TunnelBear refund: only yearly website plans get the 30-day guarantee

TunnelBear gives a full refund in exactly one scenario: a first-year Unlimited annual plan bought on its own website, with the request filed within 30 days of the original purchase. Monthly billing, Teams accounts and anything bought through the iPhone or Android app fall outside that promise, and anything else is decided case by case at support's discretion. Knowing this before you pay saves an argument later.

Which TunnelBear purchases can be refunded

Some older review sites still claim there is no money-back guarantee at all. The current Terms of Service say otherwise, but the protection is narrow: it runs from the original purchase date and does not promise partial refunds. Taxes stay with TunnelBear even on a full refund.

Sending a refund request for a website purchase

1. Check your receipt email for the payment date. The 30-day clock starts at the original charge, not when the app was first used.
2. Log in first; without a session the form stays hidden.
3. File a case through the TunnelBear refund help article, stating that the guarantee is being claimed on a first-year annual plan. Every request is reviewed individually.
4. Switch off renewal in the Overview tab so the next charge never happens while the case is open.

Checkout accepts only a bank card, processed through Stripe or Link, with prices in USD. There is no published phone line; the ticket form is the only channel. Our page on cancelling TunnelBear covers the cancellation steps.

Bought in the App Store or Google Play

A purchase inside the mobile app is a sale by Apple or Google, so TunnelBear sends those buyers to the store's own refund policy. File the request with the store, under the Apple or Google account that paid. TunnelBear support cannot force the store to approve anything.

Monthly plans, Teams and renewal charges

Month-to-month billing carries no guarantee, and neither does a Teams subscription at $5.75 per user per month (minimum two seats). Auto-renewal is on by default, which is where people lose money: after twelve months the plan charges $69.99 again, that second year is not covered like a first one, and the 30-day promise does not restart. If any doubt remains, turn renewal off before the anniversary date.

The three-year plan

The three-year term costs $120 once and expires on its own. Because the guarantee text speaks only of annual subscriptions and never mentions this term, treat it as uncovered until proven otherwise: ask support for a written answer before paying if a refund matters to you.

Trying TunnelBear free before you pay

The free tier removes the need for a refund in many cases. You get 2 GB of data a month across the same apps on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and the browser extension, though without country or city selection and without split tunnelling. No separate free trial is published, so this is the only cost-free way to test the connection on your network.

Where the refund terms cost TunnelBear points

On our value sub-index TunnelBear scores 4.84 out of 10. The 30-day window itself earns full points, and self-service cancellation adds a little. What drags the number down is the exclusion list: nothing back on monthly plans, no pro-rata refund for unused time, and auto-renewal switched on from the start. TunnelBear's overall score is 3.59 out of 10, place 62 of 377 in the main ranking.

TunnelBear refund FAQ

Does TunnelBear have a phone number for refunds?

No. Only the help-centre ticket form and help articles are published.

Will cancelling my subscription refund me?

No. Cancellation stops future charges; getting money back requires a separate support request.

Can I get my money back after 30 days?

Possibly, but support reviews it case by case with no obligation to refund.

Are taxes refunded too?

No. The terms keep taxes even when the plan itself is refunded in full.

Short version of the TunnelBear refund rules

A single kind of order qualifies for the guarantee: a first-year annual plan bought on the website and claimed within a month of the payment. Monthly billing, Teams and renewals are discretionary, store purchases are handled by Apple or Google, and the 2 GB free plan is the cheapest route to testing the service before any of this matters.