Panic Issues Refunds for Playdate Tariff Fees
AI-generated image · US National Wire
The software publisher is returning costs passed to consumers after a Supreme Court ruling declared the Trump administration's tariff regime illegal.
Software publisher Panic is refunding U.S. customers for tariff fees paid on the Playdate console, according to reporting from Engadget. The company previously applied a 19 percent tariff fee to orders, treating the cost as a tax and passing it directly to the consumer as a line item at checkout.
The move follows a February 2026 Supreme Court decision that confirmed the Trump administration's tariff regime was illegal. Panic stated in an email that it applied for a refund from the U.S. government and subsequently built a system to return those funds to customers. Panic CEO Cabel Sasser told Game Developer that the money was not the company's to keep.
According to Panic's help center, the company ceased applying the original tariff fee to new orders after April 21.
While many electronics companies were affected by the tariffs, Engadget notes that most have not discussed offering customer refunds. Shipping firms including DHL, UPS, and FedEx are among the few others providing a way for people to recover these costs. Meanwhile, Sony, Amazon, and Nintendo are facing class-action lawsuits alleging they are legally required to refund customers for similar fees.