How to request a refund and return of money for apps purchased on the Google Play Store, Apple Store, Windows Store

Refunds App

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Like any purchase, even that of applications and games on an online store is protected with the right of withdrawal, so we can always go back on our steps and get the money back.

In fact, we buy an app but, after trying it, we realize that it is not for us or does not turn well or it was a mistake or that was not what you wanted, you can always ask for a refund.

Since the thing is not so immediate and so intuitive, it is good to know how the refund procedure works for all the stores currently usable.

We will, therefore, show you in this guide how to ask for a refund for purchased apps on the Google Play Store, on the Apple App Store, and also on the Windows Store for Windows 10.

How to make a refund on the app stores

To request a refund, it is necessary to act as quickly as possible, since there are time limits for asking for money back (usually no more than 2 days).

If we let too much time go by, the window to ask for a refund may have passed and we will have to keep the app, without getting anything back.

Refund on the Google Play Store

The refund policy for the Google Play Store is really simple and clear: if we don’t like the app we just bought, we can immediately uninstall it and then ask for a refund of the money spent. The important thing is that a refund is required no later than 48 hours of installation.
To get a refund, open the Google Play Store app on our device, press on the top left on the three horizontal lines, press on the menu Account, and then let’s go to the form Purchase history.
Google refunds

In the screen that will appear we press on the order of the purchased app then we press on the item Request a refund. If the indicated item is not present, we can also press on Report a problem and indicate the most suitable item for our problem.
It is also possible to contact the specific app developer and get refunds on in-app purchases that were made in error.

Refunds on the Apple App Store

To obtain a refund for the purchase of an app on an iPhone or iPad we must act from a web browser such as Safari (integrated into all Apple devices) or Google Chome from a PC or Mac. Once the browser is open, let’s go to the page Apple Problem Reporting and log in with the Apple ID with which we made the purchase.

Refunds Apple

In the screen that appears, let’s go to the tab App and press on the item Report or Report a problem next to the app we want to ask for a refund; from now on, just follow the instructions on the screen to benefit from the full refund.
We remind you that Apple allows you to request a refund of the app within 14 days from the purchase date, but we must not abuse this functionality: Apple itself can block future refunds if it notices a fraudulent attitude, thus preventing us from getting the money back for an indefinite period of time.

Refund request for Microsoft Store

If we purchased an app from the Microsoft Store integrated into Windows 10 and want to make a refund, we open the Web Edge browser or Google Chrome on the same computer and go to the page reserved for Microsoft purchases and orders.

Microsoft refunds

By logging in with the Microsoft account used for the purchase we will see all our orders in the foreground; now all that remains is to identify the order that contains the app on which we want to request a refund and press on the item Request a refund; if this button is not present, the purchase was not eligible for refunds or more than 14 days have passed since the purchase, therefore we can no longer claim the refund of the expenditure made.

How to cancel a subscription to an app or service

Some apps are provided by subscription, i.e. we pay every month or every year for their use; we are talking about apps dedicated to professional use but also apps for reading newspapers or apps for editing office files, which therefore require constant payment.

For these apps or services, we cannot request a refund of the amount spent so far but we can deactivate the subscription so that no further expenses will be invoiced to us; below we have collected the procedures for canceling active subscriptions.

  • To disable active subscriptions on Android we open the app Google Play, press on the top left on the three horizontal lines then click on Subscriptions and deactivate the subscription that we no longer want to renew.
  • To disable active subscriptions on iPhone or iPad we open the App Store, press at the top right on the image of our profile, and go to the menu Subscriptions so that you can deactivate the subscription to be removed.
  • To deactivate active subscriptions on your Microsoft account, simply open the page Microsoft Purchase History seen in the previous chapter and deactivate the subscription that we no longer want to pay.

In this way, we will always have maximum control over the spending made with our accounts connected to smartphones, tablets, or PCs.

Conclusions

Even if the best apps to use on smartphones are paid, nothing prevents us from trying the paid app for a few hours and then ask for a refund, especially if it has not fully convinced us or does not start right on our device.

The only precaution is to always act within the limits established by the Store, to avoid finding ourselves with apps that we have paid for and that we no longer want.