Does Apple refund when you cancel subscription?

Apple offers various subscription services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and more. As a consumer, you may subscribe to these services but later decide to cancel your subscription for whatever reason. A common question that arises is – will Apple refund your money if you cancel the subscription? Let’s find out.

Does Apple offer refunds for cancelled subscriptions?

Yes, Apple does offer refunds when you cancel a subscription, but there are certain conditions that apply. Apple has a time-based refund policy for subscriptions:

• If you cancel within the first 48 hours of subscribing, you will get a full refund.
• If you cancel after 48 hours, you will get a prorated refund based on the remainder of the subscription period left.

For example, if you purchase a 1-year Apple Music subscription for $99 and cancel it after using it for 6 months, you will get back around $49 (the remaining unused 6 months).

How to cancel Apple subscriptions and get a refund

Here are the steps to cancel an Apple subscription and get a refund:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone/iPad.
2. Tap on your Apple ID profile at the top.
3. Tap on Subscriptions.
4. Tap on the subscription you want to cancel.
5. Tap on Cancel Subscription.
6. Confirm that you want to cancel when prompted.

Once you cancel the subscription, the refund will be automatically processed to the original payment method used within 1-2 billing cycles. For Apple Music student plan subscription, you need to tap on Manage and cancel the subscription from there.

Exceptions for Apple subscription refunds

While Apple generally offers refunds when you cancel subscriptions, there are some exceptions:

• Refunds are not offered if you cancel after the subscription period ends. For example, canceling an annual plan after 12 months.
• Refunds are not given if you cancel a free trial before it ends.
• In-app purchases of digital content like movies or books are not eligible for refunds.

What happens when you cancel an Apple subscription

Here is what happens when you cancel an Apple subscription:

• You immediately lose access to the subscription service and its content or features.
• Any unused portion of the subscription period will be refunded to your original payment method.
• You may lose access to any content you purchased at a discount with the subscription.
• Your Apple ID remains active and is not cancelled or deleted.
• Your data associated with the subscription will be removed as per Apple’s privacy policy.

How long does it take to get the refund

Apple usually processes refunds for cancelled subscriptions within 1-2 billing cycles. Here is the estimated time it takes:

• For monthly plans, expect the refund in the next billing cycle, so within 1 month.
• For annual plans, expect the refund within 1-2 months.

The refund time also depends on your payment method and bank’s processing time. For payment methods like credit card and PayPal, the refund is generally quicker.

Check refund status on Apple subscriptions

To check the status of your Apple subscription refund, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Your Name > iTunes & App Store.
2. Tap on your Apple ID.
3. Tap on View Apple ID > Purchase History.
4. See the ‘Canceled Subscription’ section. Tap on the cancelled subscription.
5. Scroll down to see the refund status as Pending, Processing or Completed.

You will also get refund confirmation emails from Apple to your registered email ID. The refund time shown includes processing time by your bank, so check with your bank as well.

Get refund receipts for cancelled Apple subscriptions

To get refund receipts or transaction history for a cancelled Apple subscription:

1. Go to Settings > Your Name > iTunes & App Store.
2. Tap on your Apple ID.
3. Tap on View Apple ID > Purchase History.
4. Find the cancelled subscription in the ‘Canceled Subscription’ section.
5. Tap on the subscription and scroll down to ‘Transaction History’
6. Tap on ‘Receipt’ to see refund details, date and amount.

You can also check the email ID associated with your Apple ID for refund confirmation emails from Apple.

Options if Apple refund is denied

In some rare cases, Apple may deny the refund request when you cancel a subscription. Here are some options in that case:

• Check if the content was downloaded, streamed or consumed past the refund window. Apple only allows refunds on unused subscription period.
• Contact Apple customer support online or by phone to understand why the refund was denied.
• Escalate the matter and request them to reconsider the refund denial.
• If reason is not justified, you can file a complaint against Apple on consumer forums.
• You can contact your bank or payment provider to check if they can help with a chargeback.

Can you reactivate a cancelled Apple subscription?

If you change your mind after cancelling an Apple subscription, you may be able to reactivate it within a certain time period by following these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Your Name > Subscriptions.
2. Find the cancelled subscription and tap on it.
3. If within the reactivation period, you will see a ‘Reactivate Subscription’ option.
4. Tap on it to reactivate the subscription.
5. Any unused refund amount will be charged back to your payment method.

However, Apple does not allow reactivating cancelled subscriptions in all cases. So this option is not guaranteed to be available when you cancel a subscription.

What happens if you resubscribe after cancelling Apple subscription

If you cancel an Apple subscription and then resubscribe at a later date, here is what happens:

• You have to purchase a new subscription just like a new customer.
• Any previous unused refund amount will not be adjusted or carried over.
• You get access to the subscription content again after resubscribing.
• You may lose access to any content purchased with promotions under the old subscription.
• Your activity and history associated with the subscription will be available again.

So when resubscribing after cancellation, it is treated as a fresh subscription purchase by Apple rather than a reactivation.

Pros of cancelling Apple subscriptions

Here are some pros of cancelling Apple subscriptions:

• You get prorated refunds on unused subscription period.
• Cancelling is easy and can be done directly from iPhone settings.
• You can resubscribe again later if needed.
• It helps you save money if you don’t use the subscription often.
• You can switch between subscription plans or services if needed.
• It allows focusing your spend on other higher priorities.

Cons of cancelling Apple subscriptions

Some cons of cancellation include:

• You immediately lose access to the subscription service and associated content.
• Refund time can take 1-2 billing cycles to reflect.
• You may lose discounted content purchased with subscription.
• Reactivating a cancelled subscription is not always possible.
• You need to setup your account, preferences and history again when resubscribing.

Conclusion

Apple generally offers prorated refunds when you cancel a subscription within the active subscription period. The key things to note are:

• Full refund if cancelled within 48 hours.
• Prorated refund based on remainder period if cancelled after 48 hours.
• Refunds via original payment method in 1-2 billing cycles.
• Check status in Purchase History and email notifications.
• No refunds after subscription period ends.

So in summary, Apple does refund a portion of your subscription fee when you decide to cancel within the active subscription period. Following Apple’s cancellation process properly allows you to get the eligible refund amount back conveniently.