VPN Money-Back Guarantees Skip Apple App Store Buys

Five of these six big VPNs give 30 days to ask for your money back, and CyberGhost gives 45 on plans of six months or more. At all six, a subscription bought through Apple’s App Store is refunded by Apple, not the VPN, and Private Internet Access is the one whose refund terms also cover a renewal.

That last point matters because the renewal is the expensive charge: as our breakdown of what NordVPN and ExpressVPN renew at shows, it can be several times the introductory rate. NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN all say in their terms that a renewal is outside the guarantee.

Six guarantees, side by side

Provider	Window	Not covered by the guarantee	Renewals	How to claim
NordVPN	30 days from initial purchase	Apple App Store; Amazon Appstore and retailers such as Best Buy or StackSocial (go to the seller); prepaid or gift cards the card provider will not refund	Excluded, except under local law; plans over a month bought in Germany, Netherlands, UK get renewal refunds	Live chat; support sends a link, then a Refund button
Surfshark	30 days from initial purchase	Resellers other than Paddle, Google Play or Cleverbridge; Apple App Store; Amazon Appstore; prepaid or gift cards; anonymous Dedicated IP and Alternative ID	“All recurring payments are non-refundable”	Live chat
ExpressVPN	30 calendar days from initial purchase, new subscribers	Apple App Store and Google Play in-app purchases; gift-card or redemption codes; some promotions	“Does not apply to renewal purchases”	Account & Billing receipts, or support chat or email
Proton VPN	30 days from initial purchase; cancel and ask inside it	Cash and bank transfer; third-party sellers; App Store refunds go to Apple	Window tied to the initial purchase	Support form
CyberGhost	45 days on 6 months or more; 14 days on 1 month	Amazon, App Store, Google Play	Refund clause does not mention renewals	Email support@cyberghost.ro
Private Internet Access	30 days from initial purchase or renewal	Apple App Store, Google Play, gift cards, third-party deal sites	Covered	Support ticket or support@privateinternetaccess.com

Each provider’s own terms of service and help pages, read 17 October 2026 from a US session.

The three rules most guarantees share

It is a first-purchase guarantee. NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN each state that a renewal is outside it. Surfshark’s wording is the bluntest: “all recurring payments are non-refundable.” Proton’s terms tie the 30 days to “the initial purchase” and say that past that period its services “are non-refundable”, with any refund at its discretion.

It is once per person. Surfshark limits it to “one refund per Service”, Proton says refunds “can only be requested once per user”, and ExpressVPN reserves the right to refuse a subscriber who has had one before. NordVPN’s terms say the guarantee will not apply if you buy again after a refund. PIA’s version is a time rule: buy a new account within three months of a refund and that account is not eligible.

The store you paid is the one that refunds you. If you subscribed inside an iPhone app, the VPN’s guarantee is not your route. NordVPN says it “cannot grant a refund if you made the purchase through the Apple App Store”; ExpressVPN says in-app subscribers “do not have access” to its guarantee.

Google Play is handled less uniformly. ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and PIA exclude it. Surfshark counts it as an eligible reseller, and Proton’s support page says Proton support can take the request. NordVPN’s help page says Google Play refunds can go through its support if they fit the 30-day terms, though its terms of service list Google Play among third-party stores whose refunds follow that store’s rules.

Where they differ

PIA counts renewals. Its refund policy covers requests “within thirty (30) days from the date of the initial purchase and/or renewal”, and its cancellation section repeats it. Its terms also say that if PIA asks for verification and you do not supply it within 30 days, the request is forfeited.

CyberGhost’s window depends on the plan length. Six months or more gets 45 days; a one-month plan gets 14. Its refund clause says nothing about renewals either way, and after the window it gives no refund but keeps your access until the term ends.

NordVPN’s renewal rule changes by country. For a plan longer than a month, renewed and bought from Germany, the Netherlands or the UK, its terms allow a full refund within 30 days of the renewal charge, or a pro rata refund for the months left after that. Elsewhere, it invites customers who believe their own country’s law gives the same right to contact it.

ExpressVPN does not restart the clock on changes. Upgrading to a longer term or adding licences under the same account “shall not create a new Money-Back Guarantee period”.

Before you claim

Cancelling auto-renewal and asking for a refund can be separate steps. NordVPN’s terms say plainly that cancelling auto-renewal “does not automatically entitle you to a refund”. Proton requires both the cancellation and the request inside the 30 days.

If speed is the reason you want out, two of the three usual causes are settings, covered in why a VPN slows your connection. If you only need a VPN occasionally, the limits on free VPN plans may be enough, with no renewal to refund.

Questions people ask

Does NordVPN refund a renewal?

Not under its money-back guarantee, which covers 30 days after the initial purchase only. Its terms make an exception for plans longer than a month bought from Germany, the Netherlands or the UK: a full refund within 30 days of the renewal charge, or a pro rata one after that.

Can I get a VPN refund if I bought it on the App Store?

Not from the VPN provider, at any of the six here. Each sends Apple App Store purchases to Apple’s own refund process. Proton’s support page points to reportaproblem.apple.com, after you cancel the subscription in your Apple account settings.

Is CyberGhost’s money-back guarantee 45 days?

On subscriptions of six months or more, yes. A one-month CyberGhost plan gets 14 days. Purchases through Amazon, the App Store or Google Play are excluded, and refunds go through those stores.

How do I claim the ExpressVPN 30-day money-back guarantee?

Sign in, open Account & Billing and view your receipts to see which payments are eligible, or ask support by chat or email. It applies to new subscribers only, and an upgrade or extra licences do not start a new 30 days.

Does Surfshark refund a subscription bought from a reseller?

Only if the reseller was Paddle, Google Play or Cleverbridge. For any other reseller, Surfshark’s terms say you must go to the original seller. Prepaid and gift card payments are not refunded.

Which VPN money-back guarantee covers renewals?

Of these six, Private Internet Access is the one whose terms say so: 30 days from “the initial purchase and/or renewal”. NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN exclude renewals, Proton ties the window to the initial purchase, and CyberGhost’s refund clause does not mention renewals.