Redeeming McAfee, and what to do if a code is refused

McAfee is a licence key that activates the software or subscription on your account or device. If a key is refused, McAfee's support is the team that can see why.

How to redeem

Download McAfee from its official website.
Open it and sign in, or create an account.
Enter the licence key where the app asks you to activate or redeem a key.

Before you contact support

If the card has a region, check that your account's country matches it. A wrong region is the most common reason a card is refused.
Check you are signed in to the account you meant. If the code was entered once on another account, the balance is on that account.
Paste the code instead of typing it, with no space before or after it. When typing, watch for O and 0, I and 1.
Do not keep trying the same code on many accounts or regions: some brands lock a code, or the account, after repeated attempts.

Common McAfee errors and what they mean

Key already used
A key activates one account or a limited number of devices. If it is not on any of yours, contact McAfee with the proof of purchase.
Key not valid
Paste the key again with no spaces, in McAfee's own app or website.

Contacting McAfee support

Use the support page on McAfee's official website. Send them the key, a screenshot of the error and the proof of purchase.

What to send them

The full code, exactly as it appears on your order page.
A screenshot of the error message, showing the date and time.
Your proof of purchase: open your order and use “Copy proof of purchase”. It has the order number, when the code was issued and when you first opened it.
The email or ID of the account you tried to redeem it on.
Never your password. No real support team, theirs or ours, will ask for it.

Why McAfee support handles this

Every code is issued by McAfee's own system and reaches you new, through the official distribution channel, at the moment you pay. When McAfee refuses a code, the reason is recorded on McAfee's side: which account tried it, when, and from where. Only McAfee support can see that record, and only they can reverse a redemption or restore a balance. We cannot see inside your McAfee account.

What we do

We give you the proof McAfee asks for: your order page shows when each code was issued, that it was never issued on any other MyPinCard order, and when you first opened it. Copy it from your order page and send it with your case. Delivered codes are final sale and are not refunded or exchanged; see the refund policy.

Refund policy