If you’ve ever hovered over an heirloom unlock button at 2 a.m. after a few too many ranked wins, you’ve probably wondered can you refund heirlooms in Apex Legends before you hit confirm. Heirlooms are the rarest, most coveted cosmetics in the game, costing 150 heirloom shards that most players grind for months or even years to earn. One wrong tap, or a last second change of heart about which legend’s heirloom you want, can feel like throwing hundreds of hours of progress down the drain. I’ve been there too, back when I almost unlocked Wraith’s Kunai right before Crypto’s Heirloom dropped, and spent an hour panicking trying to figure out if I could reverse the transaction if I messed up.
Can You Refund Heirlooms in Apex Legends Under Official Policy?
Respawn’s official stance on heirloom refunds is a hard no for most cases. Unlike regular Apex Coins purchases or occasional event skins that have a 48-hour refund window for unused items, heirlooms are marked as “final sale” the second you confirm the unlock. The rule exists because heirloom shards are a limited, non-purchasable currency that you can only earn from Apex Packs, with a guaranteed drop every 500 packs. Respawn doesn’t want players cycling through heirlooms every time a new one drops, which would devalue the rarity of the items entirely. That said, there are extremely rare exceptions to the rule. If you can prove the purchase was completely unauthorized, for example a young family member got access to your account and unlocked it without your permission, or a documented glitch forced the unlock without you pressing confirm, you may qualify for a one-time refund. Even then, you have to submit a support ticket within 72 hours of the transaction, and provide clear evidence of the unauthorized access or glitch. I’ve only heard of 2 players out of hundreds in my Apex club who successfully got an heirloom refund, and both had full video evidence of the glitch that caused the accidental unlock.
What To Do If You Accidentally Unlock The Wrong Heirloom
If you already hit confirm and realized you picked the wrong heirloom, don’t panic immediately. There are a few steps you can take to potentially fix the mistake, even if the odds are low. First, do not use the heirloom in any match as soon as you notice the mistake. If you equip it and play even one game, support will almost always reject your request, because they consider the item “used” and no longer eligible for reversal. Next, gather as much evidence as possible before reaching out, and submit your request through the right channels. You’ll get a faster and more accurate response if you submit a ticket directly through Respawn’s in-game support portal, not through EA’s general help desk, because Apex-specific support teams have more authority to process these rare requests. Don’t lie about the situation, either. Support teams can see your full account activity, so if you claim your account was hacked but your login history only shows your usual device and location, your ticket will get rejected immediately. When you write your ticket, make sure to include these key details to give yourself the best shot at approval:
- Exact date and time of the accidental heirloom unlock
- Screenshot of your heirloom collection showing the unwanted item is unused
- Clear, short explanation of how the accident happened (no long rants about game bugs unless you have proof)
- Confirmation that you have not equipped or used the heirloom in any match mode
Tips To Avoid Needing An Heirloom Refund In The First Place
Since refunds are so rare, the best move is to avoid needing one at all, and that’s easier than you think. First, never unlock an heirloom right after you earn the shards. I always tell my club members to wait at least 24 hours after getting heirloom shards before picking which one to unlock, especially if a new season or event is coming up in the next few weeks. Respawn usually teases new heirlooms 1-2 weeks before they drop, so checking the official Apex social media accounts before you spend your shards can save you from regret. Second, turn on purchase confirmation prompts in your game settings if you haven’t already. This adds an extra step before you confirm any high-value unlock, so you won’t accidentally tap the button while scrolling through the store. Third, if you’re deciding between two heirlooms, test them out first in the firing range if you have a friend who owns them, or watch full gameplay clips from content creators to see how the animations look in actual matches. I almost picked Bangalore’s Cold Steel heirloom a few years back, but after testing a friend’s account for a few matches, I realized I hated the melee animation, so I saved my shards for Valkyrie’s Suzaku instead, which I still use every game. Also, never share your account login details with anyone, even close friends. Most unauthorized heirloom unlocks happen when someone lets a friend or family member use their account, and they mess with your store purchases without asking. If you do let someone else play, make sure you lock your store purchases with a PIN if you’re on console, or log out of your EA account before handing over the controller.
What Happens If Your Heirloom Refund Request Is Rejected?
If you submit a ticket and get a rejection notice, don’t keep spamming support with more requests. That will only get your account flagged for abuse, and could lead to restrictions on your account down the line. Instead, you have a few other low-risk options to get the heirloom you actually want. First, you can start grinding for more heirloom shards. The 500 pack pity timer resets after you get a set of shards, so if you’re already a few hundred packs in, you could get another set faster than you think. You can earn free Apex Packs from level ups, battle passes, and limited-time event challenges, so you don’t have to spend real money to work toward your next set. If you don’t want to wait that long, keep an eye out for collection events. Most limited-time collection events give out a free heirloom shard set if you collect all 24 event items, so if you’re willing to spend Apex Coins or real money on the event, you can get another set of shards that way. You can also try trading accounts, but we strongly advise against this. Trading or selling Apex accounts violates Respawn’s terms of service, and if you get caught, your account will be permanently banned with no chance of appeal. It’s not worth losing all your skins, ranked progress, and unlocks just to get a different heirloom. Many players who thought they got a good deal on a traded account end up losing it a few weeks later when the original owner reports it stolen.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you refund heirlooms in Apex Legends is almost always no, but there are tiny exceptions for well-documented accidental or unauthorized unlocks. Your best bet is to take your time before spending heirloom shards, double check your selection before you confirm, and reach out to support politely right away if you do make a mistake. Heirlooms are meant to be fun, rare rewards for your time playing the game, so don’t let the pressure of picking the “right” one ruin your enjoyment. Even if you end up with an heirloom you don’t love as much as you thought, you can always swap to a different legend’s down the line when you earn more shards.