Can you refund songs from iTunes?

iTunes offers customers the ability to request a refund on music purchases within certain timeframes and under specific conditions. This article will provide an in-depth look at iTunes’ refund policy, outline the steps for requesting a refund, and offer tips for getting your money back.

Table of Contents

What is iTunes’ refund policy for music?

iTunes offers refunds on music purchases only under certain circumstances:

You must request the refund within 90 days of purchase.

Refunds are generally limited to one refund request every 12 months.
Only purchases made with an Apple ID directly from the iTunes Store are eligible for refunds.
Content must be unused and in the original downloaded format.

There are some exceptions to the refund policy:

Gifted purchases cannot be refunded.
Refunds may be restricted for purchases made through family sharing.

Pre-orders cannot be cancelled or refunded after the release date.
Subscriptions, including Apple Music, cannot be partially refunded.

Essentially, iTunes aims to provide refunds as a goodwill gesture but not as a given right after every music purchase. The content provider also has the ability to disable refunds, so certain songs or albums may not qualify.

How do I request a refund for iTunes music purchases?

To request a refund for iTunes music purchases, you need to take the following steps:

Open iTunes and go to your Account Settings.
Select “Purchase History” to view your past purchases.

Find the item you want to refund and click “Report a Problem.”
Choose “I’d like to request a refund.”
Select a reason for requesting the refund.

Confirm that you have not exceeded your annual refund limit.
Wait for a response from iTunes Support approving or denying the request.

The entire refund request process happens online – you do not need to contact Apple Support directly. iTunes will evaluate the request against their policy and respond with their decision via email typically within 1-2 business days.

What reasons can I choose from when requesting a refund?

When submitting a iTunes refund request, you need to provide a reason by selecting one of the available options:

Accidental purchase
Bought by someone else without permission

Item doesn’t perform as expected
Item already owned
Item not as described

Technical issues
Other reason

“Accidental purchase” and “Bought by someone else without permission” are common reasons that satisfy the iTunes refund policy requirements. Selecting a valid reason is important as iTunes may deny refunds if the provided reason does not align with their policy terms.

How long does it take to get an iTunes refund?

The timeframe for receiving an iTunes refund is typically:

1-2 business days for iTunes Support to review the request
5-10 business days for the refund amount to appear in your account

After submitting the refund request, you will receive an email from iTunes Support confirming approval or denial. If approved, the funds should be credited back to your account via your original payment method within 10 business days.

Keep in mind that refund timing may vary if you used gift cards or if international banking/financial transfers are involved. Also, content provider restrictions can potentially cause delays or complicate the refund process in some cases.

Can I get a refund for partially downloaded content?

Getting a refund for partially downloaded iTunes content depends on how much has been downloaded:

Under 5 minutes into a video or audio file, or under 50MB downloaded for a game – refund is possible
Over 5 minutes into a video/audio or over 50MB downloaded for a game – refund will be denied

The cutoff is based on the assumption that consuming even a small portion of the content takes away its resale value, so iTunes will not approve the refund. For books, any amount read past the preview pages makes the book ineligible for refund.

You can verify how much of an item has been downloaded or consumed before requesting the refund. If you are past the limits, iTunes will likely reject the request.

What happens if my iTunes refund request gets denied?

If your iTunes refund request gets denied, you have a couple options:

Reply to the rejection email and provide additional context on why you believe the refund should be approved based on iTunes policy.

Contact Apple Support directly to speak with a representative who may be able to re-evaluate the request.
Review your bank/credit card policies – some will fight on your behalf or do a chargeback if you start a dispute.

Keep in mind repeated refund requests or disputes for the same purchase may cause Apple to ban your account. If no options pan out, you will need to accept the loss and be more careful about purchases in the future.

Can I get a refund for an iTunes gift card?

Getting a refund for an unused iTunes gift card that you purchased is possible in some regions by following these steps:

Visit iTunes’ gift card support page: https://support.apple.com/itunes-gift-card-scams
Select your country and follow instructions to submit a refund request form.

Provide gift card details including number, amount, and original purchase date.
Explain reason for seeking refund and proof of purchase if possible.
Wait for Apple to review request and contact you with resolution.

Success depends on your location, original retailer, and proof of purchase. Used gift cards will not be refunded. This provides an option if your gift card purchase itself was an error or fraudulent.

What tips can help me get iTunes refunds approved?

Some tips to improve your chances of successfully getting an iTunes refund approved:

Request immediately – longer you wait, less likely Apple will refund.

Be honest and detailed – vague or dubious reasons will get denied.
Check purchase source – no refunds for third-party sellers.
Avoid gift cards – these have much stricter policies.

Keep repurchasing – rebuying refunded content can trigger ban.
Be polite and patient – treats agents nicely and follow-up reasonably if needed.

Understanding and working within Apple’s policies is critical. If you have a valid reason and act quickly, you are much more likely to get approved.

Can I get a refund for iTunes movies or TV shows?

iTunes does allow refunds on movies and TV shows purchased or rented directly through their store under the standard guidelines, including:

Request is made within 90 days of transaction.
Content has not been viewed or played past the 5 minute or 50MB limit.

Annual refund limit per account has not been reached.

Downloaded or streamed movies, episodes, seasons, and series are all eligible. Just be sure it meets the “unused portion” criteria and you should be able to get a refund with a valid reason.

What happens if I refund an entire album but want to repurchase a song?

If you get a refund for an entire album purchase but then want to repurchase one or more of the songs, here is what will happen:

The songs will still be in your iTunes library and playable after the refund.
You will need to repurchase the songs you want to keep at individual song prices.
Any songs not repurchased will become unplayable after the refund completes.

Getting the refund is an all-or-nothing proposition – you cannot partially refund specific songs. Pick carefully which individual songs you want to buy again afterwards.

Can I get a refund for iTunes subscriptions like Apple Music?

Refunds for iTunes subscriptions like Apple Music are handled differently than for individual content purchases:

Ongoing subscriptions cannot be partially refunded – only cancelled.

Cancelled subscriptions will not charge the next renewal, but current period is non-refundable.
Upfront subscription costs for multiple months may be partially refunded.
You can cancel renewal 24-hours before next charge to avoid being billed.

Since subscriptions automatically renew each period, iTunes will not process partial refunds except on rare occasions. Cancelling properly and avoiding unwanted renews is recommended.

Is there a time limit to use an iTunes refund credit?

There is no time limit to use an iTunes account credit from a refunded purchase. The funds will remain in your iTunes account indefinitely until you make a new purchase.

Some key points about iTunes refund credits:

The credit can only be used to purchase content within the iTunes Store.
It cannot be transferred or used outside of your account.
The value does not expire, but may be forfeited if your account is closed/disabled.

You can see your current account credit balance whenever making a new transaction.

Unlike gift cards, iTunes refund credits have no pre-defined end date for usage. Take your time browsing for your next purchase whenever it may be.

Can I get a refund for auto-renewed Apple Music or other subscriptions?

Getting refunds for auto-renewed Apple Music or other iTunes subscriptions is limited:

The current period charge is non-refundable in most cases.
Disputes must be made before auto-renewal payment processes.
Turn off auto-renewal at least 24 hours before next payment date.

Partial refunds may be considered for unused portion of upfront multi-month subscriptions.

Since Apple Music and other subscriptions are intended as ongoing renewals, iTunes is generally unable to process refunds after auto-renewal payments occur. You need to cancel the renewals proactively to avoid unwanted charges.

What options do I have if I am outside the 90 day window for a refund?

If you missed the 90 day window to request an iTunes refund, you still have a few options:

Attempt the refund request anyway – exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.
Contact Apple Support to plead your case – agents can sometimes override policy.
Dispute the charge with your credit card company.

Resell or gift the content to regain partial value.

While success rates are lower outside the refund window, being polite and explaining the situation well when contacting Apple Support may work. Worst case, take it as an expensive lesson to set purchase reminders next time.

Can I get a refund on iTunes U purchases?

iTunes U content purchased through the iTunes Store follows the standard iTunes refund policy:

Refunds are available within 90 days of purchase.
Content must be unused – under 5 minutes or 50MB consumed.
Books must be unread past preview pages.

Reason for refund must meet Apple’s terms.

The iTunes U educational marketplace offers various courses, books, videos, audiobooks and more. As these are standard iTunes purchases, refunds can be requested just like any other iTunes content.

What are some common reasons for rejected iTunes refunds?

Some common reasons iTunes will reject a refund request:

Outside 90 day time limit from purchase date.
Content has been partially consumed past the limits.
Request reason does not match iTunes refund criteria.

Purchase was made through third-party seller.
Content has been gifted or transferred to someone else.
Account has already reached annual refund request limit.

The most frequent denial causes are policy-related, such as missing the time window or already using the yearly refund allowance. Failure to meet the “unused content” definition is also common if you started viewing, listening, reading or playing too much.

Can I transfer purchased iTunes content to someone else?

Transferring purchased iTunes content depends on the content type:

Music and movies: Can be gifted or transferred to any other iTunes account.

Books and audiobooks: Can only be gifted or transferred to accounts linked via Family Sharing.
TV Shows: Cannot be gifted or transferred at all.

Once content has been sent to someone else, it becomes ineligible for refunds. Transferring is irreversible, so only gift content you are absolutely certain you will not need to refund later on.

What happens if I get banned from requesting iTunes refunds?

If you receive an iTunes ban from excessive refund requests, these are the implications:

All refund abilities will be forfeited – future requests will be auto-denied.
Your account may have payment or purchasing restrictions imposed.

Current content licenses may be revoked, rendering them unusable.
You will be unable to open a new iTunes account.
Only option is to try appealing ban by contacting Apple Support.

Refund bans are usually permanent, so getting one can significantly impact your ability to make future iTunes purchases or access existing libraries. Use refund requests judiciously to avoid risking account privileges.

Should I use an iTunes gift card if I may request a refund?

If you think you may need to refund an iTunes purchase, it is not recommended to use an iTunes gift card for the transaction.

Gift cards have much stricter and complex rules on refund eligibility.

The funds go back to the gift card balance, not your original payment method.
Expiration dates may cause you to forfeit unspent funds when they are returned.

Credit cards or other payment methods give you the best chance of getting your money back with an iTunes refund. Only use gift cards on purchases you are absolutely certain about keeping.

Conclusion

Getting refunds on iTunes purchases involves understanding Apple’s specific policies around timing, content consumption, account standing, and more. While not every request will be approved, you can take steps like acting quickly, providing valid reasons, and avoiding gift cards or transfers to maximize your chances. Be honest in your requests and persistent if denied but still eligible – a little courtesy and patience goes a long way as well. With the right approach, many iTunes buyers are able to successfully regain at least part of their initial purchase price.