How to Get an App Store Refund & Dispute a Rejected Claim

If you accidentally purchased an app on the App Store or it doesn't work as promised, you can request a refund directly from Apple in just a few easy steps.


Nicolle Monico
Updated 15 February 2022
How to Get an App Store Refund & Dispute a Rejected Claim
Sections on this page
  1. Is It Possible to Get an App Store Refund?
  2. How to Request An App Store Refund
  3. Why Can’t I Request a Refund?
  4. How to See Which Apps You’ve Purchased
  5. What If My App Store Refund Is Denied?

There may be times when you purchase an app on the App Store and it doesn’t work how you expected, or your accidentally purchased the wrong one while multitasking. Whatever your reasons for needing a refund, the good news is that you can request a refund from Apple to hopefully get your money back. Here’s how to ask for Apple App Store refund, what you’ll need to do so and what your rights are as a consumer.

Is It Possible to Get an App Store Refund?

Yes, you can get your money back in most cases when requesting an App Store refund—especially if you do so as soon as possible.

Apple is typically willing to approve refund requests if it falls within 14 days of your purchase. Further, Apple generally approves accidental purchases on apps bought by children without their parent’s permission but usually only does this once per customer.

Apple’s Terms and Conditions

If technical problems prevent or unreasonably delay delivery of Content, your exclusive and sole remedy is either replacement of the Content or refund of the price paid, as determined by Apple.

All requests are reviewed by Apple, so you may get contacted for more information on your request prior to a decision. For UK and EU citizens, European law dictates that within 14 days of purchase, users don’t need a reason for requesting a refund and Apple must refund you money.

How to Request An App Store Refund

First, to request a refund, you’ll need to report it to Apple. Do this, follow the below steps:

  1. Go to reportaproblem.apple.com and sign in with your Apple ID
  2. From the drop-down menu choose, "Request a refund"
  3. From the next drop-down, choose the reason for your refund
  4. Hit “Next"
  5. Choose the correct app, subscription, or other item and hit “Submit"

app store refund
On your iPhone, you should see this screen after clicking on reportaproblem.apple.com.

You can also follow this process on your computer by dropping in the above link into your browser.

Once your request has been approved, it can take up to 48 hours before the money appears in your Apple ID balance. For money to go back to your bank account, it’ll depend on the financial institution but can take up to 30 days.

You can check the status of your refund here.

Why Can’t I Request a Refund?

If you’re getting an error message and aren’t able to report the issue on reportaproblem.apple.com, it could be for one of the following reasons:

  • You can’t request a refund while the charge is still pending. Once it clears, you can try again.
  • Your credit card information is out-of-date and you have an unpaid payment on your account.

How to See Which Apps You’ve Purchased

If you’re unsure of which apps you’ve bought, you can go to the App Store to view a list of all your past purchases.

  1. Go to the App Store app on your phone
  2. Click on your Apple ID profile picture
  3. Click on “Purchased
  4. Review your purchased items

app store refund
Your list of purchased apps (which also includes free downloaded apps) will show up under the Purchased tab in your App Store app.

What If My App Store Refund Is Denied?

According to Apple, they may refuse a refund request if they suspect you have committed fraud, abused the refund policy, or participated in unlawful or other manipulative behavior that would entitle the company to a corresponding counterclaim.

If your claim was denied, you can try reach out to Apple Support to get further clarification on why it was rejected. You can do so by going to Get Support and choosing the product you need help with.

Depending on which country you're in, you’ll be presented with a chat or email option.

app store refund
Apple's Support page features links to all of their products so that you can easily choose which one you need help with.

Report Fraudulent Activity

If there was a fraudulent purchase on your account and Apple denies a refund, you can report the fraud to the FTC and other authorities. 

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