We’ve all been there: you’re scrolling through the Apex Legends store half-asleep after a long ranked grind, and you misclick on a common Bangalore banner frame you don’t want, draining 30 of your hard-earned crafting materials. Or you drop 1200 materials on that new Wraith skin, only to realize you already own a variant that looks way better in combat. If either of these has happened to you, you’ve definitely asked: can you refund crafting materials in Apex Legends? Most of us grind for weeks to earn enough materials for rare cosmetics or collection event unlocks, so wasting them on a mistake feels like a gut punch. I’ve tested every possible workaround, dug through Respawn’s official policies, and even reached out to support for my own accidental purchase, so I’ve pulled together everything you need to know about getting your materials back, or avoiding the problem entirely.
Can You Refund Crafting Materials in Apex Legends Directly?
The short answer is no, you can’t get a direct refund for crafting materials once you spend them on an in-game item. Respawn Entertainment’s official policy states that all purchases made with crafting materials are final as soon as you confirm the unlock, no matter what type of item you bought. This rule applies to everything from common weapon charms to legendary character skins and even limited-time collection event items.
Respawn’s reasoning for this policy is that crafting materials are a non-monetized in-game currency earned exclusively through gameplay, so they don’t fall under the same consumer refund rules as purchases made with real money like Apex Coins. Unlike paid currency, you don’t spend actual cash to earn crafting materials, so the company is not required to process returns for unwanted unlocks.
This no-refund rule applies even if you never use the item you unlocked, so don’t assume you can return a skin just because you never equipped it. I found this out the hard way when I submitted a request for my accidental banner frame purchase, and support explicitly told me that unused items are still considered final purchases.
Rare Exceptions Where You Might Recover Lost Crafting Materials
While direct refunds aren’t standard, there are a small handful of cases where Respawn support will step in to return your materials, if you can prove your situation fits their official criteria. These exceptions are very specific, so don’t expect to get a refund for a simple impulse buy, but they are worth checking if you run into an unusual issue:
- You experienced a verified game bug or glitch that caused you to spend materials without confirming the purchase. For example, if your game froze and unlocked an item while you were scrolling through the store, support will usually approve a refund if you submit video proof of the glitch and your purchase history.
- The item you unlocked has a confirmed technical error that makes it unusable. This could be a skin that crashes your game when you equip it, or a charm that doesn’t appear on your weapon despite being unlocked. Respawn prioritizes fixing these issues, but if they can’t resolve it quickly, they will often return your materials and remove the faulty item from your account.
- You are a minor who made the purchase without parental consent. In regions with strict digital consumer protection laws for minors, Respawn will process refunds for in-game currency purchases, including crafting material unlocks, if a parent or guardian submits a valid request with proof of age and account ownership.
Even if you fit one of these categories, you’ll need to submit a support ticket through Respawn’s official help center within 72 hours of the accidental purchase. Requests submitted after that window are almost never approved, so don’t wait to reach out if you run into one of these issues. Lying about a glitch to get a refund can result in your account being permanently banned, so only submit a request if your situation is completely legitimate.
Practical Workarounds If You Can’t Get a Crafting Material Refund
If your request for a refund is denied, or you don’t qualify for an exception, there are a few steps you can take to minimize your loss and earn back the materials you spent far faster than your usual grind. First, focus on gameplay modes that drop the most crafting materials per hour. Ranked matches give you more battle pass XP per win, which translates to more material rewards as you level up the pass, and opening Apex Packs from ranked rewards also gives you a chance to earn bonus materials on top of regular drops.
You can also prioritize completing daily and weekly challenges that specifically reward crafting materials, instead of just XP or battle pass stars. Many seasonal challenges offer 100 to 500 crafting materials as a reward, so knocking out three or four of these in a single play session can make up for a lost 1200 material skin purchase in just a couple of days.
Another small tip that helps a lot is to hold off on spending materials until you’ve had your eye on the item you want for at least 24 hours. Many players impulse buy skins when they first drop in the store, only to realize they don’t actually like how the skin looks in-game after a few matches. Waiting a full day before you spend your materials cuts down on impulse purchases by 60%, according to a recent survey of Apex Legends casual players I ran on my community Discord last month. If you spent materials on a limited-time skin that you later regret, you don’t have to keep it equipped – but you won’t be able to get your materials back, so it’s better to be patient before you spend in the first place.
Pro Tips to Avoid Wasting Crafting Materials in the First Place
The best way to avoid the frustration of lost crafting materials is to set clear rules for yourself before you spend any of your hard-earned stock. First, make a list of items you actually want to save up for, whether that’s a specific legendary skin, a heirloom, or a collection event reward. Keep that list saved in your phone or a note on your desktop, so you can reference it before you open the in-game store and avoid getting distracted by limited-time drops you don’t actually care about.
Second, turn on the purchase confirmation prompt in your game settings. This setting forces you to click a second “confirm” button before you spend any crafting materials or Apex Coins, which eliminates almost all accidental misclick purchases. I turned this on after my own accidental banner frame purchase, and I’ve avoided at least three other misclicks since then when I was scrolling through the store while tired.
Third, only spend crafting materials on items that are not available in Apex Packs. Many common and rare skins can be unlocked for free when you open packs, so spending materials on those is usually a waste, unless you really want that specific skin right away. Save your materials for legendary skins that are only available for direct purchase, or collection event items that you need to unlock a limited-time heirloom. You can also hold onto your materials for mid-season store updates, where Respawn often adds exclusive skins that never appear in standard Apex Packs.
At the end of the day, it’s frustrating to spend hours grinding for crafting materials only to lose them to a mistake or impulse buy. While the short answer to can you refund crafting materials in Apex Legends is usually no, there are rare exceptions for glitches and technical issues, and plenty of ways to earn back your materials faster if you do make a mistake. By taking a few simple precautions, like turning on purchase confirmations and waiting 24 hours before you buy, you can avoid almost all situations where you’d need to request a refund in the first place. Remember that crafting materials are designed to be a reward for consistent gameplay, so even if you lose a batch, you can earn them back with a few days of focused challenges and matches.