Teachable's standard refund policy gives students a 14-day window to request a refund. If your school has specific needs (for example, you sell high-value digital downloads or run a subscription-based program), you can apply for a custom refund policy instead.
Before you apply: check your eligibility
Custom refund policy approval isn't automatic. Only a Primary Owner can apply, and the school must be on Teachable Payments.
To qualify, your school currently needs to meet:
A minimum of $10,000 GMV
A minimum account age of 90 days of verifiable sales history
Good account standing: In the past 90 days, we want to see a combination of no negative balances, a refund rate of under 10%, and chargeback rate of under 1%.
If you don't yet meet these requirements, we recommend waiting until you do before applying. If your application is denied, you can reapply after 90 days.
Why we require this: Custom refund policies reduce protections students normally have. We approve them selectively, for schools with an established track record, to keep the experience fair for both creators and students.
How long a review takes
Custom refund policy applications go through manual review. Reviews typically can take 2–3 weeks.
If you're planning a launch, submit your application at least 3 weeks ahead of your target date to leave room for review.
How to apply
Before you apply, review our House Rules. Custom refund policies still need to comply with Teachable's House Rules. Give them a quick read before you submit your request, so your policy is a good fit from the start.
The request must be submitted directly by the Primary Owner of the school via a request directly to the Support team.
What happens after you apply
If you're approved: We'll notify you by email and update your school's policy settings automatically. No further action is needed on your end.
If you're not approved: You're welcome to reapply after 90 days.
Common reasons for a denial
Your school's trailing GMV is below the required threshold
Your account doesn't yet meet the minimum age requirement
Your account standing fell below the standards outlined
FAQ
What are the risks of a custom refund policy?
What are the risks of a custom refund policy?
The biggest risk of a custom refund policy is an increase in chargebacks. When students can't get a refund directly from you, some will dispute the charge with their bank or card issuer instead. Chargebacks come with fees, can affect your standing with payment processors, and are harder to resolve than a standard refund. This is part of why our review process exists — it's meant to protect you from that outcome, not just protect the student. See Issue refunds and manage disputes for more on how disputes work and how to avoid them.
Why can't I deny a refund if a student has already viewed my course?
Why can't I deny a refund if a student has already viewed my course?
Our refund window is time-based: a student is eligible for a refund within the standard window whether they've viewed one lecture or the whole course.
In the meantime, here are some options:
Drip your content instead of releasing it all at once. This limits how much a student can consume before a refund decision is made, and it's a normal, expected course structure.
Monitor student progress in your analytics. If someone requests a refund after rapidly consuming most of the course, that's information you can use.
Set clear expectations in your course description, on your sales page, and in your terms about what a refund covers. Good documentation always helps.