Here’s How to Get Your Google Refund After a $700 Million Settlement
Anyone who made a purchase through the Google Play Store over a seven-year period is eligible for a payout.
Key Takeaways
- State attorneys general from Oregon and 52 other jurisdictions reached a $700 million agreement with Google over claims that its Play Store practices were anticompetitive.
- Most consumers will not need to file a claim to receive a piece of the payout; it will be paid automatically via PayPal or Venmo.
- The automatic payments will not be processed until the final settlement is approved in court on April 30, 2026.
Did you make a purchase on the Google Play Store between August 16, 2016, and September 30, 2023? Millions of Google Play users may receive automatic payments from a $700 million settlement with Google if they made app or in-app purchases over the seven-year period.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced on Wednesday that he and 52 other attorneys general reached a $700 million settlement with Google over claims that its Play Store practices were anticompetitive. They argued that Google tightly controlled how users could obtain and pay for apps, while misleading consumers about the risks of downloading apps from outside the Play Store. They allege that consumers paid too much for apps and in-app purchases because Google monopolized app distribution on Android devices.
Google denies any wrongdoing and said in a 2023 statement about the case that the company remains “committed to continually improving Android and Google Play.”
Related: Anthropic Proposes $1.5 Billion Settlement Over ‘Stealing’ Books, the Largest Copyright Payout Ever
“This case was never just about app purchases — it was about what happens when a company quietly controls the choices and prices that millions of people rely on every day,” said Rayfield in a statement. “That kind of power affects households in [a] real way. This settlement begins to unwind that. This work is about giving families and small businesses a voice, and making sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Starting last week, on December 2, consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store began receiving notices about how the settlement funds would be distributed, per Rayfield’s press release.
Most customers will not need to file a claim to receive their share of the settlement. Instead, they will receive an automatic payment through PayPal or Venmo using the email address or phone number linked to their Google Play account. The settlement still has to be approved by the court on April 30, 2026, before these automatic payments are processed, according to the press release.
There will be a supplemental claims process for customers who do not have an existing PayPal or Venmo account or no longer have access to the email or phone number tied to their Google Play account after the automatic payments process is complete.
Related: Apple Says It Settled a Lawsuit for $95 Million that Accuses Siri of Eavesdropping
Affected customers can sign up to be notified when the supplemental claims process begins on the settlement website.
Approximately 133.4 million individuals in the U.S. own an Android phone as of 2022, according to eMarketer. Samsung, Motorola and Google are some of the top Android phone brands. As of last month, Apple held 59% of the market share for smartphones in the U.S., while Samsung took 22% and Motorola had 4%, according to StatCounter.
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Key Takeaways
- State attorneys general from Oregon and 52 other jurisdictions reached a $700 million agreement with Google over claims that its Play Store practices were anticompetitive.
- Most consumers will not need to file a claim to receive a piece of the payout; it will be paid automatically via PayPal or Venmo.
- The automatic payments will not be processed until the final settlement is approved in court on April 30, 2026.
Did you make a purchase on the Google Play Store between August 16, 2016, and September 30, 2023? Millions of Google Play users may receive automatic payments from a $700 million settlement with Google if they made app or in-app purchases over the seven-year period.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced on Wednesday that he and 52 other attorneys general reached a $700 million settlement with Google over claims that its Play Store practices were anticompetitive. They argued that Google tightly controlled how users could obtain and pay for apps, while misleading consumers about the risks of downloading apps from outside the Play Store. They allege that consumers paid too much for apps and in-app purchases because Google monopolized app distribution on Android devices.
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