How to Get a Refund for Digital & Physical Xbox Games

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Tech specialist Luigi Oppido explains the best way to get your Xbox game refund

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: March 5, 2026 Fact Checked

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Refunding a Digital Game

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Refund Eligibility

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Refunding a Physical Game

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Refunding a Subscription

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What to Do If You Aren’t Refunded

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FAQs

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Video

Sometimes, you grab an Xbox game that you realize wasn’t the best purchase. If you try to navigate to the online store to get a refund, you may be bewildered when you don’t see an immediate option. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we partnered with a tech specialist to give you step-by-step instructions for requesting a refund for a game on Xbox. We also explain how to request a refund for a subscription, what to do if your refund doesn’t go through, and more!

Step-by-Step Process for Refunding an Xbox Game

Tech specialist Luigi Oppido says the best way to request a refund for an Xbox game is through the Microsoft account website, not the console itself. To do it:

Head to the Xbox Support Website.
Navigate to the “Request a refund” page and sign in to your account.
Select the game you want a refund for under the Request availability tab.
Click “Request a refund” and note the reason for your request.
Confirm your request and personal info, then submit it.

Section 1 of 6:

How to Request a Refund for a Game on Xbox

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Head to the Xbox Support Website. Oppido says to head to the Microsoft Edge website on your preferred browser on your phone or computer.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Luigi Oppido
Tech Specialist

Expert Interview} Then, navigate to the Xbox Support “Request a refund” page. Here, you’ll find all of the eligibility guidelines and requirements for getting a refund.^{[2]
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- According to Oppido, refunds need to be requested within 14 days of purchase.^{[3]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Luigi Oppido
  Tech Specialist
  
  Expert Interview} The exact amount may vary, but usually a game isn’t eligible for refund if you’ve already played it for 2 hours or more.
- We’ll explain which games are eligible for a refund in the section below.
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Luigi Oppido is a tech specialist and owner of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. He has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades.
Navigate to the green “Sign In” button below the first three paragraphs of the Refunds page. Click “Sign In,” then enter the details for your Xbox account. Once you sign in, you’ll be greeted with the games and content in your library that are available for refund.^{[4]
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Select the game you want to refund, then click “Request a refund.”^{[5]
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Expert Source

Luigi Oppido
Tech Specialist

Expert Interview} The games that are available for a refund request will be listed under the “Request availability” tab. Navigate to the game you want to refund, click the open square on the left-hand side of its title, then scroll down and click “Request a refund.”^{[6]
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- This will open a pop-up that gives you an option to select a reason for your request and provide additional details.
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Note the reason for your request, confirm it, and submit. On the pop-up page, select the reason for your refund request. Then, provide additional details about your request that are at least 40 characters long, enter your email address, and click Next. Simply click Submit on the following page.
- You can request a refund for an accidental purchase, a billing error, non-working content, a purchase you didn’t make, or a preorder you’d like to cancel.
- Depending on the reason for your refund, you may need to provide additional details, like what in the game wasn’t working or who made the purchase.
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Check the refund status after submitting your request. Xbox refunds may take several business days to process, be accepted, and appear in your account. Depending on your eligibility, this may take longer, so make sure to regularly check the Refund status tab on the same page you requested your refund to see if it’s been accepted and/or posted to your account or not.
- Xbox Support aims to get back to you within 72 hours of submitting your request.

Section 2 of 6:

What games are eligible for refunds?

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Games purchased within 14 days without lots of playtime are refundable. Games that you’ve purchased in the last 14 days without racking up significant playtime (typically 2 hours or more) are eligible for a refund. You’re able to make requests for games purchased within 90 days, but they aren’t always eligible for refunds (it’s a case-by-case thing). Products that are copied are not eligible.^{[7]
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- You’re typically only allotted a certain number of refunds per year. If you abuse the refund policy, Microsoft may stop offering you refunds.
- In-game purchases and single-use items are only eligible if you don’t use or redeem them.

Section 3 of 6:

How to Refund a Physical Xbox Game

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Before you can return the game to the Microsoft Store (or wherever you bought it) for a refund, you need all of the contents that came with it so you can get full value. Gather the game, manual, case, and any other contents that came with it together, ideally putting the game and manual back in the case if possible.
If you bought the game from the Microsoft Store, gather everything together and ship it back to Microsoft. As long as the return is within 60 days of purchase, you should be eligible for a refund.^{[8]
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Research source} If you bought the game from a physical store, take your receipt and the game to the store and let them know that you’d like to return the game for a refund.

Section 4 of 6:

How to Request a Refund for an Xbox Subscription

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Go to Microsoft Edge on your Xbox or your preferred browser on your phone or computer, then visit the Xbox Support page on the Xbox website. From there, log in to your account. Scroll down to the first section and click the “Subscriptions & billing” button on the left side of the screen.^{[9]
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Under the “Manage subscriptions” dropdown menu, select “Xbox subscription cancellations and refunds.” This will open another page that lists the criteria for refund eligibility. Scroll down to “My subscriptions,” select “See details,” and cancel the subscription you’d like the refund for.^{[10]
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Once you click the “Cancel subscription” button, a pop-up message will show up beneath the message explaining the date your subscription ends. This message will tell you the amount you’ll be refunded, where the money will go, and your subscription status. This will only show up if you’re eligible for a subscription.^{[11]
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Section 5 of 6:

What to Do if Microsoft Doesn’t Refund You

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Reach out to Microsoft Support directly with the details of the situation. If your refund request was denied or you never got the money that was promised in the initial request, reach out to Microsoft Support immediately through their 24/7 Support Virtual Agent. Explain the details of your situation and the virtual agent will provide you with personalized steps for resolving the issue.
- Oppido explains, “If they deny the request, it's usually because you passed the time limit or played too much. You can sometimes try appealing the denial by contacting Xbox Support directly (chat or phone).”^{[12]
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  Tech Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
- Before you reach out, make sure you have the receipt of purchase, an explanation of the problem you’re dealing with, and information about the item you want to refund so you can provide those details when asked.^{[13]
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  Federal Trade Commission
  Website with up-to-date information for consumers from the Federal Trade Commisson
  
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- “Explain why you think the game shouldn't count against the limits (technical issues, game didn't work as advertised),” Oppido suggests. “Be SUPER NICE and complimentary to the agent and you might get what you want. Kill them with kindness.”^{[14]
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  Expert Interview}
- Be careful with trying to dispute a Microsoft charge with your bank before you reach out to the company, as they may view the attempt as fraud and suspend or ban your account.

Section 6 of 6:

Frequently Asked Questions

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What digital items can be refunded? Digital game offers from the Microsoft Store can be refunded, as can all Microsoft apps aside from movie and TV apps. Digital gaming bundles, digital game durable content, and certain consumable content can also be refunded, as well as any games you pre-ordered (as long as you request the refund up to 10 days before game launch).
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Why can’t I find my purchase under Request availability? If you can’t find the game you’d like to refund, it’s likely because it’s past the 90-day range. If you’ve purchased the game over 90 days ago, it’s no longer eligible for a refund, which means it’s been taken off the Request availability page.
- If you purchased the game less than 90 days ago and it isn’t listed on the Request availability page, reach out to Microsoft Support immediately to get help resolving the issue.
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Can you exchange one Xbox game for another one? Some video game stores, like GameStop, let you trade in one game for an item of equal or lesser value, but this isn’t universal.^{[15]
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Research source} Microsoft doesn’t let you trade in digital or physical games for other ones, so if you wanted to exchange the two, you’d have to get a refund for the first game and use the money to buy another one.