How to get a refund from the Google Play Store

Because sometimes $1.99 is still too expensive

The Google Play Store is the largest mobile app market around, with over 2 million apps available for download. If the app exists, there's a good chance it's on the Play Store — except Fortnite, but that's a different story. It's easy to imagine that there are a fair few low-quality, buggy, or incompatible apps. If you were unlucky enough to spend money on an app that's giving you headache after headache — or you just found the app cheaper somewhere else — you'll be glad to know that the Play Store refund policy is actually pretty generous.

Although requesting a refund from the Play Store is not particularly complex, we are here to help you through the process, so you know what to expect and where to go for your refund.

The easy way to get a refund from the Google Play Store is on mobile

The Google Play Store's refund policy is clear — you can instantly cancel and refund a Play Store purchase within 48 hours of making the purchase, whereupon the app will be uninstalled and your funds will be returned to the payment method you used to make the purchase. You can process a Play Store refund request on mobile or via a desktop web browser, so we've put together handy guides for both scenarios.

How to request a Google Play Store refund on mobile

Since you probably made the purchase on mobile, and the Play Store was largely designed with mobile in mind, the easiest way to get your refund is via mobile. Simply follow the steps below, and you should be able to get a refund no problem — as long as you are still within the 48-hour window for refunds through the Play Store.

1. On any Android device linked to the account you made the purchase from, go to the Play Store page of the item you purchased and hit the Refund button.
2. In the pop-up that appears, click Request refundto confirm.
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3. After confirming the refund, you will receive an email confirming your refund request was processed and the funds will be refunded.

The process to request a refund is fairly hassle-free, but it's always a good idea to check your bank statement to make sure that any funds that were charged get refunded. If there are any issues with the refund request, you should contact the Google Play Store support team.

How to request a refund using a desktop

Mobile isn't the only way to get your money back. You can request a refund from the desktop version of the Google Play Store by going through the Google Support page, or directly through the Play Store. The method using the support page is the simplest, but let's have a look at that first to get an idea of what you should expect:

1. Go to the Google Play Help topic about requesting a refund.
2. Click the Request a refundbutton — this will take you to a page that presents you with a link to the refund policy.
   
3. Click the big blue Continue button towards the bottom of the page.
   
4. The page will prompt you to confirm the Google account. Select Yesand click the Continuebutton at the bottom of the page to see your recent purchases.
   • Selecting Noand clicking Continuewill present you with a link and a prompt to log into the correct Google account.
     
5. Select the purchase you want to refund and click Continueto go to a confirmation page.
   
6. On the page requesting the cancellation reason, select the applicable reason for your refund request and click Continue again.
   
7. The next page will also ask for a reason for your cancelation. However, this time you have to type text into a field before the Continuebutton turns blue. Describe your issue and click Request a refund to finally complete the process.
   

With any luck, you'll receive an email confirming that your refund will be processed, and you can go on your merry way.

That's it! You've processed your refund. Now you can spend that app money elsewhere.

Get that money back

If you don't receive an email or the refund request is denied, you should contact customer support for human assistance. With your refund in hand, or in email, you can explore other amazing app options. Great apps are out there, and you don't have to settle for less than the best.