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Check which refund rule applies
| Purchase type | Main Steam policy |
|---|---|
| Game or software | Request within 14 days and have less than two hours of playtime. |
| DLC | Generally within 14 days, with less than two hours of playtime in the underlying game since the DLC purchase; the DLC must not be consumed, modified, or transferred. |
| Valve in-game purchase | Generally within 48 hours, if the item was not consumed, modified, or transferred. |
| Third-party in-game purchase | Only when the developer has enabled Steam refunds; Steam indicates eligibility at purchase. |
| Pre-order | Generally refundable before release. After release, the normal window usually runs from release, with less than two hours of playtime. |
| Early Access or Advanced Access | Pre-release playtime counts toward the two-hour limit. For a pre-purchased title that was not playable before release, the 14-day period normally starts on release. |
| Steam Wallet funds bought on Steam | Generally refundable within 14 days if none of the funds were used. |
| Renewable subscription | Generally within 48 hours of the initial purchase or renewal if the subscription was not used during the current billing cycle. |
| Gift | Normal rules apply. A redeemed gift requires the recipient to approve removal; money returns to the original purchaser. |
| Bundle | Generally refundable when combined usage is under two hours and no items were transferred. Steam identifies restrictions at checkout. |
| Third-party key or Wallet card | Contact the retailer that took payment; Steam did not sell the transaction. |
These are Steam’s published rules, not a statement of statutory rights. Consumer protections and payment options can vary by country. Steam’s policy page says it was last updated April 23, 2024; check the live policy for changes.
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How to submit a Steam refund request
- Open Steam Support in the desktop client or a browser.
- Sign in to the Steam account that made the purchase.
- Open your purchase or transaction history and select the relevant game, DLC, subscription, Wallet funds, gift, or other product.
- Choose the support option for requesting a refund. Labels and placement can vary by product and interface version.
- Select the reason that accurately describes the problem.
- Choose the destination Steam offers: the original payment method, when supported, or Steam Wallet.
- Submit the request and keep the confirmation email or ticket number.
If the purchase is missing, verify that you are in the correct account, review purchase history, and use Steam Support’s broader help or contact path. Do not begin with a chargeback simply because the transaction is hard to find.
How Steam counts the two-hour limit
Steam records playtime whether the game is online or offline, and shared-library playtime also counts. Installing or downloading is not itself playtime, but leaving a game running can continue the clock. Once you decide to seek a refund, stop launching the product so testing does not push you over the limit. “Less than two hours” is the safer reading of Steam’s wording; do not assume exactly two hours qualifies.
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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.
Requests outside 14 days or two hours
You can still submit a request outside the normal criteria. Steam says it will review such requests, but its policy does not promise approval. Explain the concrete issue briefly, for example that the game will not launch, a serious defect prevents meaningful use, the product materially differs from its store description, or the purchase was duplicated.
You can write: “I’m requesting a refund because [specific problem]. The product [would not launch/was unusable/was duplicated]. I understand this may be outside the standard criteria, but I’d appreciate a review.” Use truthful details rather than selecting a misleading reason.
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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.
Special cases and exclusions
DLC and in-game purchases
DLC normally must be within 14 days, under two hours of relevant game play since purchase, and unused. Irreversible character or account changes and consumed, modified, or transferred DLC may be excluded. Valve-developed games can offer refunds for eligible in-game purchases within 48 hours under the same no-use conditions. For third-party games, the developer must enable the feature; for a missing or disputed item, contact the game’s support team first and attach that correspondence to your Steam ticket if needed.
Pre-orders and Early Access
A pre-order is generally refundable until release. Steam may be unable to return a pre-order bought more than six months earlier to the original payment method, although Wallet credit may still be available. After release, the usual release-date window and playtime limit generally apply. Early Access time is not free time for refunds.
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Gifts
An unredeemed gift generally follows the normal 14-day and two-hour rules. For a redeemed gift, the recipient must approve removal from their account before the purchaser completes the request. Any refund goes to the purchaser who paid.
Subscriptions
For an eligible renewable subscription, Steam generally allows a request within 48 hours of the initial purchase or automatic renewal when the current billing cycle has not been used. Playing included games or using included benefits, discounts, or content can count as use. Canceling auto-renewal stops future billing but normally preserves access through the current period and is not automatically a refund.
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What Steam normally will not refund
- Third-party CD keys or Steam Wallet cards purchased outside Steam.
- Video content such as movies, shorts, series, episodes, and tutorials, except when included in a qualifying bundle.
- Consumed, modified, transferred, or permanently changing third-party DLC.
- A game for which the account has received a VAC ban; Steam says the right to refund that game is lost.
- Third-party in-game purchases when the developer has not enabled Steam refunds.
Refunds after a Steam sale
Steam says it is not abuse to refund a title bought immediately before a sale and then repurchase it at the sale price, provided the request otherwise follows the policy. Submit the ordinary refund request, wait for approval, and repurchase if you choose. Do not keep playing while the request is pending if you are near the playtime limit; Steam does not promise an automatic price adjustment.
Where the money goes and how long it takes
Steam generally sends the refund to the original payment method when that method supports refunds, or to Steam Wallet when it cannot or when you select Wallet where offered. Wallet credit stays inside Steam and cannot be withdrawn as cash. Steam says an approved refund is issued within one week of approval. Its support guidance says Wallet credit may appear within 24–48 hours, while approved refunds can take up to seven days to appear; international payment methods and banks may take longer. A canceled transaction shortly after purchase may show as a temporary bank authorization that disappears rather than as a separate credit.
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Approval, Steam’s processing, and visibility in your bank account are separate events. If more than seven days have passed after approval, check Steam purchase history and ask your bank or payment provider to trace the transaction.
If Steam denies the request
- Read the denial reason and check the purchase date, recorded playtime, product type, and payment destination.
- If you believe Steam misunderstood the facts, submit another detailed Steam Support request. Include the purchase date, playtime, technical failure, duplicate charge, or gift status.
- For an unauthorized purchase, secure the account immediately: change the password, enable Steam Guard, review purchase history and payment details, and contact Steam through the transaction record.
- Contact your bank or payment provider when appropriate, especially for unauthorized activity. Give Steam Support an opportunity to resolve the transaction before pursuing a chargeback, because a premature dispute can complicate account and payment resolution.
For the current policy, see Steam’s refund policy. Steam’s common questions are at this support page, with separate guidance for requesting a refund and pre-order refunds.
Quick Recap
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.
