To get a refund for an app, game, in-app item, or subscription, start with the business that charged you. Apple-billed purchases use Apple's refund process, Google Play purchases use Google's, and a purchase made on a developer's website usually has to be handled by that merchant.

A bank or card chargeback is a separate escalation for some unauthorized or unresolved transactions. It isn't the same as a routine refund request.

This article is for U.S. consumers. Store policies and legal rights can vary by country, account, purchase type, and payment method.

Identify who processed the payment

The app you used isn't necessarily the company that billed you. Check the email receipt, app-store purchase history, and bank or card statement.

• Apple Account purchase: Use Apple's official refund instructions.
• Google Play purchase: Use Google's request-a-refund page.
• Direct developer purchase: Contact the developer or subscription company named on the receipt.
• Unrecognized charge: Check whether another person used your device or account. If nobody authorized it, report it to the platform and contact your card issuer or bank.

If a Google Play order is missing, check your other Google Accounts. Google says the purchase may have been made through a different account.

Collect the details before you submit a request

A specific request gives the platform or merchant enough information to locate the transaction and assess the problem. Gather:

1. The order or transaction ID
2. The purchase date and amount
3. The Apple Account or Google Account used
4. The app, item, or subscription name
5. A factual description of the problem, such as non-delivery, an accidental purchase, duplicate billing, or unauthorized use
6. Screenshots showing an error or missing content
7. Cancellation confirmation if the dispute involves a subscription renewal
8. Messages exchanged with the developer or platform

Don't send your password, full card number, verification codes, or other unnecessary sensitive information to app support.

Check the charge status as well. Apple says a refund can't be requested while its charge is pending. Once the transaction posts, check the purchase history again and submit the request if it is available.

Request an Apple App Store refund

Apple's standard process is:

1. Open Apple's refund request page.
2. Sign in with the Apple Account used for the purchase.
3. Select the option to request a refund.
4. Choose the reason that best describes what happened.
5. Select the app, subscription, or other purchase.
6. Submit the request and check its status through Apple's refund system.

Apple says eligibility can vary by country or region. Its page also states that a pending charge can't be submitted for a refund.

Choose the reason accurately. A delivery or functionality problem is different from a purchase you simply no longer want. Don't describe a known purchase as unauthorized just because you changed your mind.

The developer may still help with a technical issue. It can confirm whether an item was delivered, help restore access, or explain how a subscription works. That support doesn't replace Apple's refund process when Apple billed the purchase.

Request a Google Play refund

Google's process depends partly on when the purchase was made.

• Within 48 hours: You may be eligible for a refund, depending on the purchase details. Submit the request through Google's official refund page.
• More than 48 hours later: Google directs consumers with purchase problems to contact the developer. The developer may be able to resolve an item that was not delivered or does not work as expected and may process a refund under its policies and applicable law.
• Unauthorized Google Play purchase: Google says to report an unauthorized charge within 120 days of the transaction.
• Missing order: Check other Google Accounts before assuming the purchase record is unavailable.

Google says a refund decision usually arrives within one day, although it can take up to four days. That's a processing estimate, not a promise of approval.

Google's refund policy also says that a purchase containing multiple items may have to be refunded as a whole. You generally can't select just one item from that transaction. If Google issues a refund, you may lose access to the content, and the app will be uninstalled as part of the refund process.

When the developer billed you directly

If the receipt names the developer or subscription company rather than Apple or Google Play, use that company's billing or refund process. Send the invoice or order ID, purchase date, amount, and a short explanation of the problem.

The merchant's refund terms and applicable law control that request. Apple or Google generally can't reverse a payment that never went through its billing system.

Subscription charges and cancellations

Canceling a subscription and requesting a refund are separate steps. Cancellation normally addresses future renewals; it doesn't by itself prove that an earlier charge should be reversed.

If you no longer want the service:

1. Cancel the subscription through the platform's subscription settings or the merchant's website.
2. Save the confirmation and the cancellation date.
3. Check whether another renewal is still scheduled.
4. Request a refund for any charge you believe should be reversed.
5. Include the cancellation confirmation if the charge occurred after you canceled.

Explain the relevant timing. For example, say whether you canceled before the renewal, didn't receive the promised service, or believe the renewal was unauthorized.

A subscription purchased directly from the developer must be canceled through that company. Use its website controls or contact its billing team.

Handle an unauthorized purchase

An unfamiliar charge isn't automatically unauthorized. First check receipts, household or family access, other devices, and alternate Apple or Google Accounts. A family member or another person with access to the account may have made a valid purchase without your realizing it.

If nobody authorized the transaction:

1. Report it through Apple or Google Play if it appears in that account.
2. Change the account password and review its security settings.
3. Remove unrecognized devices or payment methods where appropriate.
4. Contact your card issuer or bank promptly.
5. Keep the receipt, platform case number, and communications with the issuer.

Be precise when speaking with the issuer. A purchase you regret is different from a transaction that nobody authorized. The issuer may ask what happened, whether you contacted the platform or merchant, and what evidence you have.

Google's 120-day period is a Google Play reporting procedure. It doesn't establish the deadline that applies to every bank, card, or payment method. Ask your issuer which dispute process and time limit apply to your transaction.

Refund request or chargeback?

A store refund asks Apple or Google Play to reverse a purchase under its platform process. A merchant refund asks the developer or subscription company to do so. A chargeback asks a bank or card issuer to investigate a payment under the rules that apply to that payment method.

For an ordinary refund request, use the platform or merchant route first. If the transaction was unauthorized, or a paid service was not provided and the normal route fails, ask your issuer whether a billing dispute is available. The issuer, not the app developer, decides whether that dispute qualifies.

If the refund is denied

A denial doesn't prove that the charge was valid, but submitting the same request again without new information usually won't fix the problem. Instead:

1. Read the reason for the decision.
2. Confirm that you used the account connected to the purchase.
3. Make sure you selected the correct transaction.
4. Check whether the charge was still pending when you first applied.
5. Add new evidence only when it directly addresses the reason for the denial.
6. Ask the developer to resolve a technical or delivery problem.
7. Contact your issuer promptly if the charge was unauthorized or a qualifying billing problem remains unresolved.
8. Consider reporting a broader pattern of deceptive billing to the Federal Trade Commission or your state attorney general.

A 2014 FTC enforcement action involving children's in-app purchases addressed specific alleged billing practices and resulted in a specific order. It isn't an automatic refund rule for every app purchase.

Mistakes that can weaken a request

• Asking the developer when Apple or Google Play actually billed you
• Filing under the wrong Apple Account or Google Account
• Treating a pending charge as a completed transaction
• Assuming cancellation automatically refunds an earlier renewal
• Calling a known purchase fraud because you no longer want it
• Sending screenshots without the order ID or transaction date
• Repeating an identical request without adding relevant evidence
• Sharing passwords or complete payment details with support staff
• Waiting until a platform or issuer's reporting window may have closed

Match the receipt to the statement, identify the payment processor, and submit one factual request with the order details and evidence that supports your reason.