Google

How to request a refund for Google Stadia

The service is going away, but you’re entitled to a refund.

by
Joe Rice-Jones
November 10, 2022

Image: Google

UPDATE: 11/10/2022: Google has updated its original support article informing Staida users say that it began issuing refunds. Keep an eye on your bank account if you’re expecting a refund from Stadia. The company still says it will attempt to process most refunds before January 18, 2023. The original article continues below.

Google announced today that its game streaming service, Google Stadia, is closing on January 18, 2023.

The company also announced that every person who bought hardware or games on the service would get a full refund.

While it is sad to see the service go, providing refunds is great to see. How many other closed services have offered to fully reimburse you for things you might have bought years ago?

Stadia lasted three years as a standalone service. So when should you expect those refunds, and what do you need to do to get one? We did some digging, and here’s what we found out.

So, how do I get in touch with Google to get my Stadia refund?

Short answer: You don’t, refunds should be automated.

Google’s Stadia FAQ says that “all Stadia hardware purchases… …made through the Google Store” will be eligible for a refund. So will all software transactions that were done through the Stadia Store.

The FAQ also says you won’t have to do anything (in most cases) to get your refund.

The company is going through the Google Store and Stadia Store purchase histories and will automatically process refunds to your original purchase method.

Google intends to “have the majority of refunds processed… …by January 18, 2023.” They ask users not to bombard Support until then, and the support team cannot expedite your refund.

What isn’t mentioned is third-party storefronts like Amazon or Best Buy. We’ll have to wait and see if Google has some special arrangement for those users or if they’re out of pocket.

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