• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechThe Mobile Executive

Here’s Why Apple’s App Store Refund Policy Is Under Fire

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 5, 2016, 11:40 AM ET
Inside An Orange SA Mobile Phone Store
Photograph by Bloomberg via Getty Images

Apple‘s App Store is suffering from user abuse, some developers say.

A handful of software developers who hawk their applications in Apple’s App Store say the company’s marketplace has a loophole that allows customers to download their mobile content and pay for it, but get an automatic refund from Apple. The result, they told Korea Times in an interview published on Sunday and earlier discovered by Apple-tracking site 9to5Mac, is users have their paid content but didn’t need to pay. One game developer, named Flint, said it’s found approximately 300 people that might have used the refund loophole.

The alleged problem appears to relate to the way Apple (AAPL) handles its App Store refunds. An unidentified source told Korea Times that Apple makes the sole decision on whether a customer should receive a full refund on an app purchase. If Apple decides to provide a refund, it doesn’t alert the app developer to the refund or say who was issued the credit, according to the Korea Times source. That then requires the developer to try to determine who might have sought a refund and see if users are still employing the previously purchased content—an exceedingly difficult task.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

According to the Korea Times source, Apple doesn’t provide data on user refunds due to privacy concerns.

Apple’s Terms of Service agreement says any transaction made through its iTunes Store or App Store are “final.” However, the company says it reserves the right to issue a refund “if technical problems prevent or unreasonably delay delivery of content.” The company adds that Apple will refuse refund requests if it has “evidence of fraud, refund abuse, or other manipulative behavior that entitles Apple to a corresponding counterclaim.”

While that policy would suggest that Apple wouldn’t offer refunds, the company still lets users request refunds on both mobile and online. And in 2014, Apple released a no-questions-asked 14-day return policy to customers in the European Union. Since the company has largely remained quiet on its policies, it’s possible that Apple also offers a no-questions-asked return policy elsewhere in the world.

For more about Apple’s iPhone 7, watch:

It’s unclear how the customers are requesting their refunds from Apple and under what pretense, but the developers speaking to Korea Times say it’s a problem. Not only are they losing money on purchases, but taking the time to track customers can be onerous. The developers add that they’ve requested information on users who request refunds from Apple, but at least so far, the company hasn’t responded.

Apple did not immediately respond to a Fortune request for comment.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
The $38 trillion national debt is to blame for over $1 trillion in annual interest payments from here on out, CRFB says
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 17, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
'Robots are going to be amongst us': Qualcomm exec says buckle up for the next 5 years. Your car is going to be the first shoe to drop
By Nino PaoliDecember 17, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun says the key to being a better leader is being a better person: ‘Leadership is self-improvement’
By Sydney LakeDecember 17, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
As millions of Gen Zers face unemployment, McDonald's CEO dishes out some tough love career advice for navigating the market: ‘You've got to make things happen for yourself’
By Preston ForeDecember 16, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Britain’s defense chief calls on Gen Z grads leaving university to skip corporate jobs and join the military as war with Russia becomes a growing risk
By Emma BurleighDecember 17, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
LinkedIn CEO says it's 'outdated' to have a five-year career plan: It's a 'little bit foolish' considering the pace AI is changing the workplace
By Sydney LakeDecember 18, 2025
15 hours ago

Latest in Tech

Luigi
CybersecurityCrime
‘It seemed preposterous on its face’: Altoona cop’s supervisor said he’d buy his favorite hoagie moments before Luigi Mangione arrest
By Michael R. Sisak, Jennifer Peltz and The Associated PressDecember 18, 2025
8 hours ago
Bill Gates
CybersecurityJeffrey Epstein
House Democrats release more Epstein photos, including Bill Gates and a dinner full of wealthy philanthropists
By Stephen Groves and The Associated PressDecember 18, 2025
8 hours ago
The Trump Media & Technology Group said Dec. 18 it would merge in a $6 billion deal with the TAE Technologies fusion energy developer.
EnvironmentDonald Trump
CEO of nuclear fusion firm Trump Media is merging with in $6 billion deal: High-velocity capital is ‘critical’ and concerns are secondary
By Jordan BlumDecember 18, 2025
9 hours ago
Lovable CEO
AICoding
Lovable hits $6.6 billion valuation as its CEO says it wants to be ‘the last piece of software’ companies ever buy
By Beatrice NolanDecember 18, 2025
10 hours ago
unemployed
CommentaryLayoffs
The AI efficiency illusion: why cutting 1.1 million jobs will stifle, not scale, your strategy
By Katica RoyDecember 18, 2025
12 hours ago
AIFintech
How Salient, an AI loan processing startup valued at $500 million, grew ARR to $25 million in two years
By Lily Mae LazarusDecember 18, 2025
12 hours ago