Microsoft will match Valve's Steam refund policy on Xbox One and Windows 10 in a future update.

Revealed earlier on the Xbox Insider Program, when you purchase an app or game on either Xbox or Windows 10, you will soon have the right to refund it without begging a Microsoft support representative.

It will be a simple process to request a refund:

  1. Go to account.microsoft.com and sign-in.
  2. Select Payment & Billing from the top menu.
  3. Select Order History.
  4. Find the purchased app or game, then select Request a refund.

The following conditions apply for those seeking a refund:

  • Games and apps are only eligible for refunds within two weeks of purchase if you have less than 2 hours of usage across all accounts on that device.
  • DLC, season passes, and DLC are not eligible for self-service refunds.
  • The game or app must be downloaded and launched at least once before requesting a self-service refund.
  • You must wait at least one day after the game or app's launch before requesting a refund.
  • Certain Windows 10 apps may not be eligible for a self-service refund. Presumably at developer's requests.
  • Microsoft emphasizes that it reserves the right to block access for users who abuse self-service refunds. So, people who repeatedly purchase, then refund games simply to test them out are likely to find themselves with a ban.

Digital refunds are increasingly important in an age where physical content is fading out. It's likely cheaper to offer Microsoft an automated method for obtaining these refunds, rather than have a human process whether or not the requests are valid and genuine. It looks as though Microsoft will utilize some sort of algorithm to ensure the system isn't abused, so, don't expect this to be a platform-wide game demo opportunity.

As of writing, it doesn't look like the system is live on account.microsoft.com as of yet, but we'll keep an eye on it and let you know when it goes live proper. Let us know in the comments if you can see it too!

Thanks for the tip PTechC!