Play / App Store refund policy updates that change F2P offer design
Analysis
By UA Ledger staff — 1 min read
Platform change log focused on Apple CONSUMPTION_REQUEST / REFUND notification handling that F2P offer designers must wire before shipping high-refund-risk packs.
Refund automation changes first-purchase and gacha risk. This record captures the currently documented Apple refund-notification and consumption-request surface operators must implement. It does not invent a 2026 Play policy rewrite beyond what is body-read here.
What the documentation currently requires (body-read)
Handling refund notifications states customers may request refunds via Apple Support, reportaproblem.apple.com, or their issuer, and that the App Store sends REFUND notifications for consumable, non-consumable and non-renewing subscription products.
The App Store Server API overview states developers should call Send Consumption Information after a CONSUMPTION_REQUEST notification and may use Get Refund History. Consumption responses inform Apple’s refund decisioning; they are not a guarantee of decline.
Operator action for F2P offers
| Field | Documented value | Owner | Next check |
|---|---|---|---|
| REFUND handler | Parse product id + cancellation date; claw back entitlement | Server | Integration test |
| CONSUMPTION_REQUEST | Respond with consumption payload when customer consented | Server | Sandbox drill |
| First-purchase packs | Expect higher refund scrutiny; avoid ads that over-promise delivery | Economy + UA | Creative QA |
| Gacha / consumables | Map consumption percentage honestly | Economy | Legal |
| Google Play refund automation | **Unresolved in this edition** — not body-read here | Android | Separate record |
Limits
Apple documentation body-read only on 20 September 2026. No announcement date for “new refund AI” beyond these API surfaces is asserted. Play Console refund policy pages were not the primary source for this edition.
Research checked 20 September 2026. Local draft; human editorial review pending. No CMS write.
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