How to Get a Refund from Apple (App Store and In-App Purchases)
Apple refunds go through reportaproblem.apple.com, with an answer in 24 to 48 hours. The exact steps, the Family Sharing rule, and why some charges must wait.
Accidental in-app purchase, a subscription that renewed before you could cancel, a kid with your iPad: whatever the cause, Apple has one official refund door, and it is not inside the App Store app. Everything goes through reportaproblem.apple.com. Here is the exact flow, what the 24 to 48 hour window means, and the account mix-up that explains most “I can’t find the charge” dead ends.
The quick answer
- Where: sign in at reportaproblem.apple.com
- Path: “I’d like to” > Request a refund > pick a reason > Next > pick the item > Submit
- Answer time: 24 to 48 hours for a status update on your request
- Money back: after approval, funds can take additional time depending on your payment method
- Not guaranteed: Apple reviews each request and decides; eligibility also varies by country
- Renewed subscription? Request the refund AND cancel the subscription, or it will bill again
Key facts at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where to request | reportaproblem.apple.com (any browser) |
| Decision time | 24 to 48 hours for a status update |
| Charge still “pending” | Cannot request yet; wait for the email receipt |
| Unpaid order | Must be paid before a refund can be requested |
| Family purchase, shared card | Family organizer: Apple Account button > All |
| Charge not listed | Almost always a different Apple Account; check your receipts |
| Consumer law rights | Kept in addition to Apple’s policy (varies by country) |
The refund request, step by step
Per Apple’s official instructions:
- Sign in to reportaproblem.apple.com with the Apple Account that made the purchase
- Tap or click “I’d like to”, then choose “Request a refund”
- Choose the reason for the refund, then choose Next
- Choose the app, subscription, or other item, then choose Submit
Then wait 24 to 48 hours for an update. You can check the status of the request on the same site. If Apple approves, the refund goes back to your payment method, which can take additional time on top of the approval.
The trap: a refund does not stop the next bill
If the charge was a subscription renewal, a refund only claws back that one payment. The subscription itself keeps running and will bill again next cycle. Do both:
- Request the refund at reportaproblem.apple.com (the flow also offers to cancel the subscription during the request)
- Or cancel separately: Settings > your name > Subscriptions > the subscription > Cancel Subscription on iPhone, per Apple’s cancellation page. If the button is missing or you see red expiration text, it is already canceled
”I can’t find the charge”
This is the most common failure, and it is almost never a missing feature. In order of likelihood:
- Wrong Apple Account. Search your email for “receipt from Apple” or “invoice from Apple”, find the receipt matching the amount, and check which account it names. Sign in to reportaproblem.apple.com with that account
- Family Sharing purchase. If you are the family organizer and the purchase hit your shared payment method, you can still request it: on reportaproblem.apple.com, tap the Apple Account button, then choose All to show family purchases
- The charge is still pending. Apple does not accept refund requests on pending charges; wait until the email receipt arrives, then request
- An unpaid order. You have to pay the outstanding order first (which may mean fixing your payment method), then request the refund
What Apple does not promise
Two honest caveats straight from the policy:
- Approval is not automatic. “Some purchases… might be eligible” is Apple’s own wording. Accidental purchases and misbehaving apps have good odds; a game you finished last month does not
- Rules vary by country. In the EU, some digital purchases are not billed through Apple at all and follow the seller’s process instead. And consumer protection laws (Australia and New Zealand are named examples) apply on top of Apple’s policy, not instead of it
Bottom line
Go to reportaproblem.apple.com, request the refund with the honest reason, and expect an answer within 48 hours. If the charge is a subscription, cancel it too or it will renew. And if the charge is not listed, check your email receipts first: the purchase is almost certainly on another Apple Account in your household.
Steps and timelines verified against Apple’s official support pages. If Apple changes the process, this guide will be updated with the revision noted.