Google to Issue Refunds as Part of $700 Million 'Play Store' Antitrust Settlement

Google has agreed to a $700 million settlement in an antitrust lawsuit, resulting in millions of U.S. customers being eligible for refunds from the tech giant’s Play Store. Here’s how you can claim yours.

Quartz reports that Google has reached a $700 million settlement agreement in an antitrust lawsuit that alleged that the tech giant illegally locked up the Android app economy by cutting deals to keep rival app stores off Android phones, requiring many developers to use Google Play Billing for in-app payments on certain devices, and taking fees of up to 30 percent on transactions. While Google denies breaking the law and maintains that Android is “open,” the company has agreed to resolve the case by putting up $700 million, with $630 million allocated for consumer refunds and $70 million for the states involved.

Under the settlement, each eligible user will receive a minimum of $2, with heavier spenders getting more based on their total expenditure through Google’s billing system. The refund pool is defined broadly, and you may qualify if you meet the any of the following criteria:

You bought an app from the Google Play Store, or you paid for in-app content or subscriptions using Google Play Billing.
The purchase happened between August 16, 2016, and September 30, 2023.
Your Google payments profile listed a legal address in a U.S. state, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands at the time.

Notices have been sent out to users in early December, with a deadline of February 19, 2026, to opt out or object — those scheduled to receive refunds do not need to take action to get paid. A federal judge in San Francisco will decide whether to approve the deal at a fairness hearing on April 30, 2026. If the court approves the settlement, refunds will be automatically distributed via PayPal or Venmo, using the email or phone number associated with the user’s Google Play account.

To check eligibility for the refund, follow these steps:

Open Google Play on your Android device or on the web.
Tap your profile → Payments & subscriptions → Budget & history.
Scroll through your purchase history and check if you bought paid apps, in-app items, subscriptions, or “remove ads” upgrades between Aug 2016 – Sep 2023.
Open your Google payments profile (your overall Google billing hub).
Confirm your legal address was in a covered U.S. state or territory during the time you made those purchases.
Check the email address and phone number tied to that payments profile.
If either one points to an old inbox or dead phone number, update it — that’s what Google will use to send your PayPal/Venmo payout.

Once the judge approves the settlement, the administrator will begin sending payouts through PayPal and Venmo. If the login information matches an existing PayPal or Venmo account, the money will be automatically deposited. If not, users will receive a notice informing them of the waiting payment and providing options to create an account or redirect it to a different email or number. A supplemental claims process will also be available for those who do not want to use PayPal or Venmo, no longer have access to the email or phone number on their Google Play account, or reasonably expected a payment but did not receive one.