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Coursera's total liability for all claims related to its services is capped at the greater of $20 or the total fees paid by the user in the prior six months. The terms disclaim all liability for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including data loss, loss of goodwill, and inability to access services.
This analysis describes what Coursera's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision establishes a monetary ceiling on Coursera's aggregate liability for all service-related claims, which for free-tier users is $20. The exclusion of consequential and indirect damages, including data loss and service inaccessibility, limits the remedial exposure Coursera accepts regardless of the nature or severity of the underlying claim.
Interpretive note: Enforceability of the $20 liability cap may vary by jurisdiction; applicable consumer protection law in the EU, UK, and certain US states may limit or override this cap in consumer-facing contexts.
The updated refund policy establishes a new condition under which Coursera may deny refund requests: when a significant portion of the course content has been accessed prior to submitting the refund request. This addition does not replace existing denial grounds such as policy violations, repeated refund requests, or chargeback activity, but adds an access-based threshold alongside them. The terms do not define what constitutes a significant portion of content, leaving that determination to Coursera's discretion. Learners who access substantial course materials before requesting a refund may find their request denied under this provision.
View change record →The updated terms establish new procedural requirements for refunds on Coursera subscription plans. According to the revised language, canceling a subscription will stop future billing but will not automatically issue a refund; refunds must be requested separately. The terms now explicitly state that refunds will not be provided for renewal charges on annual subscription plans. For Specializations purchased through subscriptions, users may request a full refund within the applicable 7-day refund period or before earning a certificate, whichever occurs first. You can request a refund separately through Coursera's Support Services, but the updated terms indicate this is a manual process rather than an automatic one upon cancellation.
View change record →The updated terms no longer specify refund eligibility for users in India who prepay for specializations or Coursera Plus plans. Previously, these customers could request full refunds within 7 days of payment or before earning a certificate for any course included in their purchase, whichever occurred first. The removal of this language means refund terms for Indian prepaid customers are no longer explicitly defined in the publicly stated agreement, leaving refund policies unclear for this user segment.
View change record →Under this clause, users who have not paid fees to Coursera are limited to recovering a maximum of $20 for all claims combined, including those arising from service outages, data loss, or unauthorized access to their account or content. Paid users may recover up to the amount of fees paid in the prior six months, which sets a ceiling proportional to their subscription expenditure.
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"TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, COURSERA SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM: (A) YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE THE SERVICES; (B) ANY CONDUCT OR CONTENT OF ANY PARTY OTHER THAN THE APPLICABLE COURSERA PARTY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY DEFAMATORY, OFFENSIVE, OR ILLEGAL CONDUCT; OR (C) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, USE, OR ALTERATION OF YOUR CONTENT OR INFORMATION. IN NO EVENT SHALL COURSERA'S AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATED TO THE SERVICES EXCEED TWENTY U.S. DOLLARS ($20) OR THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FEES RECEIVED BY COURSERA FROM YOU FOR THE USE OF PAID SERVICES DURING THE PAST SIX MONTHS, WHICHEVER IS GREATER.Excerpt from Coursera's Terms of Use
1. REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Liability caps in consumer contracts may require evaluation under applicable consumer protection laws, including EU Directive 93/13/EEC on unfair contract terms for EU users, and California's Consumers Legal Remedies Act for California residents. The terms acknowledge that the cap applies only to the maximum extent permitted by law, which creates a jurisdictional dependency on whether courts in a given market enforce such caps in consumer contexts. 2. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The $20 floor is low relative to the potential cost of lost educational progress, data, or account access for paid users, but the cap scales with fees paid over six months, which may be more proportionate for degree program participants paying tuition. The disclaimer of data loss liability is notable for users relying on the platform for academically significant records. 3. JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU, EFTA, and UK consumer protection frameworks may limit the enforceability of liability caps that result in consumers being left without adequate remedy for material service failures. California consumer protection law may impose additional requirements on liability limitation disclosures. Courts in multiple jurisdictions have declined to enforce liability caps that are deemed substantively unconscionable in consumer contexts. 4. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Enterprise customers and institutional purchasers should assess whether the $20 liability cap applies to organizational accounts or only individual user accounts, and whether separate enterprise agreements establish different liability thresholds. Procurement teams should evaluate whether the cap is acceptable given the value of services and data entrusted to the platform. 5. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Organizations deploying Coursera for employee training or credentialing should assess indemnification and risk allocation frameworks in light of this cap. Legal teams should evaluate whether the one-year contractual limitations period combined with the liability cap creates a compounded constraint on remedial options for service failures affecting institutional users.
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This provision establishes a monetary ceiling on Coursera's aggregate liability for all service-related claims, which for free-tier users is $20. The exclusion of consequential and indirect damages, including data loss and service inaccessibility, limits the remedial exposure Coursera accepts regardless of the nature or severity of the underlying claim.
Under this clause, users who have not paid fees to Coursera are limited to recovering a maximum of $20 for all claims combined, including those arising from service outages, data loss, or unauthorized access to their account or content. Paid users may recover up to the amount of fees paid in the prior six months, which sets a ceiling proportional …
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