If you’ve purchased an app from the iOS App Store or the Mac App Store and there’s a problem, you can ask Apple to issue you a refund. Apple may also give you a refund for your in-app purchases that you made on your Apple TV, iPhone, iPad or Mac from the App Store or iTunes Store. This isn’t automatic — you’ll have to provide a reason you want a refund and Apple will review your request. You may ask for a refund for various reasons, for example:
- You didn’t authorize the purchase.
- App or in-app purchases may not function as you expected.
- You bought the app or the in-app content by accident.
- You may have been charged twice for the same item.
- The app is not as expected – you may feel that the app you purchased is not what the developer said it was.
In this article, I explain how you can request a refund from Apple for an app or in-app purchase. The process to request a refund for a purchased app or in-app purchase is the same.
There are a lot of apps available on the App Store and on the Mac App Store. Many of them are free, but there are also many paid apps and games available. Furthermore, some apps may be free but offer in-app purchases to access extra content or features.
How to request a refund for Apps and in-App Purchases from Apple
To request a refund from Apple for an app or in-app purchase, follow these steps:
- On your device – Mac, iPhone or iPad – open a browser like Safari.
- Sign in to reportaproblem.apple.com.
- Tap or click "I’d like to," then choose "Request a refund.”
- Choose the reason why you want a refund, then tap or click Next.
- Choose the app, subscription, or other item, then tap or click Submit.
Wait 24 to 48 hours for an update on your refund request
Apple will decide whether to approve your request or not. Wait 24 to 48 hours for an update on your refund request. If your request is approved by Apple, it might take additional time for the funds to return to your payment method. In most cases, when Apple approves the refund, people get their money back within a week.
If you can’t find the charge on reportaproblem.apple.com
Find out if another account was used to make a purchase:
- Open your email on your computer, iPhone, or iPad and search for the name of the app. This should find an email receipt for that app, emailed to you from Apple.
- Look for a receipt that matches the amount that you want to request a refund for.
- On the receipt, see what was purchased and which Apple Account was used.
Once you’ve found the receipt, try these steps:
- If the receipt is for a member of your Family Sharing group and you’re the family organizer, you can still request a refund on reportaproblem.apple.com. Tap or click the Apple Account button, then choose All. Purchases charged to your shared payment method appear.
- If the receipt is for a different Apple Account, use that Apple Account to sign in to reportaproblem.apple.com.
If you can’t find a receipt, try these steps:
- If the charge is pending, you canʼt request a refund yet. After you receive an email receipt, try to request a refund again.
- If you have an unpaid order, you need to pay for that order before you request a refund. You might need to update your payment information.
- In the European Union, purchases for digital goods and services might not be made through Apple.
- If you have multiple Apple Accounts, use each one to sign in to reportaproblem.apple.com and look for the charge that you want to request a refund for.
Apple’s refund policy
Refund eligibility might vary by country or region, but the following are common in most places:
- Apple only allows you to request a refund for purchases you’ve made in the last 90 days.
- There is no guarantee that you will get a refund. Apple says all sales are final. This is only a request. Apple does not have a “no questions asked” policy.
- Apple’s customer service team will manually review every request.
- Some in-app purchases may not be refundable.
- Apple usually responds to your refund request within 2 days. If your request is approved, it can take up to 30 days for the refund to appear on your credit or debit card. If you don’t see the refund after 30 days, contact your financial institution.
- If you receive a refund, you may lose access to purchased app or content.
- If your refund is approved, the funds are applied to the same payment method that you used to buy the app or in-app purchase.
- You can learn more about Apple’s policies on the “Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions” page.
How to check the status of your refund request
Apple will send you an email when a decision on the refund request is made. This email will come from iTunes. It will say that there has been an update and you can review the update. It takes 24 to 48 hours to receive an update on your refund request. However, you can check your status before receiving this email too. Here is how:
- Go to reportaproblem.apple.com and sign in to your Apple Account.
- Choose Check Status of Claims.
- To see the status, tap or click Pending.
Please note, if you already initiated your refund request, contacting Apple by phone or chat won’t help speed up your request, or the processing of your funds. Monitor the status of your request on reportaproblem.apple.com.