How to refund Stadia games? Google Stadia return policy explained


As with many online services for buying games over the internet, Google Stadia can also refund your purchases. Returning games is entirely possible. 

Barely played titles must be returned within a reasonable time for the refund to count. If not, Google will not let you proceed with this process. 

However, Stadia also has its own rules for returning games. Google strictly follows these rules and will even include jurisdiction depending on the account’s location. 

Fortunately, the refund process is easy to do. Google Stadia owners will find it easy to return games as long as the purchase still hits the right refund window. Keep reading for a full explanation of Google Stadia's return policy.

Refund Process 

As written on the official Google Stadia site, the refund process can also be done through the Stadia app itself. For the mobile version of Stadia, users will need to tap their Stadia avatar and choose the Purchases & subscriptions button. After that, press the purchase you want to refund to proceed with the Request Refund button. 

Just so we're clear, the official step by step process is as followed:

In the Stadia app

  1. On your mobile device, sign in to the Stadia app.
  2. At the top right, tap your Stadia avatar.
  3. Tap Purchases and subscriptions.
  4. Under 'Transaction history', tap the item for which you would like to request a refund.
  5. Tap Request refund.

For the PC version of Google Stadia, click on your avatar again and press the Stadia settings button. The settings menus will have the Purchases & subscriptions button where they can refund any game they’d like. 

Once again, the official steps for this process can be found just below:

On stadia.com

  1. On your computer, sign in to your account on stadia.com.
  2. At the top right, click your Stadia avatar.
  3. Click Stadia settings > Purchases and subscriptions.
  4. Under 'Transaction history', click the item for which you would like to request a refund.
  5. Click Request refund.

If access to Stadia app is impossible, the refunds can also be done through Stadia’s customer service at support.google.com/stadia

READ MORE: How to use Google Stadia controller as a Bluetooth controller for other PC games

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Unable To Refund 

It’s true that gamers on Google Stadia can always request for a refund for the games they purchased on the platform. However, their purchase needs to satisfy strict rules for the refund to go through. 

For a refund to be credited, players must apply for the refund within 14 days after the purchase. Additionally, the playtime for that refunded game must not be over 2 hours from a single account.

Playtime coming from times when the game was a free title also counts. Lastly, some purchases can have specific rules for applying for its refund or if the account is from the UK or European Economic Area. 

If these are not met, the refund will not be credited.

On occaision Google will also let players refund a game or any downloadable content beyond these time limits, if it's proven that the title might be defective (We're looking at you Cyberpunk 2077).  

READ MORE: Google Stadia update: Over 100 games coming to Google Stadia in 2021

For more articles like this, take a look at our Google Stadia and How To page.