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.

Refund Process

Once we receive your refund request, a refund will be 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 get in touch with 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 may request a refund from the VitalSource store provided that the following are true:

• You are returning the item within 14 days of the purchase date.

• You have not viewed or printed, in total, more than twenty percent (20%) of the VitalSource eTextbook.
• You have not viewed or used any included access codes for any online resources that came with your eTextbook purchase.
• You have not previously returned the same eTextbook from a prior purchase.
• You are returning an item purchased directly from the VitalSource Store.
• You have not returned 3 or more eTextbooks in the past 90 days across all of your VitalSource Accounts. 
• You are not returning an eTextbook from one of the publishers in our Return Policy Exceptions.

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 & Cengage Unlimited Policy:

• You may request a refund within 14 days of your initial purchase of an eResource.

Pearson Courseware & Pearson+ Return Policy:

• You may cancel your Pearson+ subscription or request a refund of an eResource within 14 days of your initial purchase.
• Pearson+ Refund FAQ

Penguin Random House Return Policy:

• You may request a refund of your VitalSource eTextbook purchase within 7 days of your initial purchase.
• You have not viewed or printed the eTextbook.

Simon & Schuster Return Policy: 

• You may request a refund of your VitalSource eTextbook purchase within 2 days of your initial purchase.

HarperCollins Return Policy: 

• You may request a refund of your VitalSource eTextbook purchase within 2 days of your initial purchase.
• In total, you have not viewed or printed more than two percent (2%) of the VitalSource eTextbook.

HarperCollins Christian Return Policy:

• You may request a refund of your VitalSource eTextbook purchase within 2 days of your initial purchase.
• In total, you have not viewed or printed more than two percent (2%) of the VitalSource eTextbook.

Hachette Digital Return Policy:

• You may request a refund of your VitalSource eTextbook purchase within 3 days of your initial purchase.
• In total, you have not viewed or printed more than two percent (2%) of the VitalSource eTextbook.

Oxford University Press Return Policy:

• You have not viewed or printed more than five percent (5%) total of the VitalSource eTextbook.
• You may request a refund for VitalSource eTextbook purchase within 14 days of your initial purchase.