How to refund an eTextbook
Use the Refund Self Service Tool
To return a purchase from the VitalSource Store, sign in to your Order Listing page with the email address and password used to purchase the eTextbook.
After you sign in, you will see the items from your recent orders. Select an item to go to the order details page. From there, use the Request Refund button below your item. In the pop-up window, confirm the reason for the refund and select the Refund button. Repeat the process for any additional eTextbooks you need to return.
Contact VitalSource Support
You can always contact VitalSource Support for assistance with a refund. A VitalSource Support Specialist will assist you with your return. We will process your refund at that time. To contact VitalSource Support, please refer to the Contact VitalSource Support.
Refund Process
Once we receive your refund request, a refund is initiated immediately. We refund your purchase back to the original payment method.
We will send credit and debit card refunds to the card-issuing bank within five to seven business days of receipt of the return. Please contact the card-issuing bank with questions about when you can expect the credit to post on your account.
VitalSource Return Policy
Standard Return Policy
There are a few important things to keep in mind when returning an eTextbook you purchased from the VitalSource Store:
- You have 14 calendar days to return an item from the date you purchased it.
- You have not viewed or printed, in total, more than twenty percent (20%) of the VitalSource eTextbook.
- You have not used any included access codes for any online resource that came with your eTextbook purchase.
- You have not previously returned the same eTextbook from a prior purchase.
- You are not returning an eTextbook from one of the publishers in our Return Policy Exceptions.
- You have not returned a total of 3 or more eTextbooks in the past 90 days across all of your VitalSource Accounts.
You can only return items purchased directly from the VitalSource Store.
Returns for VitalSource eTextbooks purchases through other retailers are subject to their respective returns and refunds policy.
Abuse of Return Policy: VitalSource reserves the right to refuse to sell or to provide refunds to any person for any reason not prohibited by law, including, but not limited to, abuse of its return policy.
Return Policy Exceptions:
Titles purchased from the following publishers will follow the return policies outlined below.
Cengage Unlimited:
- For access codes delivered via a Cengage API, or any other non-shippable method, refunds must be requested within 14 days of registration/activation.
Pearson+ Return Policy:
- You may cancel your Pearson+ subscription within 14 days of your initial purchase.
- For Pearson+ only it does not matter if you have used the access code to process a refund.
- Pearson+ Refund FAQ
Penguin Random House Return Policy:
- You may cancel your VitalSource eTextbook purchase and request an immediate refund within 7 days of your initial purchase.
- You have not viewed or printed the eTextbook.
Simon & Schuster Return Policy:
- You may cancel your VitalSource eTextbook purchase and request an immediate refund within 2 days of your initial purchase.
HarperCollins Return Policy:
- You may cancel your VitalSource eTextbook purchase and request an immediate refund within 2 days of your initial purchase.
- You have not viewed or printed, in total, more than two percent (2%) of the VitalSource eTextbook.
HarperCollins Christian Return Policy:
- You may cancel your VitalSource eTextbook purchase and request an immediate refund within 2 days of your initial purchase.
- You have not viewed or printed, in total, more than two percent (2%) of the VitalSource eTextbook.
Hachette Digital Return Policy:
- You may cancel your VitalSource eTextbook purchase and request an immediate refund within 3 days of your initial purchase.
- You have not viewed or printed, in total, more than two percent (2%) of the VitalSource eTextbook.
Wiley Australia Monthly Subscriptions:
- You may cancel your VitalSource eTextbook monthly subscription purchase and request an immediate refund within 7 days of your initial purchase or renewal purchase.
Oxford University Press Return Policy:
- You have not viewed or printed, in total, more than five percent (5%) of the VitalSource eTextbook.
- You may cancel your VitalSource eTextbook purchase and request an immediate refund within 14 days of your initial purchase.
Courseware Return Policy:
Standard Courseware Return Policy:
You may request an immediate refund within 14 days of your initial purchase of an eResource, provided that you have not yet viewed or used any access codes included with your eResource purchase.
To check eligibility or for complete details on how to return a product purchased from the VitalSource Store, please follow the How to refund an eTextbook steps above.
Cengage Courseware Return Policy:
You may request an immediate refund within 14 days of your initial purchase of an eResource.
Pearson Courseware Return Policy:
You may request an immediate refund within 14 days of your initial purchase of an eResource.
McGraw-Hill Courseware Return Policy:
You may request an immediate refund within 14 days of your initial purchase of an eResource.
WileyPLUS Return Policy:
Customers must contact VitalSource to return WileyPLUS codes that were purchased through the VitalSource store.
- A refund will be provided for unused WileyPLUS registration codes on requests made within 30 days of purchase through the VitalSource store.
- A refund will be provided for used WileyPLUS registration codes on requests made within 14 days of purchase through the VitalSource store.
Georgetown University Press Courseware Return Policy:
You may request an immediate refund within 14 days of your initial purchase of an eResource, provided that you have not yet viewed any access codes included with your eResource purchase.
Please note: Once a refund is processed, your access to WileyPLUS will be terminated and all previous work completed with that code will be deleted.
Additional Information
As with any shopping experience, some terms and conditions apply to transactions through the VitalSource Store. Please remember, that by placing an order at the VitalSource Store, you agree to the terms set forth above along with VitalSource Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Need Further Assistance? Contact VitalSource Support
You can always contact VitalSource Support for assistance with a refund. A VitalSource Support Specialist will assist you with your return. We will process your refund at that time. To contact VitalSource Support, please Contact VitalSource Support.
Bulk Order Returns & Refund Policy
If you purchased a set of codes from the VitalSource Bulk Order Store, returns are governed by a separate return policy. Please refer to the Bulk Order Returns & Refund Policy.