ExpressVPN has suspended its 30-day money-back guarantee for the second consecutive month while running a summer promotion. The ExpressVPN Summer Tech Competition, running from 11 July 2026 to 9 August 2026, will give away 30 iPhone 17 Pro devices through a raffle, with all new sign-ups receiving 10 entries.
During the promotion period, all sales are final, meaning the standard 30-day refund window is not available. By the time the summer sweepstakes concludes, ExpressVPN will not have offered its usual money-back guarantee for roughly 60 days in a row.
At a glance
- Window: 11 July 2026 through 9 August 2026 (11:59 pm BST on the closing date).
- Prize pool: 30 iPhone 17 Pro handsets, awarded through a raffle.
- Entry allocation: every new subscription generates 10 raffle entries.
- Refund policy: the usual 30-day guarantee is switched off, and every purchase is treated as final.
- Continuity: this is the second month in a row without the guarantee, following the World Cup ticket event from 10 June to 11 July 2026.
- Competitor benchmarks: NordVPN and Surfshark sit at 30 days, CyberGhost at 45, and Norton VPN at 60.
Background: how refund windows work for VPNs
Most VPN providers let new subscribers request a full refund inside a fixed window. The window exists because VPN pricing is built around long commitments. Providers discount two-year plans heavily, then protect the buyer with a guarantee in case the service underperforms.
ExpressVPN's two-year plan, for instance, includes an 84% discount versus paying month to month, plus four extra months at no charge. That discount is only attractive if you actually stay for two years. The refund policy is the piece that makes the long bet tolerable.
When the policy disappears, every review site's long-term recommendation has to be re-evaluated. A two-year contract without a guarantee is a fundamentally different purchase from a two-year contract with one.
Our analysis: why this pause stings subscribers more than the brand
The defensive logic is straightforward. Without a refund option, nobody can grab a free iPhone, cancel, and walk away. Turning the guarantee off plugs that loophole.
The price of plugging the loophole is that two straight months of new ExpressVPN customers have zero automatic refund safety. A two-year plan is a non-trivial spend, and its whole marketing pitch weakens the moment the guarantee vanishes. TechRadar reports that user reaction on r/Express_VPN has been mixed, with some labelling the approach "predatory" and warning others to "be careful."
ExpressVPN told TechRadar that promotional plans are clearly labelled at checkout, that customers can pick between promotional and standard plans, and that promotional-plan subscribers can still contact support and ask for a refund, reviewed individually. Statutory rights remain intact, according to the company.
That case-by-case framing is not equivalent to a guarantee. A guarantee is mechanical: meet the conditions, receive the refund. A support ticket is a conversation with an agent who has discretion. For most subscribers, that difference matters.
The competitive angle is also worth flagging. Every major rival surveyed by TechRadar still offers a window, and Norton VPN stretches to 60 days. ExpressVPN is now the outlier on a baseline feature that the rest of the category treats as table stakes.
Worked example: timing a longer ExpressVPN subscription
Imagine you have been considering a two-year ExpressVPN plan because the discounted headline price is appealing. Your real workload kicks off in mid-August, and you only need the VPN once that work begins.
The cleaner move is to wait for the promotion to end on 9 August 2026, then sign up for the long plan. You will have a full 30 days to test speeds, app stability, and unblocking behaviour before you are committed.
If waiting is not an option, the monthly plan is the safer alternative. It is more expensive per month, but it preserves optionality. The two-year deal only makes economic sense when the automatic refund window is back in place.
Bottom line
The summer promo is a reasonable trade for users who already know ExpressVPN fits and do not need a refund safety net. It is a worse trade for anyone counting on the standard guarantee to validate a long-term plan. Until 9 August 2026, monthly subscriptions and post-promotion long-term plans remain the lower-risk choices.
Key takeaways
- ExpressVPN has paused its 30-day money-back guarantee for a second consecutive month during the iPhone 17 Pro raffle.
- The summer promotion window runs from 11 July 2026 to 9 August 2026, with purchases treated as final.
- ExpressVPN told TechRadar that promotional plans are clearly labelled and refund requests can be made through support on a case-by-case basis.
- NordVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost and Norton VPN continue to advertise money-back guarantees during the same period.
Frequently asked questions
What dates does the ExpressVPN Summer Tech Competition cover?
The promotion runs from 11 July 2026 through 9 August 2026.
Is the ExpressVPN 30-day guarantee active during the promotion?
No. The guarantee is switched off for the duration of the summer promotion and was also paused during the preceding World Cup ticket event.
How big is the iPhone 17 Pro prize pool?
ExpressVPN is awarding 30 iPhone 17 Pro units through the raffle, with 10 entries issued per new subscription.
Is there any way to get a refund while the promotion runs?
ExpressVPN states that promotional-plan customers can contact support to request a refund, reviewed case by case. This is not the same as the automatic 30-day policy.
Which rival VPNs still advertise a refund window?
NordVPN and Surfshark list 30 days, CyberGhost lists 45 days, and Norton VPN lists 60 days, according to TechRadar.