Udemy Refund Policy (2026): Courses, Credits and Personal Plan

By Josh Hutcheson, founder of OnlineCourseing. Every policy below was re-read on Udemy’s help center on 9 October 2026. Last updated: October 9, 2026. How we review.

Most people searching this have one of two problems. Either they bought a single course that was not what the landing page promised, or they were charged for a Personal Plan subscription they meant to cancel. The rules for those two situations are completely different, and mixing them up is how people end up arguing with support over a refund that was never available.

Below is how each kind of Udemy purchase is refunded, taken from Udemy’s own refund policy and help articles, plus what to do when a request is denied.

Udemy’s refund policy at a glance

The 30-day limit is firm because of how Udemy pays instructors. Udemy says it sends instructors their share after 30 days, so it will not process a request that arrives after that.

How to request a refund on Udemy, step by step

Udemy’s refund instructions describe two routes. Both need a web browser on a computer or phone. There is no refund button in the Udemy mobile app.

From your Purchase history (works for any eligible course)

1. Sign in on udemy.com and open Purchase history from your account menu.
2. Find the course. If you bought several courses in one checkout, click View all courses to expand the cart.
3. Click Request Refund under the course title.
4. Choose the refund method: your original payment method or Udemy credits (see the next section before you pick credits).
5. Select the reason. Pick a partial refund reason only if you want part of the price back, for example after a price drop.
6. Add a short description and click Submit. Udemy emails you when the refund is processed, and the status shows in the Refunds section of your Purchase history.

From the course player (desktop or laptop)

Open the course from My learning, click the three dots at the top right of the player and choose Request a refund. That takes you to the same refund page.

On a phone

Open udemy.com in your phone’s browser (not the app), sign in and follow the Purchase history steps above.

For a gift

Gift refunds go through Udemy Support rather than the refund button. The same 30-day policy applies, and a refund requested by the recipient may be paid in Udemy credits. If the sender paid with credits, those credits go back to the sender’s account, not the recipient’s.

Cash or Udemy credits: which refund should you choose?

When your purchase qualifies for a cash refund, Udemy lets you pick credits instead. Credits arrive in your account immediately; a refund to your card can take days. The trade-offs are worth knowing before you click:

• The choice is final. Udemy says a credit refund cannot be reversed and sent to your card or bank later.
• Credits are spent automatically on your next course purchase at udemy.com. You cannot hold them back for later.
• Credits only buy courses. They cannot pay for Personal Plan, and they cannot be used in the iOS app.
• They do expire. The expiry date is on your Udemy credits page; Udemy also notes that unclaimed balances may be handled under state or national unclaimed-property laws (typically about 3 to 5 years).

Pick credits only if you already know which course you will buy next. If you are leaving Udemy, take the cash refund.

Some purchases are refunded only in credits, whatever you pick: courses bought in the iOS app, Boleto Bancário and Pix, Oxxo, some bank and cash transfers, Alfamart and Indomaret payments, and purchases paid with Udemy credits. If you paid with a prepaid card you no longer have, Udemy suggests choosing credits, because a cash refund goes back to the original card.

How long a Udemy refund takes

Udemy’s refund status FAQ gives these timelines:

Why Udemy denies refunds

Udemy reserves the right to limit or deny requests it considers refund abuse. Its published list:

• A notable amount of the course was consumed or downloaded before the request.
• The same course has been refunded more than once.
• The account has requested excessive refunds.
• The account was reported, banned or had course access disabled for breaking Udemy’s terms or Trust & Safety guidelines.
• A refund was already granted by a third party, such as a payment processor (a chargeback, for example).

Udemy does not say how much of a course counts as “notable” or how many refunds count as “excessive.” In practice, the 30-day window protects you against a bad purchase. It is not a free trial for every course in the catalog.

What to do if your request is denied

• Check the purchase date. Day 31 is outside the window, and support cannot move that line because instructor payouts have already gone out.
• Check how you paid. An App Store, Google Play or third-party bundle purchase has to be refunded by whoever took the payment.
• If none of the abuse reasons apply, contact Udemy Support with the order details and a short explanation. Avoid filing a chargeback first: a refund already granted by a payment processor is itself on Udemy’s denial list.

Partial refunds when a course price drops

Udemy prices move constantly, and a course you bought at one price is often cheaper a week later. Udemy accepts partial refund requests for eligible courses within 30 days of purchase. Choose a partial-refund reason on the refund page, say what price you are now seeing, and keep a screenshot of it: support may ask for one. Most payment methods get the difference back in cash. Partial refunds on Apple purchases, and on Google Play purchases, come as Udemy credits. (A full Google Play refund can go back to the original payment method.)

To avoid the situation entirely, see how often Udemy runs sales and our Udemy coupon guide before paying full price.

Personal Plan and other subscriptions: no 30-day guarantee

This is the rule that catches most people out. Udemy’s refund policy says subscription plans bought on Udemy.com do not offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, and no full or partial refunds are available unless the law where your account is registered requires one. Personal Plan on Udemy’s pricing page starts at $13.00 a month, billed monthly or annually, and fees vary by location.

Countries where Udemy must refund subscriptions

Udemy publishes a list of countries and regions with legal refund windows, counted from the day you complete checkout. Examples from that list:

Two details matter. First, if you started with a free trial, the legal window starts on the first day of the trial, so a 7-day trial can use up a 7-day refund window entirely. Second, a successful subscription refund request also cancels the plan, and your access ends on the last day of the billing period. You request these refunds from Udemy Support.

How to cancel Personal Plan so it does not renew

1. On udemy.com, open the account menu (top right) and choose Subscriptions.
2. Click Cancel subscription, or Cancel trial if you are still in a free trial. Canceling during the trial means you are not charged.
3. You keep access to the subscription content until the final date of the billing period shown on that page.

If you subscribed in the iOS or Android app, the Subscriptions page sends you to Apple or Google Play to cancel; Udemy cannot cancel an app-store subscription for you (Udemy’s instructions). Note too that people who have held a subscription before may not qualify for another free trial.

See current Personal Plan pricing →

Deciding whether to subscribe or buy courses one at a time? Our Udemy Personal Plan review runs the numbers. If you only want two or three courses, buying them individually keeps the 30-day refund protection.

Bought in the iOS or Android app?

• Courses bought in the iOS app: Apple processed the payment, so Udemy can only refund an eligible course in Udemy credits. For your money back, use Apple’s refund request process.
• Courses bought through Google Play: a full refund from Udemy can go back to your original payment method; partial refunds come as credits.
• Subscriptions bought in either app: Udemy cannot process the refund at all. Ask Apple, or Google Play under its refund policies.

Third-party bundles, promotions and gifts

If you got a Udemy course through another company, for example a bundle site or a promotion where a business sold or gave away Udemy courses, Udemy has no record of the payment. Ask that company for the refund. Gifts are covered above: they go through Udemy Support and are often refunded in credits.

Can you cancel a refund after submitting it?

No. Udemy submits the refund to your payment processor straight away, so there is nothing to withdraw. If you refunded by mistake, you can buy and enroll in the course again, but your earlier progress is not restored.

Buy courses you will not want to refund

A refund gets your money back but not the evenings you spent on a course that did not fit. A few checks before paying cut the odds of needing one:

• Watch the free preview lectures. Many courses have some, and the instructor’s pace and audio quality are obvious within ten minutes.
• Read the “Last updated” date. For software, cloud and AI topics, a course last updated years ago can teach an interface that no longer exists.
• Read the recent reviews, not the average. A 4.6 built up in 2019 says little about the course as it stands now.
• Avoid paying list price. Udemy runs frequent sales; check our coupon and sales guides first.
• Pick a course from a vetted list. Our Udemy review explains how we filter courses, and the topic lists name specific instructors.

Browse Udemy courses (30-day refund window) →

If refund terms are the deciding factor, our Udemy alternatives guide compares platforms with free trials and different refund rules, and Coursera vs Udemy covers the most common switch.

Related: Before you buy, our guide to how much Udemy costs explains why you should rarely pay list price and when the Personal Plan beats buying courses one by one.

Frequently asked questions

What is Udemy’s refund policy?

Udemy refunds eligible course purchases if you ask within 30 days of buying. It can limit or deny refunds it treats as abuse, such as consuming a large part of the course first or requesting refunds too often. Subscriptions such as Personal Plan bought on Udemy.com have no 30-day guarantee and are only refunded where local law requires it.

How do I get a refund on Udemy?

On a web browser, open your Purchase history, click Request Refund under the course, choose cash to your original payment method or Udemy credits, pick a reason, add a short description and submit. You can also start from the three-dot menu in the course player. Refunds cannot be requested in the Udemy mobile app, so use a mobile browser instead.

Can I get a refund on a Udemy Personal Plan subscription?

Usually not. Udemy says subscription plans bought on Udemy.com have no 30-day satisfaction guarantee and no full or partial refunds unless the law where your account is registered requires one. Udemy lists countries with legal refund windows, for example 14 days in the UK, Germany and France and 7 in Australia; the United States is not on the list. You can cancel any time and keep access until the end of the billing period.

How long does a Udemy refund take?

Udemy sends the refund to your bank or card processor as soon as it processes the request. Udemy says the money can take 5 to 10 business days or longer to post, and some refunds take up to 30 days. Requests made within 24 hours of a card purchase are often processed as a reversal, which removes the charge, usually within 5 business days. Credit refunds appear in your account immediately.

Why was my Udemy refund denied?

The usual reasons are asking after the 30-day window, having watched or downloaded a notable amount of the course, refunding the same course more than once, requesting excessive refunds, an account action for breaking Udemy’s terms, or a refund already granted by a payment processor. Subscriptions and purchases made through a third party are also outside Udemy’s course refund process.

Can I turn Udemy credits back into cash?

No. Udemy credits cannot be exchanged for cash or moved to another payment method, and once you choose credits as your refund method the choice cannot be reversed. Credits apply automatically to your next course purchase on Udemy.com. They cannot be used in the iOS app or to pay for a Personal Plan subscription.

How many refunds can you get on Udemy?

Udemy does not publish a number. Its policy says it may limit or deny requests when it sees excessive refunds or multiple refunds for the same course, so treat the 30-day window as protection against a bad purchase rather than a free trial for every course.

How do I get a refund for a Udemy course I bought on my iPhone?

Apple processes in-app purchases, so Udemy cannot send cash back for an App Store purchase. An eligible course refund from Udemy will come as Udemy credits. If you want the money back, ask Apple through its refund request process. Subscriptions bought in the iOS or Android app are refunded only by Apple or Google Play.

Can I cancel a Udemy refund request?

No. Udemy submits the refund to your payment processor straight away, so a request cannot be withdrawn. If you change your mind you can buy the course again, but any progress you made before the refund is not restored.