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Steam’s standard refund test
Valve describes its policy as allowing a refund for nearly any Steam purchase for any reason, but the routine approval test is narrow. The purchase must be no more than 14 days old, and the game or software must show less than two hours of playtime. These are cumulative requirements: meeting one does not compensate for missing the other.
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| Requirement | What Valve checks | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase window | 14 days or fewer from the purchase date | A request after the window is outside the automatic standard offer. |
| Use time | Less than two hours of recorded playtime | Two hours or more is outside the routine rule. |
| Request channel | Steam Support at help.steampowered.com | Valve’s refund system, rather than a retailer, handles qualifying Steam purchases. |
| Payment timing | Normally within one week after approval | The destination is the original payment method when possible, otherwise Steam Wallet. |
The 14-day period is measured from the purchase, not from the first launch. Playtime is measured by Steam, so leaving a game running can use up the allowance even when you are not actively playing.
How to request a refund
- Go to help.steampowered.com and sign in to the Steam account that made the purchase.
- Open the purchases or account-purchase section and select the game, application, DLC or other item.
- Choose the refund option, identify the reason that best describes the problem, and select where Steam should send the request.
- Submit the form and keep the confirmation email or support-ticket details.
Steam Support can still review a request that falls outside the normal 14-day or two-hour limits. A review request is not a guarantee of approval; explain the circumstances accurately rather than trying to reset or disguise playtime.
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What happens after approval
Valve says an approved refund is issued within one week. When the original payment method supports refunds, the money goes back there. If it cannot receive the funds, Steam credits the amount to your Steam Wallet instead. The time for a bank, card issuer or payment service to display the credit can vary after Valve sends it.
Eligibility by purchase type
The standard rule changes in important ways for DLC, in-game items, pre-orders, subscriptions and bundles. The table provides the quick comparison; the sections below explain the conditions that can disqualify an otherwise recent purchase.
| Purchase category | Purchase-date window | Play or use limit | Additional condition | Refund decision-maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games and software | Within 14 days | Under two hours played | Normal Steam purchase | Valve |
| DLC | Within 14 days | Underlying game played under two hours since the DLC purchase | DLC must not be consumed, modified or transferred; some third-party DLC is labeled non-refundable | Valve, subject to the item’s label |
| In-game purchases | Within 48 hours | Item must be unused | Valve-developed games qualify; third-party developers must opt in, and Steam identifies participation at purchase | Valve or the participating developer’s Steam arrangement |
| Pre-orders | Before release, or 14 days after release when unplayable before launch | Pre-release playtime counts if the game was playable | Refunds before release are available for an unplayable pre-order | Valve |
| Steam Wallet funds | Within 14 days | No Wallet funds used | Applies to funds bought on Steam | Valve |
| Renewable subscriptions | Within 48 hours of initial purchase or automatic renewal | Current billing cycle must be unused | Playing included games or using subscription benefits counts as use | Valve |
| Bundles | Normally within 14 days | Less than two hours of combined use | No item may have been transferred; non-refundable DLC or in-game items can affect the whole-bundle request | Valve |
| Gifts | Unredeemed gifts follow the standard period | Standard limits apply | For a redeemed gift, the recipient starts the request and the money returns to the purchaser | Valve |
| Hardware | Separate hardware policy | Not governed by the game two-hour test | Hardware and accessories have their own Steam Hardware Refund Policy | Valve under the hardware policy |
| Video | Generally not refundable | Not stated as a game-play allowance | May be refundable when bundled with other refundable content | Valve |
Games and software
A normal game or software application is the simplest case: request within 14 days and keep Steam-recorded playtime below two hours. The rule applies regardless of whether your reason is technical trouble, an accidental purchase or simply deciding that the product is not for you.
DLC
Downloadable content has a 14-day window, but Valve also checks the underlying game’s use since the DLC was purchased. That playtime must remain below two hours. The DLC itself must not have been consumed, modified or transferred. For example, an add-on that permanently changes an account, spends a consumable resource or transfers an entitlement may no longer be reversible. Some third-party DLC is marked non-refundable before purchase; that label takes priority over the normal expectation.
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In-game purchases
Valve-developed games can offer refunds for qualifying in-game purchases made within 48 hours when the item remains unused. A third-party developer may choose to enable the same option, and Steam indicates whether that option is available at the time of purchase. Once the item has been consumed, activated, traded or otherwise used, it generally fails the unused-item condition.
Pre-orders, Early Access and Advanced Access
An unplayable pre-order can be refunded at any time before release. Its normal 14-day period begins on the release date, not the date you placed the pre-order.
If a pre-order lets you play before release, the pre-release hours count toward the two-hour limit. Early Access and Advanced Access time likewise counts. Buying early does not create a fresh two-hour allowance when the full release arrives; Steam treats the recorded time as playtime for the purchase.
Steam Wallet funds
Steam Wallet funds purchased directly on Steam can be refunded within 14 days only if none of those funds has been used. Spending even part of the balance can prevent a refund of that Wallet purchase.
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Renewable subscriptions
An unused current subscription billing cycle may be refundable within 48 hours of the initial charge or an automatic renewal. Playing games included with the subscription or using its benefits counts as use, so a request after using the service may be rejected even when it is made quickly.
Bundles
A bundle refund requires less than two hours of combined use across the bundle and no transferred items. A non-refundable DLC component or in-game item can also affect eligibility for the bundle as a whole. Check each component’s status before assuming that returning one part will return the entire package.
Gifts
An unredeemed gift follows the normal timing and playtime limits. When the recipient has redeemed the gift, the recipient must initiate the refund request; if Valve approves it, the money goes back to the original purchaser rather than becoming cash for the recipient.
Hardware and video
Steam hardware and accessories are covered by a separate Steam Hardware Refund Policy, so the game two-hour rule is not the test to use. Steam video content is generally non-refundable unless it was sold as part of a bundle that includes other refundable content.
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Purchases Valve cannot refund through Steam Support
Valve’s Steam refund service does not cover third-party CD keys or Steam Wallet cards bought outside Steam. The retailer or issuer that sold those items controls any remedy. Buying a key from another store does not turn that transaction into a Steam purchase.
A VAC ban removes the right to refund the game associated with the ban. This restriction applies even if the purchase would otherwise appear to fit the 14-day and two-hour limits.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do when you miss a standard condition
You are past 14 days
Submit a support request if there is a concrete reason Valve should review the case, such as a serious technical or billing problem. The policy permits requests outside the standard rules to be reviewed, but approval is discretionary.
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You have two hours or more
Explain the relevant circumstances and include the accurate playtime shown by Steam. Do not assume that idle time is excluded: Steam’s recorded total is what the support system sees.
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The item was used or transferred
For DLC, in-game purchases, bundles and subscriptions, identify exactly what was consumed, activated, traded or used. Those conditions are separate from the calendar window, and an unused-item rule cannot be restored after use.
The purchase is missing from support
Confirm that you are signed in to the account that paid for it and that the transaction occurred on Steam. A third-party key, external Wallet card or purchase made on another account will not appear as a refundable Steam transaction.
Refund timing and account conduct
Valve says refunds are intended to remove purchase risk, not to provide free games. The company may stop offering refunds if it considers an account’s activity abusive. Repeatedly buying, playing and returning products as a substitute for renting them can therefore put future refund access at risk, even when individual requests sometimes meet the mechanical limits.
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- Confirm the purchase date and count 14 days from that transaction.
- Check Steam’s recorded playtime, including Early Access, Advanced Access and any time the application was left running.
- For DLC, verify that the base game has under two hours since the DLC purchase and that the add-on was not consumed, modified or transferred.
- For an in-game purchase, check the 48-hour limit, unused status and whether the developer opted in.
- For a pre-order, determine whether it was playable before release; if not, the standard period starts at release.
- For Wallet funds, confirm that none of the balance was spent.
- For a subscription, confirm that the current cycle and its benefits were unused.
- For a bundle or gift, check combined use, transfers and who must submit the request.
- Exclude third-party keys, externally purchased Wallet cards and games with a VAC ban from the Steam refund route.
If every applicable condition is satisfied, file the request through Steam Support promptly. If one is not, you can still ask Valve to review the circumstances, but the normal automatic offer no longer applies.
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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.
