This digital product refund policy template has six clauses: what is sold, what you will fix, change of mind, how to ask, how refunds are paid and a legal-rights line. Copy the core version for your own site, or the shorter Etsy, Gumroad and Whop versions written for where each platform shows a policy. It is a starting draft, not legal advice, and the platform can still refund a buyer over your policy.
A digital product refund policy template needs six clauses: what you sell, what you will fix, your position on change of mind, how to ask, how refunds are paid, and a line that keeps the buyer's legal rights intact. The copyable versions below fill those in for your own site, Etsy, Gumroad and Whop, because each platform shows a policy in a different place and each can overrule it in a different way.
Checked on 11 October 2026. Platforms: Etsy Help on return policies, cases and refunds; Gumroad on its refund policy, custom refund policies and issuing refunds and buyer refunds; Whop on legal documents, the Resolution Center, refunds and its buyer terms; Stripe on refunds. Law: Your Europe on returns and faulty products (EU), regulation 37 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (UK), the ACCC on refunds and digital products (Australia) and the FTC (United States).
A refund policy is one of the last pieces of a product build. If you are still earlier than that, start with our guide to creating a digital product and come back when you have a checkout to attach this to.
The digital product refund policy template (core version)
This is the full version, for your own site or any store where you control the policy page. Replace every field in square brackets and delete the change-of-mind option you are not using.
Refund policy: [Shop name] digital products Last updated: [date] 1. What you are buying Everything sold by [Shop name] is a digital product delivered by download or online access. Nothing is shipped, so there is nothing to send back. 2. If something is wrong, we fix it Contact us within [30] days of purchase if: - a file will not download, will not open or is damaged - the product does not match its description - you were charged twice for the same product We will send a working file or a corrected version within [2] business days. If we cannot fix it, we refund you in full. 3. Change of mind [Option A] Access is immediate, so we do not refund purchases because of a change of mind. [Option B] If the product is not right for you, ask within [14] days of purchase and we will refund you in full. 4. How to ask Email [support email] with your order number and one line on what went wrong. We reply within [1] business day. 5. How refunds are paid Refunds go back to the original payment method and usually appear within [5 to 10] business days, depending on your bank. A full refund ends your access to the product and its updates. 6. Your legal rights Nothing in this policy limits rights you have under consumer law where you live that cannot be excluded by agreement.
Each clause is there because a platform rule or a consumer law will be applied to it sooner or later. The table shows what each one has to fit.
| Clause | What it does | What it has to fit |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What you are buying | States that delivery is digital and immediate | Etsy shows digital listings as non-returnable; the EU and UK cancellation exception depends on the buyer knowing access starts at once |
| 2. Fix it first | Promises a working file, a correction or a refund | The faults Etsy Purchase Protection, UK and Australian consumer law and Whop cases already cover |
| 3. Change of mind | Your one real choice: no refund, or a window | Not a legal right in Australia or under the US federal Cooling-Off Rule for online sales; a 14-day right in the EU and UK unless waived at checkout |
| 4. How to ask | Names one channel and a reply time | Etsy: Help with order. Gumroad: reply to the receipt email. Whop: message or Resolution Center |
| 5. How refunds are paid | Sets expectations on timing and access | Gumroad and Stripe: card refunds take 5 to 10 business days. Whop: 3 to 7. Gumroad removes access on a full refund |
| 6. Your legal rights | Says the policy does not cut statutory rights | UK Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 47; ACCC guidance that no-refunds policies cannot deny rights for faulty products |
Who actually decides a refund
Your policy decides less than you would expect. It controls change-of-mind refunds almost completely and faults hardly at all, because the platform or the law steps in on those whatever you wrote.
- 48 hoursEtsy: a case can open
A buyer can ask Etsy to step in 48 hours after sending you a Help with order request.
- 7 daysWhop: your reply window
You have 7 days to respond to a Resolution Center case before Whop’s team makes the decision.
- 14 daysEU and UK: right to cancel
Applies to online purchases unless the buyer consented to immediate supply and acknowledged losing the right.
- 30 daysGumroad: buyer can escalate
A buyer who has had no reply from you for 30 days can write to Gumroad, which may then refund them.
- 90 daysGumroad: platform refunds
Gumroad reserves the right to refund a sale within 90 days of purchase to prevent a chargeback.
- 120 daysWhop: case window
Customers can open a Resolution Center case within 120 days of each payment, one case per payment.
- 180 daysEtsy: refund button ends
You can refund through Shop Manager until 180 days after the payment was processed.
Source: Etsy Help, Gumroad Help Center, Whop Docs, Your Europe and UK legislation, checked October 2026
One policy per platform: where it goes and what overrides it
Write the policy for the place the buyer will read it. On Etsy that is a FAQ entry, on Gumroad a field on the product, on Whop an uploaded document.
| Platform | Where your policy lives | What happens regardless |
|---|---|---|
| Etsy | Shop FAQ, listing description and note to buyers. Return policies cannot be set on digital listings. | A buyer can open a case 48 hours after a Help with order request. If Purchase Protection applies, Etsy refunds the buyer, covers up to $250 and charges you the rest. |
| Gumroad | The product edit page: Specify a refund policy for this product, with optional fine print shown on the product page. | Gumroad may refund within 90 days to prevent a chargeback, moves a no-refunds account to a 30-day policy if more than 1% of customers dispute, and honours a 7-day withdrawal for consumers in Brazil. |
| Whop | A Return Policy document under Dashboard, Settings, Legal, with optional required acceptance of your terms. | Customers can open a Resolution Center case within 120 days of a payment. You have 7 days to respond before Whop’s team decides. |
| Own site on Stripe | Your own policy page, linked at checkout and in the receipt email. | Card disputes sit above your policy. Stripe does not return its processing fee on a refund. You are the seller for consumer-law purposes. |
Etsy digital download refund policy example
Etsy will not let you attach a return policy to a digital listing, and tells buyers on the item page that digital items cannot be returned or cancelled. Your text explains how you fix problems. Add it as a shop FAQ and repeat the first two lines in each listing description. The companion blocks for delivery, licensing and announcements are in our Etsy shop policies for digital downloads.
Refunds on digital downloads Every item in [Shop name] is an instant digital download. Etsy does not allow returns or cancellations on digital listings, so I cannot take a file back after purchase. If something is wrong, I will put it right: - The file will not download or open: I send a working copy within [24] hours. - The file does not match the listing: tell me what is different and I will correct it or refund you. - You bought the same item twice: send both order numbers and I refund the duplicate. Please use Help with order on your Etsy purchase so I see it straight away.
Gumroad refund policy template
On the product edit page, open the Settings section of the Product tab and switch on Specify a refund policy for this product. The policy line shows on the product page; the fine print opens when a buyer clicks it, and Gumroad includes your policy in any card or PayPal dispute. When you refund, Gumroad returns its own fee on the refunded amount but the payment-processing part is kept.
Refund policy [30-day refund if the files do not work] Fine print This is a digital product, delivered instantly. If a file will not open, does not match the description or you were charged twice, reply to your receipt email within [30] days and I will fix it or refund you in full. [Optional] Not what you expected? Reply within [14] days for a full refund. A full refund removes access to the files and future updates. Card refunds usually take 5 to 10 business days to appear.
Whop refund policy template
Whop's buyer terms say the seller's refund policy governs product issues, so it needs to exist in writing. Upload it as the Return Policy under Dashboard, Settings, Legal, and consider switching on required terms acceptance so buyers tick a box before paying. Match the membership lines to how your product is set up. On a refund you return the full amount the customer paid, even though fees reduced what you received.
[Business name] refund policy Applies to [product or membership name], purchased through Whop. Last updated: [date] Digital products (one-time payments) If a file or link does not work, or the product is not what its page described, message us or open a case in Whop's Resolution Center within [30] days of payment. We respond within [2] days and will fix it or refund you in full. Memberships (recurring payments) [You can cancel at any time and keep access until the end of the period you paid for.] We do not refund billing periods that have already been used. If you were charged after cancelling, tell us within [7] days and we refund that charge. Change of mind [We do not refund for a change of mind once access has started.] [or: Ask within [7] days of your first payment for a full refund.] Your legal rights Nothing in this policy limits rights you have under consumer law where you live.
No refund policy template for digital products: what you can and cannot say
You can decline change-of-mind refunds. You cannot write a policy that removes remedies for a faulty or misdescribed product, and in Australia relying on a blanket no-refunds line is itself illegal. The table summarises what the official pages say, country by country.
| Where the buyer is | What the official source says | What it means for your template |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | Online buyers have 14 days to cancel. The exception is online digital content the buyer started downloading or streaming after expressly agreeing to lose that right. Faulty digital content has at least two years of legal cover. | Collect the consent at checkout or the 14 days still apply |
| United Kingdom | Regulation 37 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013: digital content must not be supplied in the cancellation period unless the consumer gives express consent and acknowledges the right to cancel will be lost. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires digital content to be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. | Consent box plus the fix-first clause |
| Australia | The ACCC says consumers are not entitled to a refund for a change of mind, but a business with a change-of-mind policy must follow it, and it is illegal to rely on a no-refunds policy to deny remedies for faulty products. It has also said these rights do not expire once a digital product has been downloaded. | Never publish a bare "no refunds" line |
| United States | The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule gives three days to cancel certain in-person sales and does not cover sales made entirely online. State rules vary and are not covered here. | Your stated policy and the platform rules do most of the work |
If you sell from your own checkout to buyers in the EU or UK, Option A in the core template only works when the buyer has agreed to immediate access. A marketplace runs its own checkout, so this applies to stores where you control the checkout page. UK regulation 37 also expects that consent to be confirmed to the buyer, which is what the receipt line is for. Wording to adapt:
[ ] I want immediate access to this digital product. I understand that once the download or access starts, I lose my 14-day right to cancel. Receipt email line: You asked for immediate access on [date] and acknowledged that your 14-day right to cancel ended when the download started.
- "All sales final. No refunds, no exceptions."
- "Refunds are at our sole discretion."
- "Contact us if there is an issue."
- "Refunds may take some time."
- "By purchasing you waive all rights to a refund."
- "No refunds for change of mind. Broken or wrong files are fixed or refunded."
- "Ask within 30 days of purchase."
- "Reply to your receipt email with your order number."
- "Card refunds appear in 5 to 10 business days."
- "Nothing here limits rights you have under consumer law."
The strong column is also better evidence. Gumroad sends your stated policy with dispute responses, and Whop says uploaded legal documents help cut down on fake disputes and chargebacks. A vague policy protects nobody.
How to adapt the template
- 1Pick the version for where the buyer pays
The checkout decides whose rules sit above yours. Selling in three places means three short policies that say the same thing.
- 2Choose your change-of-mind stance
Option A suits low-priced instant downloads. Option B, a 14 or 30-day window, suits courses and higher-priced products where trust is the obstacle.
- 3Set numbers you can keep
The fix window, your reply time and the refund window are promises. Australia’s ACCC says a business with a change-of-mind policy must follow it.
- 4Name one channel
Help with order on Etsy, the receipt email on Gumroad, the Resolution Center on Whop, a support address on your own site.
- 5Keep the legal-rights line
It costs one sentence and stops the rest of the policy reading as an attempt to remove rights buyers have by law.
- 6Publish, date and save a copy
Keep the dated text. It is your evidence of what the buyer saw if a dispute arrives months later.
A policy only sets the terms. Handling the request well is a separate skill, and our guide on how to handle refund requests has reply scripts for fixing, swapping, refunding and declining. If the request is about a file that will not download or open, send the buyer the steps in Etsy digital download not received before you refund. Refund terms sit next to licence terms, which our terms of use template covers.
Refund terms are also part of the offer. Our Digital Products program treats them that way: the pre-sell lesson includes a refund protocol for a launch that does not validate, and the customer success and retention lesson covers what happens after the sale.
Before you publish: the checklist
- Every square bracket is replaced, and each number is one you can meet
- The policy is visible before purchase: product page, listing description or checkout
- The fix-first clause covers broken, missing and not-as-described files
- No line claims to remove rights the buyer has by law
- Own-site checkout has the immediate-access consent box for EU and UK buyers
- Etsy: text is in the shop FAQ and listing descriptions
- Gumroad: the refund policy toggle is on for every product
- Whop: the Return Policy is uploaded under Settings, Legal
- A dated copy is saved where you can find it for a dispute
- A lawyer has reviewed it if you sell at volume or across borders
Digital product refund policy: FAQ
Can I have a no-refund policy on digital products?
You can refuse refunds for a change of mind on most platforms, but not for a file that is broken, missing or not as described. Etsy can refund a buyer through a case, Gumroad can refund within 90 days to prevent a chargeback, and Whop decides Resolution Center cases you do not settle. In Australia the ACCC says it is illegal to rely on a blanket no-refunds policy for faulty products.
What should a digital product refund policy include?
Six things: what is being sold and that it is delivered digitally, which problems you will fix or refund, your position on change of mind, how and by when to ask, how refunds are paid and what happens to access, and a line saying the policy does not limit rights the buyer has by law. Keep it under 250 words so buyers read it before paying.
Do I legally have to refund digital downloads?
It depends on where the buyer lives. In the EU and UK, online buyers have 14 days to cancel unless they agreed at checkout to immediate delivery and to losing that right. In the UK, EU and Australia, faulty or misdescribed digital content has remedies you cannot remove by policy. In the United States the federal Cooling-Off Rule does not cover online sales. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Where do I put a refund policy on Etsy for digital downloads?
In your shop FAQ, in each listing description and in your note to buyers. Etsy says it is not possible to set return or exchange policies on digital listings, and buyers see that digital items cannot be returned or cancelled. Your written policy therefore explains how you fix problems. It does not create a return option, and it does not stop a buyer opening a case.
Does Gumroad let me set my own refund policy?
Yes. Gumroad says sellers set their own refund policies, and each product has a setting called Specify a refund policy for this product, with a policy and optional fine print shown on the product page. Gumroad still reserves the right to refund within 90 days to prevent chargebacks, and switches a no-refunds account to a 30-day policy when more than 1% of its customers dispute. Checked October 2026.
How do refund policies work on Whop?
Whop's buyer terms say the seller's refund policy governs product issues. You upload a Return Policy document under Settings, then Legal, and can require buyers to accept your terms before purchase. Customers can open a Resolution Center case within 120 days of a payment, you have 7 days to respond, and Whop's team decides cases that are left unanswered or unresolved.
Is this refund policy template legal advice?
No. It is a starting draft built around the platform rules and official consumer-law pages linked in the article, checked in October 2026. Laws differ by country and change, and the right wording depends on what you sell and to whom. If you sell at volume, sell subscriptions or sell across borders from your own site, have a qualified lawyer review the final text.
The policy is one page. The product is the rest.
Digital Products, included in All Access, covers validating an idea with a pre-sell, building the product, the sales page it sits on and keeping customers after they buy. The other three programs, weekly coaching and the private community come with the same subscription.
Keep up with platform rule changes
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