No, You Cannot Get a Refund in War Thunder

Let‘s get this out of the way upfront – according to War Thunder‘s own Terms of Service, in-game purchases are non-refundable, period. So if you‘re hoping to get your money back for a premium vehicle, currency bundle, or anything else you bought in-game, you‘re likely going to be out of luck.

I‘ll go over the details of War Thunder‘s refund policy, why refunds are so restricted, some tricks players try to get refunds anyway, and when you may have a slim chance of success. But the bottom line is – don‘t spend money in War Thunder expecting the ability to refund it later on.

War Thunder‘s Business Model Depends on No Refunds

As a free-to-play game, War Thunder makes money not through an upfront cost, but through in-game transactions. This revenue model depends on players making purchases they won‘t cancel later.

Here are some statistics to illustrate how vital in-game spending is:

• Over 200 premium vehicles – Special premium tanks, planes, and ships only available for real money. The highest bundles cost up to $60.

• Starter packs from $4.99 to $79.99 – Bundles with premium currency, vehicles, and account boosts.

• Premium account time – Up to a year of premium for $89.95, giving XP and currency bonuses.

• Random loot boxes – Players spend millions trying to unlock rare vehicles and bonuses.

Add this all up and it‘s clear why War Thunder cannot offer refunds easily – it would undermine their whole monetization system. Players could "buy" everything, then refund purchases and essentially get content for free.

The Terms of Service Leave No Room for Refunds

If you dig into War Thunder‘s EULA and Terms of Service, their no refund policy is stated quite clearly multiple times:

• "All paid in-game items are non-refundable."

• "Payments for acquiring a license to use virtual items are non-refundable."

• "The User shall not be entitled to claim back the sums paid as a purchase price."

When you make any real money purchase in-game, you must accept these terms stating you won‘t receive a refund by asking. This gives War Thunder a rock-solid legal justification for denying refund requests.

The only exception mentioned is if there was a direct technical issue with the transaction, like a double charge. In those rare cases, you may be able to get a refund by contacting support and providing proof of the error.

Don‘t Expect Support to Grant Refunds Easily

Because of the unambiguous Terms of Service, War Thunder‘s customer support is very unlikely to grant a refund just because you ask nicely. Here are some reasons players request refunds, and the likely response:

• Changed your mind – No refunds will be provided if you simply had buyer‘s remorse about a purchase. This is spelled out clearly in the ToS you agreed to.

• Thought it was pay-to-win – While War Thunder isn‘t fully pay-to-win, paying provides advantages. But this is still not grounds for a refund.

• Accidental purchase – Be careful when making purchases! Accidental clicks are still considered final transactions.

• Child made unauthorized purchase – Make sure to restrict access to payment methods because these won‘t be refunded either.

Support will simply respond by pointing to the ToS you already accepted that stated no refunds. They have little incentive to put a dent in their profits.

Don‘t Expect Much from Elevated Requests Either

Some particularly stubborn players try to elevate their refund request to a supervisor or manager after being denied by a regular support rep. But again, the Terms of Service are the final word, and even managers are unlikely to override them.

Here‘s one response from an elevated refund request on the War Thunder forums:

"I am very sorry to hear that you are not happy with your purchase, however, when purchases are made in-game you agree to the EULA which states all purchases are non-refundable. Unfortunately we will not be able to refund this purchase for you."

Managers may be slightly more likely to make a one-time exception if you have a long history as a whale customer who has spent absurd amounts. But for the average player, elevated requests will likely just be pointing back to the standard policy again.

Payment Processor Refunds Are a Last Resort

If War Thunder support refuses to refund at every turn, the absolute last resort is trying to force a refund through your payment method directly, such as a credit card company. You can argue that the merchant is unfairly refusing to refund your purchase.

Whether this works comes down completely to that payment processor‘s policies. Many consider refused virtual purchases on games like War Thunder to be standard practice and will take the developer‘s side. But some may override War Thunder after an investigation.

One player reported success getting a $300 purchase refunded through their credit card company after extensive back and forth. But success is far from guaranteed, so this should be a true last ditch attempt if you have no other options.

Tips to Avoid Regretful Purchases

Rather than depend on refunds as a safety net, your best bet is to avoid purchases you‘ll later regret in War Thunder:

• Ignore FOMO – Don‘t let fear of missing out drive purchases you can‘t really afford. Everything eventually comes back around.

• Wait for sales – Premium bundles frequently go on sale for 30-50% off. Never pay full price if you can wait.

• Research thoroughly – Read reviews and watch gameplay before buying vehicles to ensure they fit your playstyle.

• Divide payments – Rather than buy 12 months premium time upfront, pay monthly to split up the cost.

• Set firm limits – Determine a recreation budget and stick to it no matter how tempting the offers.

While the marketing tries to generate fear and urgency, staying rational is key. Remember, all purchases are final – act accordingly.

Refunds on Steam Are More Lenient

One important note – if you purchased War Thunder through Steam rather than directly from the developer, Steam‘s policies allow refunds under certain conditions:

• Purchases can be refunded for any reason within 14 days if you have less than 2 hours of play time.

• After 2 weeks, only refunds for technical issues are allowed.

So Steam does provide a short safety window to get a no-questions-asked refund on your purchase. But War Thunder‘s own policy remains unchanged – Steam is merely overriding them in the initial period.

Key Takeaways – War Thunder Refund Restrictions

Let‘s recap the key points on trying to get a refund in War Thunder:

• In-game purchases are non-refundable according to the Terms of Service.

• The business model depends on most players not cancelling purchases.

• Support is very unlikely to grant refunds unless there was a direct technical transaction issue.

• Appeals to management rarely override the standard policy.

• Refund attempts through payment processors are uncertain and a last resort.

• Avoid regret by researching purchases thoroughly and setting firm limits.

• Steam purchases can be refunded within 14 days if other conditions are met.

While it can be frustrating to have no way to undo a problematic purchase, War Thunder wants to condition players to treat all transactions as final. Unless you meet Steam‘s tighter criteria, once you pay, there‘s no going back. Consider carefully before clicking that purchase button!

What has your experience been trying to get a refund in War Thunder or similar games? I‘d love to hear your story in the comments!