IVF is a major emotional and financial commitment. When it doesn’t work, you may feel like the future you imagined is slipping away.
You deserve clear, compassionate guidance about your options.
In this guide, you’ll learn whether you can get your money back for failed IVF, how fertility clinic refund programs work and why some families shift toward surrogacy.
When you’re ready, you can get free information and talk with a surrogacy specialist about what comes next.
Do You Get Your Money Back for Failed IVF?
You may be able to receive a partial refund. Some fertility clinics offer money-back guarantees through “shared risk” programs.
Generally, you’ll need to pay a higher upfront cost in exchange for financial protection if treatment does not result in a live birth.
For example, Shady Grove Fertility’s Shared Risk 100% Refund Program allows qualifying patients to pay one flat, refundable deposit that covers multiple IVF attempts.
You can try up to six IVF or donor-egg cycles, plus unlimited frozen embryo transfers. If you don’t take home a baby or choose to stop treatment, you get your full deposit back.
But there are important limitations:
- You must meet strict medical criteria, including age and ovarian reserve requirements.
- You’ll pay more upfront than traditional per‑cycle fees.
- You receive a refund only on the program deposit — not medications or diagnostic testing.
Programs like this can offer a clearer path forward, but they’re not available for everyone.
Are IVF Refund Programs Worth It?
If you qualify and want predictable costs, these programs can give you a sense of stability during an emotional process.
If you’re unlikely to qualify or prefer paying per cycle, they may not feel right for where you are. At the end of the day, this decision is about caring for your heart as much as your finances.
What Happens Financially If IVF Fails?
A failed cycle can be emotionally and financially devastating. You’ve poured your heart, time and resources into the process while holding onto the hope of growing your family.
When the pregnancy test comes back negative, you’re not just facing a medical outcome, you’re facing the weight of everything you invested.
You may be left carrying medical bills or debt from earlier rounds, which can make the next step feel even heavier. And you typically can’t get insurance to cover IVF failures; most insurance plans don’t cover IVF at all.
Depending on your state and employer, you may have partial coverage for diagnostics or medication, but coverage for full treatment is still limited.
This is often the moment when intended parents step back and re-evaluate whether more IVF cycles make sense.
Why Some Families Choose Surrogacy After Failed IVF
Medical Conditions That Prevent Safe Pregnancy
Some medical conditions, like severe uterine scarring, autoimmune issues or other health factors, make it very difficult to carry a pregnancy safely.
Surrogacy allows you to use your embryos while relying on a gestational surrogate who has been thoroughly screened and cleared to carry a healthy pregnancy.
Overcoming the Emotional Strain of Repeat IVF
After multiple IVF cycles, the emotional weight of hoping, waiting and grieving can become overwhelming. You may want a path with fewer unknowns, a clearer timeline and a higher chance of success.
Shifting to Surrogacy for Financial Predictability
Repeat IVF cycles can add up quickly. For some families, shifting to surrogacy feels like a more predictable and purposeful investment.
Many families go through many IVF cycles before trying something else. But choosing surrogacy isn’t “giving up.”
Rather, it’s an intentional step toward the option that gives you the best chance of becoming a parent.
Surrogacy Is More Expensive. So Why Do People Still Choose It?
Surrogacy is a significant financial investment, but some people consider surrogacy a better investment than repeated IVF.
Here are the benefits that often make surrogacy feel like the stronger path forward:
- Predictable Timeline: With American Surrogacy, many intended parents are matched in 1 - 4 months, helping you move forward faster.
- Higher Likelihood of Success: You work with a gestational surrogate who has been thoroughly screened and medically cleared.
- Structured Process: You experience fewer unexpected hurdles compared to repeated IVF cycles.
- Genetic Connection: You can use your own embryos to maintain a genetic link to your child.
For intended parents who have already been through so much, surrogacy often feels like a stable and structured step toward becoming a parent.
IVF vs. Surrogacy: Which Is More Cost-Effective in the Long Run?
IVF is unpredictable. One cycle might succeed, or you might need several, each costing thousands of dollars.
Surrogacy costs more upfront, but success rates are significantly higher due to medically screened surrogates.
Instead of wondering whether this next cycle will be different, you’re placing your embryo into the healthiest, most stable environment possible.
When you compare the total cost of repeat IVF cycles, the medications, the procedures, the time off work, the emotional toll, many families ultimately spend less through surrogacy than they would after several more IVF attempts.
If your journey ends without a baby and you have no embryos left, certain surrogacy programs (including some at American Surrogacy) also offer partial refunds depending on the package you choose. This adds another layer of financial protection and predictability.
IVF Is Already Part of the Surrogacy Process — Why Risk Paying More?
Even if you choose surrogacy, IVF is still required to create or use existing embryos. That means:
- You’re already investing in IVF.
- Surrogacy ensures your embryo is placed in the healthiest possible environment.
- You can use embryos created from previous IVF cycles.
Using Existing Embryos in Surrogacy: What Are Your Options?
One of the greatest fears intended parents face when transitioning from IVF is the thought of losing the embryos they worked so hard to create.
If you have frozen embryos from previous cycles, they can be used in your surrogacy journey.
The process of using your existing embryos for a gestational surrogacy journey is straightforward:
- Coordinate Transfer: Our specialists work with your current fertility clinic (where the embryos are stored) to manage the transfer of the genetic material.
- Medical Clearance: Once you are matched with a thoroughly screened surrogate, your embryos will be transferred into her uterus during an Embryo Transfer Procedure at a fertility clinic.
- Maintain Connection: Using your existing embryos is how you maintain a genetic connection to your child while transferring the physical demands of pregnancy to your gestational surrogate.
This option protects your emotional and financial investment and allows you to give the embryos you already created the best chance at resulting in a pregnancy.
How Families Afford Surrogacy After IVF Loss
Many intended parents worry about affording surrogacy, especially after the cost of IVF. You have more options than you might think.
American Surrogacy partners with Sunfish, a leading fertility financing platform that offers flexible loans designed specifically for IVF and surrogacy. You can also manage costs through various other methods, including:
- Personal loans
- Fertility or surrogacy grants
- 401(k) withdrawals or loans
- HSA or FSA funds
- Employer benefits for family-building
- Home equity loans
- Crowdfunding
American Surrogacy’s Financial Protection and Refund Eligibility
You deserve a program built to protect your investment in your family-building journey. At American Surrogacy, we offer:
- Transparent Costs: We break down each fee clearly upfront so you can plan confidently without surprise expenses later.
- Unlimited Matching: Our Limited Risk Program offers unlimited rematch attempts at no extra cost
- Possible Refunds: You may be refunded some fees if your journey ends without embryos left to transfer.
Ready to Take the Next Step After IVF?
If you’ve experienced the emotional and financial toll of failed IVF, you deserve a program built to offer financial safeguards for your path to parenthood.
Learn more about our programs’ financial protection by filling out our online form.