Google Play Refund—Get Your Money Back for Anything From the Store

What the App Store is for iPhone users, Google Play is for the users of Android. It started as a platform where you could shop for smartphone apps, but it turned fast to a full-blown digital media store. Besides apps, you can buy music, books, movies, and TV programs on Google Play and use them on your smart device running a Google certified Android operating system.

Many apps and other downloadable digital content on Google Play are free, but many offer paid premium services, have in-app purchases, or cost money from the start. What happens if you pay for the latest installment of the Star Wars saga and then decide it’s not worth it? How about downloading a paid app that promises to fix your sleep schedule, yet it proves to be useless for your insomnia? You are probably going to look into how to get a refund on an app.

Google Play Refund Policy

Google Play offers original Google apps, but the majority come from third-party developers, which makes refunds a bit complicated. When it comes to asking for a refund, two rules apply to Google Play purchases in general:

If it’s been less than 48 hours since you bought an app or made an in-app purchase, you can request your money back through Google Play
If you bought movies, music, books, or other digital content, and it’s been more than 48 hours since the purchase, you might qualify for a refund

The refund policies differ depending on the item. All approved refunds are processed back using the original form of payment whenever that is possible.

Google Play Refunds for Apps, Games, and In-App Purchases

Wondering how to get a refund on play store? Google Play refund policies state that Google does not offer refunds for most purchases unless they honor the 48-hour rule. If you want to attempt to get a refund after that timeframe, you should contact the app developer directly. They will determine whether you qualify for a refund according to their policies and legal requirements.

If you uninstall a paid app via the Play Store app within two hours after you purchased it, you should get an automatic refund. It is possible to return a game or an app and get a refund only once. If you repurchase the same item, your refund rights will be voided.

Google Play Movies Refund

If you want to return a movie or TV program because it doesn’t play properly, Google Play recommends checking their tips to fix playback issues. In case you have other reasons, you might qualify for a refund under these rules:

If you haven’t started watching yet and you changed your mind, you have seven days after purchasing to submit a refund request
If the movie or other video content is faulty, unavailable, or it malfunctions, your refund request window is 65 days

Google Play Music Refund

If you want to cancel Google Play Music subscription, you can do it at any point, but charged payments are non-refundable. Once you cancel, you can still use the service until the end of the paid subscription period. You can also try the DoNotPay virtual credit card if you want to use the trial period, but don’t want to deal with possible charges.

In case you don’t like the item purchased through Google Play Music, you have seven days to change your mind, but only if you don’t download or stream it.

Google Play Books Refund

Google Play Books refunds fall into three categories depending on the type of the purchased item:

E-books—Refunds are available within seven days of purchase, except for rentals, which are non-refundable. If the e-book is faulty, the refund window is 65 days
Audiobooks—All sales are final, except for malfunctioning audiobooks which can be returned for a refund anytime
Bundles—Full-bundle refunds are available within seven days of purchase unless you’ve downloaded or exported different books in the bundle. In case the item is not working, the refund window is 180 days

How to Request a Refund on Google Play

If you missed the two-hour window to uninstall the app and get an automatic refund, don’t sweat because all is not lost. You can still get your money back, but you should act fast as the next refund window closes after 48 hours. Here’s what to do:

Open your Google Play account in a web browser
Hit Order History
Find the item you wish to return
Choose Request a refund or Report a problem, and select the option that matches your situation the best
Fill out the form and make sure that you include a note stating that you’d like a refund
You will receive an email with the decision about your refund

Google Play Refunds via Email

If you miss the 48-hour window, your best bet is to contact the developers directly by finding their contact info in the Read More section on their app’s page on Google Play. In most situations, the companies behind apps and games on Google Play leave an email address for their customer support, where you can direct your refund request.

Alternatively, if everything else fails, you can try to contact the Google Play support team using chat or email, and persuade them that you should get a refund.

Google Play Refunds via Google Assistant

If you’re using a smart device with Google Assistant installed and enabled, you can ask it to deal with the refund for you. Fire it up by saying Ok, Google, and follow up with one of these sentences:

Cancel my Google Play apps order
I need a refund from Google Play
I want a Google Play refund
I paid for an app, but I want a refund
How do I get a refund from Google Play

It should list your most recent orders and ask if you want to cancel them. As virtual assistants are still not perfect, it may show source links for more info, and you’ll have to deal with it manually. One more thing—it works only if you use US English.

Can you request a refund via	Yes / No
DoNotPay	Yes
Email	Yes, but indirectly
Google Assistant	Yes
Phone	No
Letter	No
Website	Yes
In-person	No

How Long Does a Google Play Refund Take?

In most cases, the refund decision email will reach you in 15 minutes, but it can take up to 4 business days. Once approved, the wait time for your money to come back depends on the original form of payment. You can find expected timeframes for most popular payment methods below:

Payment method	Estimated refund time
Credit or debit card	3–5 business days
Google Play balance	1 business day
Google Pay	1 business day
PayPal	3–5 business days
Online banking	1–10 business days

Other Things to Note When Requesting a Refund on Google Play

Since Google Play has numerous products and services, refund policies can get complicated. Here are some things you should have in mind if you’re asking for a refund on Google Play:

Play gift cards and cash top-ups are non-refundable unless required by law. The U.S. residents may request a refund for redeemed gift cards and codes for values lower than $10
Gifts of Google Play credit or Google Play Books are refunded to the person who bought them and only before they’re redeemed. The refund window is three months
If you manage to get a refund for an item that earned you Play Points, those points will be deducted from your balance and your level progress

Google Play Refund Guide