Cancel an in-app subscription: get refunds from Apple and Google

An example: the dinosaur game on the family tablet

Fictional example: Aoife in Galway lends her Android tablet to her seven-year-old son for a long car journey. That evening she finds two emails from Google Play: a weekly subscription to a dinosaur game for €5.99 and a bundle of coins for €4.99. Her son thought the buttons were part of the game.

Because less than 48 hours have passed, Aoife opens her order history on play.google.com and reports a problem for both orders, explaining that her child bought them by mistake. She also cancels the subscription in the Google Play app so that no further week is charged. Afterwards she sets purchase verification to always and agrees with her son that in-game purchases need her yes first.

Where do you cancel a subscription billed by Apple or Google?

What matters is who bills you. If the receipt comes from Apple or Google Play, you manage the subscription in the store's subscription settings, not with the app maker. Subscriptions you took out on a provider's website are cancelled there, as explained in Cancel a subscription online: buttons and rules in six countries.

Uninstalling the app is not enough: Google's help says that uninstalling does not cancel your subscription. After cancelling, you can still use it for the time you have already paid for. Apple asks you to cancel a free trial at least 24 hours before it ends; for more on trials, see Before starting a free trial: price, duration and a reminder.

Tip: If there is no Cancel button or you see an expiry message in red text, Apple says the subscription has already been cancelled. If a subscription is billed to a family member's Apple Account, that person has to cancel it.

How do you request a refund from Apple?

Apple handles refunds for apps, subscriptions and in-app purchases on reportaproblem.apple.com.

Expect an update on your request within 24 to 48 hours; if Apple approves it, the money may take longer to reach your payment method. If you are the family organiser in Family Sharing, you can also request refunds for a family member's purchases: tap or click the Apple Account button, then choose All.

The right of withdrawal in Apple's terms

Apple's Media Services Terms for Ireland (last updated 14 September 2026) let you cancel an order within 14 days of receiving your receipt without giving a reason. You do this in your Apple Account under Purchase History: select the order, then Withdraw Transaction. You can also send a clear statement, for example the model form, to rightofwithdrawal@apple.com.

According to the terms, subscription services can only be cancelled this way following the initial subscription. The right does not apply to content whose delivery started at your request after you acknowledged that you would lose it.

How do you request a refund from Google Play?

With Google Play, timing matters. Google says it may refund some purchases, depending on its refund policies. If more than 48 hours have passed since the purchase, Google refers you to the app developer, who can grant refunds under their own policies.

You will usually get a decision within one day, but it can take up to four days.

Special rules in the EEA and the UK

Google has separate refund policies for the European Economic Area (EEA) and the UK. For digital content, including a subscription to digital content within an app, Google says you agree to immediate availability when you buy and thereby waive your statutory right of withdrawal; a refund is then only possible if the content is defective, unavailable or does not perform as stated. For digital services, there is a 14-day right of withdrawal from the purchase, followed by the same restriction. You can still cancel, effective from the start of the next payment period.

When does the 14-day right of withdrawal help?

Under EU rules you can generally cancel an online purchase within 14 days without giving a reason; for services, the period runs from the day the contract was agreed. Your Europe, the EU's information portal, lists the exceptions: online digital content once you have expressly agreed to lose your right of withdrawal by starting the performance, and services fully delivered after you agreed to an immediate start.

Germany's European Consumer Centre explains that for digital content the right only lapses early if the download or streaming has started, you expressly agreed and you confirmed that you lose the right. The trader must also confirm this on a durable medium, such as an email. If one condition is missing, the right does not lapse early.

Sample wording for a withdrawal or refund request

Adapt the text and send it through the store's route or to the developer: “Hello, I hereby withdraw from the contract for the subscription [app and subscription name], concluded on [date] with the account [email address], order number [as on the receipt]. Please refund [amount] to the original payment method and confirm receipt of this message. If my minor child made this purchase without my consent: I do not approve this contract. Kind regards”

What if your child bought something without permission?

Google says that if a friend or family member made a purchase with your account by accident, you should request a refund rather than report an unauthorised charge. Charges that nobody you know made are reported as unauthorised within 120 days of the transaction. If you share your account or payment details with someone else, or do not protect your account with authentication, Google says it usually cannot issue a refund.

For apps or games designed for ages 12 and under, Google Play always requires verification for every purchase anyway. According to the Stiftung für Konsumentenschutz, family groups at Apple and Google can require approval for purchases, but this does little if your child knows your password. More on device rules for children: First smartphone for your child: age, ground rules and settings.

What applies in your country?

In EU countries the withdrawal rules come from EU law, implemented in national law. Switzerland is not in the EU: according to the Swiss federal portal ch.ch, the same rules apply online as in a shop, without a statutory right of return.

Disputes with Apple often cross borders, as its terms name Apple Distribution International Ltd. in Ireland for withdrawals. According to the French government, the European Consumer Centre in your country helps free of charge with traders in the EU, Norway, Iceland or the UK.

Switzerland: refunds without a withdrawal right

Apple's terms for Switzerland (as of 15 September 2025) contain no 14-day withdrawal right, but you can still request a refund at reportaproblem.apple.com. Google's special rules apply only in the EEA and the UK, so the 48-hour window matters even more. For purchases by children, the Stiftung für Konsumentenschutz refers to Article 19 of the Swiss Civil Code: purchases paid with a child's own pocket money are generally binding; for more, the parents' consent is needed.

This guide does not replace individual legal advice; for refused refunds of larger amounts, contact a consumer advice service. And before reacting to an email that announces a refund, read A refund is announced: genuine repayment or a misleading message?