A limited Steam account is one that has not met Steam’s qualifying spend requirement, so access to some community and social features is restricted. Steam says the restrictions remain until the account has spent at least $5 USD on qualifying purchases through the Steam Store. You can still download and play free-to-play games; the limit is on certain account features, not free-game access.
What makes a Steam account limited?
Steam uses limited-user status to restrict access to certain community features until an account meets its spending threshold. Steam says the policy is intended to make it harder for malicious users to spam, scam, and phish other users. The official explanation and complete current list of qualifying activity are in Steam Support’s Limited User Accounts FAQ.
Limited status does not prevent you from playing free games. Steam says free-to-play games can be downloaded and played without a purchase, though individual games may impose their own limits. An account with no purchased game or funded Steam Wallet may still be classed as limited.
What can a limited account do—and what is restricted?
Steam’s list of restricted features includes, but is not limited to, the following:
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- Sending friend invites
- Using the Steam Community Market
- Trading Steam Community items
- Gaining Steam profile levels
- Accessing the Steam Web API
- Other Steam community features
The restrictions do not mean every Steam feature or game is unavailable. The exact effects depend on the feature, and a game may have separate rules of its own.
How to remove limited-user restrictions
Your account must reach at least $5 USD in qualifying Steam Store spend. Steam lists these qualifying methods:
- Add at least $5 to your Steam Wallet.
- Buy games from the Steam Store worth at least $5.
- Add a Steam Wallet card worth at least $5.
- Buy a Steam gift worth at least $5.
Steam says a gift received from another user does not count toward your own qualifying spend. These are routes to meet the limited-user threshold, not a requirement to buy something if you prefer to keep the account limited.
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What does not count toward the $5 threshold?
Steam says the following do not remove limited-user restrictions:
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- Downloading free demos or free-to-play games
- Using promotional trials
- Spending money earned by selling items on the Steam Community Market
- Receiving a Steam gift from a friend
How Steam calculates qualifying spend
Steam tracks the threshold in USD. If you buy from a store using another currency, Steam converts each purchase at the daily exchange rate in effect when that purchase is made. A purchase counts only after it has been successfully processed; a pending purchase does not count yet.
Money returned to your bank or removed through a payment dispute is subtracted from your qualifying spend. If that brings the total below $5 USD, the account can lose access to the affected community features. A refund credited to your Steam Wallet, such as a pre-order refund, does not change access to those features.
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To check your own progress, open Steam Support’s Limited User Accounts FAQ while signed in and follow its link to the spend information. Public information cannot establish an individual account’s current total or status.
Why can’t a limited account add friends?
A limited account cannot send friend invites, but it can receive them. A non-limited account can send the invite for the limited user to accept. Steam also supports Quick Invite links; its FAQ says limited users can create Quick Invite codes.
If you previously had access to community features and they became restricted, Steam says the current qualifying spend may have been calculated below $5. Its FAQ also notes calculation mistakes that commonly affected accounts with more than $1 but less than $5 in total spend. That troubleshooting note is not a guarantee that an account total is incorrect; check the spend information for your account.
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- Like the name suggests, the Steam Deck will include upgraded 1TB storage, and will include a carrying case. A micro SD slot will also enable expanded storage.
- Valve partnered with AMD to create a specialized APU optimized for handheld gaming, and Valve says the chip will deliver performance to run AAA gaming titles.
- The Steam Deck is outfitted with a 7-inch touchscreen, and two trackpads under the control sticks that allow gamers to operate games never designed outside of mouse and keyboard capabilities.
Limited status is not the same as a ban or account lock
Limited-user status is about whether qualifying spend has been met. Steam handles account locks and enforcement restrictions separately, including community bans, trade bans, VAC bans, and game bans. These can relate to issues such as payment fraud, account theft, scams, or abuse, and are not resolved simply by meeting the $5 spending threshold.
If Steam shows a separate restriction notice, follow the instructions on the account and contact Steam through the Steam Support Help Site. Steam’s guidance on these separate restrictions is in its Restricted Steam Account FAQ.
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