Yes. If you bought a game on Steam shortly before it went on sale, you can request a refund and buy it again at the discounted price. Valve explicitly says this is not refund abuse. It is not an automatic price adjustment: you submit a refund request, and if Steam approves it, make a separate purchase at the sale price.
Steam’s normal refund rules for games
Steam’s standard refund offer for games and software applies when you request a refund within 14 days of purchase and have played for less than two hours. These are the ordinary eligibility conditions, not a guarantee that every request will be approved. See Steam’s Refunds policy, which Valve says was last updated April 23, 2024.
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What to do when a game’s price drops
- Open Steam Support and select the game or purchase you want help with.
- Submit a refund request. If you meet the usual time and playtime conditions, state that the game went on sale after you bought it.
- If Steam approves the refund, buy the game again separately at the current sale price.
Valve’s policy specifically says it does not consider it abuse to request a refund for a title bought just before a sale and then immediately rebuy it at the sale price. A price drop does not itself reprice or alter the original transaction.
If you are outside the usual refund window
You can still submit a request through Steam Support if you have played for two hours or more or more than 14 days have passed. Valve says it will review requests outside its stated rules, but does not promise approval. Explain the circumstances accurately and let Steam decide.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Where the refund goes and how long it takes
Steam says an approved refund is issued within a week. Depending on whether your original payment method supports refunds in your country, the money goes to that method or to your Steam Wallet. The destination and timing apply after approval, not while Steam is still reviewing the request.
Refund rules depend on what and where you bought
| Purchase | What Steam’s policy says |
|---|---|
| Game or software bought on Steam | Ordinarily, request within 14 days and with less than two hours of playtime. Steam may review requests outside these conditions; approval is not assured. |
| Steam Store DLC | Generally refundable within 14 days if the base game has been played for less than two hours since the DLC purchase and the DLC has not been consumed, modified, or transferred. Some third-party DLC is excluded and marked nonrefundable on its store page. |
| In-game purchase | For Valve-developed games, qualifying requests can be made within 48 hours if the item has not been consumed, modified, or transferred. A third-party developer may opt in, with availability identified at purchase; otherwise, these purchases in non-Valve games are not refundable through Steam. |
| Third-party key or Steam Wallet card bought outside Steam | Valve says it cannot refund purchases made outside Steam. Check the seller’s refund rules. |
These terms are summarized from Valve’s Steam Refunds policy. Consumers in some jurisdictions may have additional rights in certain circumstances.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Refund abuse and repeated requests
Steam says it may stop offering refunds if it believes a customer is abusing the system. The sale-price repurchase case is an explicit exception: Valve says requesting a refund for a game bought just before a sale and immediately buying it again at the sale price is not abuse. That exception does not mean every refund request will be approved.
Quick Recap
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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