Have you ever purchased an app from the Google Play Store only to find yourself hating it just moments after you’ve open it? Well, the good news is that you can get a refund rather easily. But you need to act fast.
Below you’ll find the steps you need to take in order to get a refund on a purchase from Google Play.
The quick way to get a refund
If you tested the app immediately after you’ve downloaded it and realized it’s not for you, then you can go back to the Play Store and request a refund. Keep in mind that this option is only available for apps, not in-app purchases or subscriptions.
The process is super simple, no question asked. You have a 2-hour window to return to the Play Store and navigate to the app in question. A Refund button should be showing on the left, next to the Open one.
Once the 2 hours expire, the Refund button will be replaced be an Uninstall button. It’s worth mentioning that we’ve seen numerous complaints of users claiming the 2-hour window is actually a 15-minute one. Although in our experience, we didn’t have the same issue.
Once you tap the Refund button a window will pop-up asking you “Are you sure that you want to refund this purchase? The app will be uninstalled.” Click Yes to continue.
But what if 2 hours have already passed since you made your purchase? You still have 48 hours to submit a refund request.
How to submit a refund request
- On your computer go to https://play.google.com/store/account
- From there you should be able to see your Order History.
- Find the app you want to refund and click on the three-dot menu on the right.
- Click on Request a refund and select one of the reasons why you’re doing this (ex. I purchased this by accident).
- Complete the form and note that you would like a refund.
- Next, click submit and wait.
It can take between 15 minutes to two whole business days before you will get the verdict from Google.
What to do if 48-hours have passed?
You will have to try and contact the developer. This isn’t a full-proof method, but you could give it a try. You can find the developer’s email by tapping Read more on the app’s page on the Play Store and then scrolling down all the way to the bottom.
Hopefully, the email is a legitimate one and you will be able to convince the developer to issue you a refund.
But what if you get no reply from the developer or their response is unsatisfactory? Your last resort would be to contact Google’s support team and ask them to take care of the problem.
How to contact Google’s support team about a refund
- Go to this page https://support.google.com/googleplay/contactflow?hl=en
- Select your issue (for example Android apps & games).
- Click on Request a refund.
- Submit refund request.
You should hear back from Google within 15 minutes, but it can take up to 2 business days.
The Google support team can help you get refunds for paid apps, as well as in-app purchases.
How to get refunds for Google Play movies/TV shows or books
What if you bought a Google Play movie, but you decided you don’t want to keep it after all? Well, in this case, you have a 7-day window to request your refund. But bear in mind that this only applies to movies or books you haven’t started watching/reading.
In case video playback/book if defective, you can request a refund at any time. This is how you do it.
- Access https://play.google.com/store/account
- Scroll down to Order History and find the video/book in question.
- Click on the three vertical dots and select “Report a problem”
- Then fill out the form and submit.
The same steps apply if you want to get a refund for a purchase from Google Play Music. You have 7 days to do so, or 14 if you’re in the EU.
Have you tried getting a refund before? Did you face any issue? Let us know in the comment section below.
Information about Play Pass is quite scarce at the moment, so we don’t know how Google plans to go about it exactly. Which apps will make the cut? How will developers be compensated and so on?