App refunds are an unfortunate part of every apps lifecycle, regardless of the value and benefits, a certain percentage of subscribers will ask for a refund.
Both iOS and Google Play have refund options available, removing the need for users to get in contact with the app. Google Play has a 48 hour grace period, during which time users are entitled to a refund, whereas Apple provides users with a longer-period but reviews each refund request.
There are methods to reducing the amount of users requesting a refund, such as offering free trials of the subscription and maintaining a dialogue with the user in the first few weeks. Typically, a lot of the refunds happen within the first day of purchase, so getting over that hump is critical.
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Learn moreSome apps tend to stack their premium services during that time period, showing off all the user can do in stages. When going to cancel or refund a subscription, the app may alert users as to all the features they will lose if they cancel.
But at the end of the day, at least 1% of users will ask for refunds, either because the subscription was bought unintentionally or there were issues with the app.
We have collected data and statistics on app refund rates. Read on below to find out more.
App Refund Rate by Sub Duration
Different regions have different attitudes towards refunds, with more people in the US refunding a monthly subscription than weekly, whereas a higher percentage of EU residents refund weekly subscriptions in comparison to monthly.
Weekly subscription app refund rate 2023 (%)
Monthly subscription app refund rate 2023 (%)
US App Refund Rate by Sub Duration
Weekly subscriptions are more likely to be refunded, while the percentage of refunds for monthly and annual subscriptions are almost identical.
US app refund rate by duration 2023 (%)
App Refund Rate by Category
Education apps have the highest refund rate at 5.1%, while travel apps have the lowest at 2.1%.
App refund rate by category 2023 (%)
App Refund Rate by Region
South Korea is an outlier among many countries for the high percentage of app refunds, at 10%. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Japanese users refund a very low amount of app purchases.
