Steam Wallet funds do not have a six-month expiry rule for all players. Valve’s Steam Subscriber Agreement states that funds added by Japanese subscribers expire if they are not used within six months of being added. That is different from a general policy cancelling balances because an account has been inactive.
What does Valve’s six-month clause say?
In a section headed “For Japanese Subscribers,” Valve’s Steam Subscriber Agreement says: “Any funds added to your Steam Wallet that you have not used within six (6) months following the date you added them will expire, as required by Japanese law.” The clause is expressly scoped to Japanese subscribers; it does not establish the same six-month expiry rule for every Steam user.
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Valve attributes the requirement to Japanese law. The agreement itself does not identify the specific statute or explain how it applies, so the clause should not be treated as an independent legal analysis.
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The stated period runs from the date funds are added to the Wallet. It is not described as six months since the user last logged in. The wording refers to funds and their addition dates, so it does not say that spending one deposit resets the expiry date for other deposits.
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For Japanese subscribers, the agreement says they can review their balance and the expiration dates for their funds in the Steam Wallet within their Steam account.
Can Valve cancel a balance because an account is inactive?
The six-month clause is about expiry of unused funds under the Japan-specific term, not a universal inactivity rule. The agreement separately allows Valve to restrict or cancel accounts or subscriptions in specified circumstances, including breaches of its terms. It also says unused Wallet funds will not be refunded when an account is cancelled for breach or improper or illegal activity. Those provisions should not be conflated with the six-month expiry clause: the surfaced terms do not say that every player forfeits their balance after six months without logging in.
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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.
What are Steam Wallet funds?
Valve describes the Wallet as a prepaid account balance for ordering content and services, and says it can also be used to purchase hardware. The agreement says funds added are generally non-refundable and non-transferable, subject to exceptions in the agreement, and have no cash value outside Steam. Those general terms do not broaden the Japan-specific expiry language. Steam Support’s Wallet guidance discusses wallet currency and existing balances; it does not independently establish a six-month expiry rule.
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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.
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- 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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