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How to Gift Money to a Friend on Steam

Steam Wallet funds can’t be transferred to a friend. Send a digital Steam Gift Card for spending value or buy an eligible game as a gift.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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You can’t transfer your existing Steam Wallet balance to another account. To give a friend Steam spending value, buy a digital Steam Gift Card; to pay for a particular game, purchase it through Steam as a gift. Which option works depends on what your friend wants and whether the game is eligible to gift in both of your regions.

Choose between a gift card and a game

Option Best when What to check
Digital Steam Gift Card You want your friend to choose what to buy with Steam spending value. Payment methods vary by your region and appear at checkout. The card can be redeemed only on Steam; it is not cash.
Specific game gift You know which game your friend wants and want to buy that title for them. Confirm your friend does not already own it and that Steam permits the gift across your purchase regions. Some games and add-ons cannot be gifted.

Steam Wallet funds can be spent on eligible Steam products, including games, in-game items, software, and hardware. Steam Gift Cards can only be redeemed on Steam. Steam Wallet

How to send a digital Steam Gift Card

  1. Open Steam’s digital Steam Gift Cards page.
  2. Choose the gift card option and recipient, then follow the checkout prompts. Steam lists the payment methods available in your region during checkout.
  3. Complete the purchase. Steam says your friend receives an email and a gift notification on their Steam account.

You don’t need a Steam account to buy a Steam Gift Card: Steam’s gift instructions provide a guest-checkout option. Steam Digital Gift Cards · Steam Gifts

How to gift a specific game

  1. Find the game in the Steam Store and add it to your cart.
  2. Choose “This is a gift” and select your friend from your Friends List.
  3. Choose immediate delivery or schedule delivery for a later date. Steam allows scheduling up to 12 months after purchase.
  4. Pay for the gift. Your friend has 30 days to accept or decline; if they take no action, Steam says the purchase is automatically canceled and refunded.

Steam’s gift instructions describe the checkout flow and acceptance period. A gift may not be available for every product or recipient, so check the options Steam shows before paying.

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#1 Best Overall
Visa Virtual eGift Card
  • 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.

Why a game gift may not be available

Regional restrictions

Differences in regional prices can prevent a game from being gifted across purchase regions. Steam shows restrictions on the Store page or during checkout, and the countries covered can change. Steam Support says it cannot remove these restrictions. Do not use a VPN or proxy to disguise your location to redeem a restricted gift: Steam says doing so violates its terms and may lead to account restrictions. Region Restrictions on Steam

Your friend already owns the game

Steam may gray out a friend who already owns the item. Check their library or ask them before buying.

Rank #2
Visa Virtual eGift Card
  • 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.

You’re gifting DLC

Your friend must own the base game before you can gift its downloadable content.

The item is not giftable

Some games and add-ons are unavailable as gifts. Steam recommends a digital gift card in that case, so your friend can buy the item themselves. Some account-customized bundles also cannot be gifted. Multipacks cannot be gifted as a whole, though extra copies from a multipack may be giftable in some cases. Check the product’s checkout options. Steam Gifts · Steam Sales – Purchasing and billing FAQ

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Rank #3
Visa Virtual eGift Card
  • 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.

Can you transfer money from your Steam Wallet?

No. Steam Support says Wallet funds cannot be moved or gifted to another Steam account. Steam’s trading interface also does not support Wallet credits or money transfers, so a trade is not a workaround. Use a digital gift card to give Steam spending value, or purchase an eligible game through Steam’s gifting flow. Steam Wallet · Recommended Trading Practices

What to know about physical Steam Gift Cards

Steam says physical retail Steam Gift Cards are being phased out: it will not restock them and expects retailers to be out of stock by the end of 2026. Existing cards remain usable on Steam, subject to local laws. Digital gift cards remain available. If you want a tangible card, check current stock and currency before buying rather than assuming a retailer still has one. Steam Wallet

Rank #4
$500 Apple Gift Card—Email Delivery
  • For all things Apple - products, accessories, apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, iCloud+, and more.
  • Perfect for App Store purchases and subscriptions—get apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, and more.
  • The perfect gift to say happy birthday, thank you, congratulations, and more.
  • Available in $15 - 500, Card delivered via email or SMS
  • Use it for purchases at any Apple Store location, on the Apple Store app, apple.com, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple News+, Apple Books, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Fitness+, Apple One, and other Apple properties in US only
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Protect your gift card code

A Steam Gift Card code is not cash. Steam warns against giving a code to someone you do not know who claims it is payment for taxes, debts, bail, delivery, or a prize. For a friend, use Steam’s own gifting options; do not send a code to satisfy a stranger’s payment demand. Gift Card Scams

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Bestseller No. 2
Bestseller No. 3
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$500 Apple Gift Card—Email Delivery
$500 Apple Gift Card—Email Delivery
The perfect gift to say happy birthday, thank you, congratulations, and more.; Available in $15 - 500, Card delivered via email or SMS
$500.00
Bestseller No. 5
Best Value
Visa Virtual eGift Card
  • 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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