account holder gave permission. Pair it with the receipt, account records, and a timeline.
Does the 60-day deadline apply to every in-app purchase dispute?
No. The FTC's 60-day rule concerns written disputes for qualifying U.S. credit-card billing errors and runs from the first statement containing the error. It isn't a general Apple or Google refund deadline and doesn't automatically apply to debit or prepaid cards.
What if my child made the purchase?
Say that a child used the account or shared device without approval. Provide the purchase records, access details, and any parental-control evidence. Ask the store for a refund, while contacting the card issuer promptly if the charge is on a credit card and its written-dispute deadline could apply.
Download the receipt and statement entry first. Then secure the account and submit the Apple or Google request. If a U.S. credit-card deadline is approaching, send the written billing dispute without waiting for the store's final answer.