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Yes—buying directly through Steam’s official store is generally a safe way to purchase PC games, and most Steam-store games can be submitted for a refund within 14 days if you have played for less than two hours. That is Steam’s standard request rule, not a guarantee that every request will be approved. Buying a key or Wallet card elsewhere is different: Valve says it cannot refund purchases made outside Steam. Protecting your Steam account from phishing and theft is a separate part of buying safely.
What Steam’s refund policy covers
Valve’s Steam Refunds policy, last updated April 23, 2024, generally lets you request a refund for a game or software bought through Steam if you submit the request within 14 days of purchase and have played for less than two hours. The rule is based on both elapsed time since purchase and playtime.
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Steam says you may request a refund for any reason within the applicable rules. If you miss the standard window or exceed the playtime limit, you can still submit a request, but Valve says it will review it rather than promising approval. Steam describes refunds as a way to remove purchase risk, not to obtain free games, and says it may stop offering refunds if it believes the system is being abused.
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Submit the request through Steam Support. If Valve approves it, Steam says the refund is issued within a week. Depending on what is supported for the purchase, the money goes to your Steam Wallet or back to the original payment method.
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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.
Rules differ by product
The standard game rule does not cover every Steam purchase in exactly the same way. Check the store page and applicable policy for the specific item before buying.
| Purchase type | Key refund conditions |
|---|---|
| Downloadable content (DLC) | Usually request within 14 days, with less than two hours of play in the base game since the DLC purchase. The DLC must not have been consumed, modified, or transferred. Some third-party DLC is marked nonrefundable on its store page. |
| In-game purchases | For Valve-developed games, request within 48 hours if the item has not been consumed, modified, or transferred. A third-party developer may opt in; Steam indicates eligibility at purchase. |
| Early Access and Advanced Access | Time spent playing counts toward the two-hour limit. |
| Pre-purchased game not yet playable | You may request a refund any time before release. The usual 14-day period starts on release. |
| Steam Wallet funds bought on Steam | You may request a refund within 14 days if none of the funds have been used. This does not apply to a Wallet card bought elsewhere. |
| Recurring subscription | For an unused current billing cycle, you may request within 48 hours of the initial purchase or automatic renewal. Playing a game or using a subscription benefit during that cycle counts as use. Cancelling stops future renewal but leaves access in place through the current period. |
| Bundles | Generally, the combined playtime across included items must be under two hours, and items must not have been transferred. Checkout identifies certain contents that are nonrefundable. |
| Gifts | An unredeemed gift follows the usual 14-day and under-two-hour conditions. For a redeemed gift, the recipient must initiate the request under the same conditions. |
| Standalone video content | Steam generally does not refund it. |
A VAC ban removes the refund right for the affected game. Valve also says that refunding a game bought just before a sale and immediately buying it again at the sale price is not abuse of the refund system.
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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.
Steam purchases and third-party keys are not equivalent
Steam’s refund process applies to eligible purchases made through Steam. Valve says it cannot refund purchases made outside Steam, including third-party CD keys and Steam Wallet cards bought elsewhere. A key seller may have its own return terms, but those are separate from Valve’s Steam refund policy.
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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.
How to reduce the risk of account theft
A refund policy does not protect your account from someone else signing in or tricking you into revealing credentials. Steam Guard adds a code check for sign-ins from unrecognized devices; depending on your settings, the code is delivered by email or generated in the Steam Mobile app. Steam says mobile authentication uses a device you possess and describes it as the strongest account-security option among those covered in its Steam Guard FAQ.
- Use a unique password for Steam and a different, unique password for the email account associated with it. Secure that email account as well.
- Open Steam by typing its address or using a trusted bookmark. Steam identifies steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, steamcommunity.com, and help.steampowered.com as official login domains.
- Do not share your credentials, follow alleged Steam Support instructions sent through chat or Discord, open suspicious links, or install untrusted software.
- Do not buy or trade Steam accounts. Steam defines the account owner as its creator and warns that a purchased account can be locked or reclaimed, leaving the buyer without compensation for its lost value.
If you suspect someone has accessed your account, follow Steam’s Account Security Recommendations: review authorized devices, sign out everywhere, change your Steam password, check the security of your email account, and scan your computer for malware.
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Local consumer rights may add protections
Steam notes that consumers in some jurisdictions may have additional rights, including in cases involving faulty games, and directs EU customers to separate information on its refund policy page. The standard Steam refund thresholds do not necessarily describe every right available in every location. For a purchase dispute or faulty product, check the current policy and consumer rules that apply where you live.
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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.
