TurboTax has 2 free products, but it sounds like your friend was not in one of them. I don't know what edition your friend ended up using, but as an example, Deluxe is $40 for a Federal return and $40 for a state return, if applicable. If one chooses to pay fees out of the Federal refund, there is an additional $40 service fee ($45 for California filers.) If he/she chose to pay that way, then that last service fee can be removed prior to filing, if desired, and one can then pay upfront with credit/debit card or a prepaid debit card one can buy in a store.
Has your friend already paid and filed?
It would have been good for the friend to ask this prior to paying when it's easier to resolve and get him into the right product. If your friend has not yet paid, he may be able to downgrade or switch to one of the 2 free products, if he meets the qualifications to use one. We can give you more details and suggestions on what to do.
If he/she started in Free Edition, he may have had to upgrade due to specific situations in the return.
See this FAQ on some situations where one cannot use Free Edition:
FAQ: Why do I have to upgrade from Free Edition?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/upgrading/help/why-do-i-have-to-upgrade-from-free-edition/00/26379
In that case, a user might be able to use the other free product--TurboTax IRS Free File Program--if one meets one of the qualifications. We can tell you more about both free products and whether it's still possible to switch once you explain the friend's situation more
