Refund Policy

Last updated: July 2026

This Refund Policy explains when and how you can obtain a refund for a paid subscription to Rust Shield, the antivirus product operated by Rust Shield. We want you to be confident in your purchase, so we offer a straightforward money-back guarantee on your first paid plan. Please read this policy carefully, together with our Terms of Service, so you understand your rights and the steps involved in requesting a refund.

Rust Shield is a fast, lightweight antivirus for Windows and macOS built around a Rust core, and is sold through subscription tiers. This policy applies to purchases made directly from us through rustshieldsecurity.com. If you purchased through a third-party app store, reseller, or platform, that provider's own refund rules may apply in addition to, or instead of, this policy.

1. Our Money-Back Window

We offer a 14-day money-back guarantee that begins on the date of your first purchase of a paid plan (Plus or Pro). If you are not satisfied with Rust Shield for any reason, you may request a full refund of that first payment within 14 calendar days of the purchase date. This window is designed to give you enough time to install the app, run scans, and evaluate the paid features on your own devices.

The 14-day window applies to the first paid plan you buy on your account. It is a one-time guarantee per customer and is intended for a genuine evaluation of the product, not for repeated purchase-and-refund cycles.

What Counts as the Purchase Date

For a monthly plan, the purchase date is the day your first payment is successfully charged.
If you started on the Free tier and later upgraded to a paid plan, the window starts on the date of that first paid upgrade charge, not the date you created your account.
Time is measured in calendar days, including weekends and public holidays. If the fourteenth day falls on a day we are closed, requests received by end of that day are still treated as within the window.

2. How to Request a Refund

To request a refund, email our support team at [email protected] from the email address associated with your account, and include the details below so we can locate your purchase quickly:

The email address on your Rust Shield account.
Your order or receipt number (from your purchase confirmation email).
The plan you purchased (Plus or Pro) and the purchase date.
The last four digits of the card used, or the payment method, if available.
A brief note on why you are requesting the refund — optional, but it helps us improve.

You may also reach us through the in-app chat or the chat on our website. Our support team is available during Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm. Once we receive a valid request within the 14-day window, we will confirm your eligibility and begin processing the refund. You do not need to provide a detailed justification to qualify during the guarantee period.

What Happens to Your Access

When a refund is approved, your paid subscription is cancelled and your account reverts to the Free tier. You keep access to Free-tier features (signature and heuristic scanning, quarantine, and one device), but paid features such as real-time protection, web protection, network scan, and cloud backup will no longer be available. Any files stored in cloud backup above the Free-tier allowance may be removed after downgrade, so please retrieve anything you need before requesting the refund.

3. What Is Non-Refundable

The 14-day guarantee covers your first paid plan. Outside of that, the following are generally not refundable:

Renewals after the window. Once your initial 14-day window has passed, subsequent charges — including automatic monthly renewals and any later re-subscriptions — are non-refundable. You can avoid a renewal charge by cancelling before your renewal date.
Partial periods. We do not provide prorated or partial refunds for the unused portion of a billing period. If you cancel mid-cycle, your paid access continues until the end of the period you already paid for, and no partial amount is returned.
Requests made after 14 days. Refund requests submitted after the guarantee window on your first plan will normally be declined, except where a refund is required by applicable law.
Repeat or abusive requests. Refunds sought as part of a pattern of purchasing and refunding, or in connection with fraud, abuse, or violation of our Terms of Service, may be declined.

Nothing in this section limits any non-waivable statutory rights you may have as a consumer in your jurisdiction. Where local law grants you a stronger right to cancel or be refunded, that law prevails.

Refund Eligibility at a Glance

Scenario	Refundable?
First paid plan, request within 14 days	Yes — full refund
First paid plan, request after 14 days	No (unless required by law)
Automatic renewal charge	No — cancel before renewal to avoid it
Unused portion of a paid period after cancelling	No — no proration
Free tier	Not applicable — the Free plan is $0

4. How and When Refunds Are Processed

Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method used for the purchase. We are not able to redirect a refund to a different card, account, or payment provider. If your original card has expired or been closed, your bank or card issuer will normally route the refund to the replacement account; if it cannot, please let us know so we can arrange an alternative.

Our processing time: we aim to review and approve valid requests within a few business days of receiving all required order details.
Time to appear on your statement: once approved, refunds typically take 5 to 10 business days to appear, depending on your bank or card issuer. Some issuers may take longer, which is outside our control.
Currency and amounts: refunds are issued in the same currency as the original charge. Differences caused by exchange-rate movements between the purchase and the refund are determined by your payment provider, not by us.

We will confirm by email once your refund has been issued on our side. If more than 10 business days have passed since that confirmation and you still do not see the refund, first check with your bank or card issuer, then contact us at [email protected] and we will help you trace it.

5. Chargebacks

A chargeback is when you ask your bank or card issuer to reverse a charge directly, rather than requesting a refund from us. We understand that mistakes and unexpected charges happen, and we would always prefer to resolve the issue with you first. Contacting us is almost always faster than a chargeback, which can take your bank weeks to investigate.

Talk to us first. If you see a charge you do not recognize or believe is an error, email [email protected] before opening a dispute. Many charges that look unfamiliar are simply renewals or a billing descriptor you did not recognize, and we can clarify or refund eligible payments quickly.
Duplicate resolution. If you have already received a refund from us, please do not also file a chargeback for the same charge. Where a chargeback is filed on a payment we have refunded or are actively refunding, we may present evidence of the resolution to your bank to avoid a double reversal.
Account impact. When a chargeback is filed against a charge that is not eligible for a refund under this policy, we may suspend or close the associated Rust Shield account and revoke paid access while the dispute is investigated.
Fraud. If you believe your card was used to buy Rust Shield without your authorization, contact both your bank and us immediately so we can secure the account and investigate.

6. Free Trials and the Free Tier

The Free tier of Rust Shield costs $0 and does not involve a payment, so there is nothing to refund on it. If we offer a promotional or trial period that converts into a paid plan, the 14-day money-back window described above applies to the first paid charge that follows the trial. You can cancel before the trial converts to avoid being charged at all.

7. Price Changes and Promotions

If you purchased at a promotional or discounted price, any refund is limited to the amount you actually paid. Promotional credits, vouchers, and discounts that were applied to a purchase have no cash value and are not refundable or transferable. If we change subscription prices, the change affects future billing periods only and does not, on its own, create a right to a refund of amounts already paid.

8. Consumer Rights

This policy is offered in addition to, and does not limit, any rights you have under the consumer protection laws of [Governing jurisdiction] or your place of residence. Some jurisdictions provide statutory cooling-off periods or other cancellation rights for digital purchases. Where such rights apply and are more generous than this policy, we will honor them. The relevant authority or scheme that governs those rights depends on where you live — [name the applicable consumer-protection authority or dispute scheme for your jurisdiction].

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Refund Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our products, payment processes, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the date shown at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you. The version in effect at the time of your purchase governs that purchase. Continued use of Rust Shield after an update takes effect means you accept the revised policy for future purchases.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Refund Policy or want to request a refund, please contact Rust Shield, operated by [Registered company name]:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: [Support phone number]
Address: [Registered business address]
Support hours: Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm

You can also start a conversation through the in-app chat or the chat on rustshieldsecurity.com, and our team will be glad to help.