To refund a Steam game, sign in to Steam Support, open Purchases, select the game, identify the problem, choose the refund option, select Steam Wallet or the original payment method when offered, and submit. The usual offer covers requests made within 14 days of purchase when the game has less than two hours of playtime. Steam still accepts requests outside those limits for review, but approval is not guaranteed.
How to refund a Steam game
Steam’s refund request is handled through Steam Support rather than the game’s store page. Use the account that paid for the transaction; a different account generally will not show the purchase in its support history.
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- Open Steam Support and sign in.
- Select Purchases.
- Find and open the transaction for the game.
- Choose the issue that best describes the problem.
- Select the option to request a refund.
- Choose Steam Wallet or the original payment method if Steam presents that choice.
- Complete the form and submit it.
Steam sends an email confirming that the request was submitted, followed by another message when the request has been processed. Keep both messages until the money or Wallet balance appears.
If the purchase does not appear
A missing transaction may be outside Steam’s request period, but that is not a reason to assume the case is impossible. Use the support flow for the account that made the purchase. If the transaction still cannot be found and you believe it should be considered, contact Steam Support and provide the purchase details shown in your payment record.
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The standard Steam game refund rule
For a Steam Store game or software application, the ordinary refund offer has two conditions:
- The request is made within 14 days of purchase.
- The title has been played for less than two hours.
Both limits matter. A request made on day 10 after 2 hours and 15 minutes of play is outside the standard offer, as is a request made after 14 days even if the game was never launched.
Steam’s policy also says that you may submit a request when one or both limits are missed. Steam will review the circumstances, but the policy does not promise approval in those cases. Treat the two-week and two-hour figures as the point at which an automatic-looking request becomes a discretionary review, not as a guarantee that every request inside them will be accepted.
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That policy language describes the ability to ask, not an unconditional right to receive money back. The purchase type, usage, timing, payment method and any applicable exclusions still determine the result.
What happens after you submit
Review and approval
Steam evaluates the request against the rule for that purchase. A game that meets the normal timing and playtime conditions is the straightforward case. Requests outside those conditions, or requests involving a special product such as DLC or a subscription, receive a different review.
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- 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.
Where the refund goes
For an approved refund, Valve says the money is returned to the original payment method when that method supports refunds. If it cannot be refunded through Steam, the amount goes to Steam Wallet instead. Steam may show the available destination during the request.
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How long it takes
Steam says an approved refund is issued within one week of approval. That is the issuance target, not necessarily the time for a bank, card issuer or other payment provider to display the credit. Wallet refunds can therefore appear differently from a card or other external payment refund.
Rules for different kinds of Steam purchases
The two-hour game rule does not apply unchanged to every item sold through Steam. Use the category that matches the transaction.
| Purchase type | Request window | Usage or playtime test | Other conditions | Who requests and where funds go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game or software application | Usually within 14 days | Less than two hours played | Requests outside either limit may still be reviewed | The purchaser requests; original method when supported, otherwise Steam Wallet |
| DLC | Generally within 14 days | Underlying game played less than two hours since the DLC was bought | DLC must not have been consumed, modified or transferred; some third-party DLC is marked nonrefundable before checkout | The purchaser requests; destination follows the available Steam option |
| In-game purchase in a Valve-developed game | Within 48 hours | Item must not have been consumed, modified or transferred | The offer applies to eligible items under the policy | The purchaser requests; original method when supported or Steam Wallet |
| In-game purchase in a third-party game | Only where the developer has opted into comparable terms | Normally requires the item to remain unused | Check the checkout indication; without the opt-in, Steam says the purchase is not refundable through Steam | The purchaser requests when the offer is available |
| Pre-purchase | Any time before release for a title that cannot yet be played | The normal period and two-hour limit begin at release | Early Access and Advance Access playtime counts toward the two-hour limit | The purchaser requests; destination follows the available option |
| Steam Wallet funds added directly | Within 14 days | None of the funds may have been used | The funds must have been purchased on Steam | The purchaser requests; refund destination depends on payment support |
| Renewable subscription | Within 48 hours of the initial purchase or automatic renewal | The subscription must not have been used during that billing cycle | Playing included games or using included benefits counts as use | The subscriber requests; cancellation alone does not refund the current cycle |
| Bundle | Generally the standard purchase period | Combined use of the bundle must be below two hours | No item may have been transferred; Steam identifies nonrefundable components during checkout | The purchaser requests; destination follows the available option |
| Gift | Unredeemed gifts follow the standard 14-day and less-than-two-hour conditions | Redeemed gifts must meet the applicable game conditions | For a redeemed gift, the recipient must start the request and approve removal; money returns to the original purchaser | Recipient initiates a redeemed-gift request; original purchaser receives the funds |
| Steam hardware | Set by the separate Hardware Refund Policy | Not the game playtime test | Use the hardware-specific process and period | Follow the hardware policy’s instructions |
| Purchase made outside Steam | Not covered by Steam’s refund offer | Not applicable | Examples include third-party CD keys and Steam Wallet cards bought elsewhere | Request a refund from the seller that took the payment |
| VAC-banned game | Excluded by the policy | Not applicable | A VAC ban removes the right to refund that game | Steam does not provide the policy refund |
| Video content | Generally excluded | Not applicable | It may be covered when bundled with other refundable non-video content | Depends on the qualifying bundle |
DLC refunds
DLC has an additional condition beyond the calendar and playtime limits. The downloadable content must remain reversible: it must not have been consumed, modified or transferred. For the playtime test, Steam looks at the underlying game’s playtime since the DLC was purchased, rather than treating the DLC as an entirely separate two-hour allowance.
Some third-party DLC cannot be reversed technically. Steam says those items are identified as nonrefundable before purchase. Read the checkout notice carefully; a label shown before payment can control whether Steam will accept a later request.
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In-game purchases
Valve-developed games
Eligible purchases made inside a Valve-developed game can generally be refunded within 48 hours. The item must not have been consumed, modified or transferred. Opening, spending, upgrading or otherwise changing the item can remove the ability to reverse the transaction.
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Third-party games
A third-party developer can opt into comparable in-game refund terms. Steam’s checkout indication is important because it tells you whether that developer has made the offer available. If the developer has not opted in, Steam says the in-game purchase is not refundable through Steam.
Pre-purchases, Early Access and Advance Access
If a pre-purchased title cannot be played before its release, Steam allows a refund at any time before release. Once the title launches, the normal 14-day period begins, and the less-than-two-hour playtime condition applies.
Early Access and Advance Access work differently because the game can be played before its formal release. Hours played during that access count toward the two-hour limit. A long test during Early Access can therefore place a later request outside the standard offer even if the full release was recent.
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Money added directly to Steam Wallet can be refundable within 14 days when it was bought on Steam and none of the balance has been used. Spending even part of that top-up changes the facts Steam reviews, so keep a separate record of the amount and avoid using it while deciding whether to request a refund.
This rule concerns Wallet funds purchased as a transaction. It does not turn a purchase made elsewhere, such as a Wallet card bought from another seller, into a Steam-refundable purchase.
Subscriptions and automatic renewals
A renewable subscription has a short 48-hour request window after the initial purchase or an automatic renewal. The subscription must not have been used during that billing cycle. Using included games or other included benefits counts as use.
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Cancelling a subscription is separate from requesting a refund. Cancellation stops the next renewal, but it normally leaves access in place through the current billing cycle. If you want money back for the current charge, submit the refund request within the applicable window rather than relying on cancellation alone.
Bundles and gifts
Bundles
A bundle can receive a full refund when no item has been transferred and combined use remains below two hours. Steam can identify a component that is not refundable during checkout. Because a single nonrefundable component can affect the bundle, review the contents and the checkout disclosure before buying.
Unredeemed gifts
An unredeemed gift follows the standard game conditions: the request must generally be within 14 days and the title must have less than two hours of playtime.
Redeemed gifts
For a gift that the recipient has redeemed, the recipient must initiate the request and approve removal of the game from the recipient’s account. If Steam approves it, the funds return to the original purchaser rather than becoming a balance for the recipient.
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Items bought outside Steam
Steam says it cannot refund purchases made outside Steam. That includes third-party CD keys and Steam Wallet cards purchased from another seller. The seller that accepted the payment is the party to contact, and Steam Support cannot turn that external transaction into a Steam Store refund.
VAC-banned games
The refund policy states that a VAC ban removes the right to refund that game. A refund request cannot be used to reverse the consequence of a Valve Anti-Cheat ban.
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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.
Video content
Video content is generally not refundable under the stated policy. The qualification is that video may be included in a refundable bundle when it is packaged with other non-video content that qualifies.
Can you refund a Steam game after two hours or 14 days?
You can still send the request. Steam explicitly says that customers outside the published conditions may ask and that Steam will take a look. The result is discretionary, so do not describe an exception request as an entitlement.
Explain the relevant facts briefly and accurately: for example, a technical problem that prevented normal use, an accidental purchase, or an access issue. Steam’s policy does not publish a guaranteed list of exceptions, and an explanation cannot replace the product-specific conditions. Submit through the same Purchases flow and wait for the decision rather than opening duplicate requests for the same transaction.
Refunds, sales and possible abuse
Valve may stop offering refunds if it determines that a customer is abusing the system. The policy specifically says that requesting a refund just before a sale and buying the title again at the lower price is not considered abuse. That statement addresses this common situation; it does not excuse repeated requests that otherwise appear manipulative.
Do not buy a title again until the first transaction has been approved and the original access has been removed. Keeping both transactions active can complicate your account history and does not improve the request.
Consumer rights in your region
Steam notes that consumers in some jurisdictions may have additional rights when a game is faulty. Those rights depend on where you live and on the facts of the purchase. The Steam policy references an explanation of European Union withdrawal rights, but a general article cannot determine which statutory remedy applies to every country, payment method or type of defect.
If the issue concerns a defective product or a mandatory local guarantee, check the consumer rules that apply in your jurisdiction as well as Steam’s contractual refund process. Do not assume that the 14-day and two-hour offer replaces rights that local law gives you, or that those rights automatically produce the same remedy in every region.
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A practical checklist before submitting
- Confirm that you are signed in to the account that made the purchase.
- Record the purchase date and transaction shown in Steam Support.
- Check the game’s recorded playtime, including Early Access or Advance Access hours.
- Identify whether the transaction is a game, DLC, in-game item, subscription, bundle, gift, Wallet top-up or hardware order.
- For DLC, in-game items and bundles, confirm that the content has not been consumed, modified or transferred.
- For a redeemed gift, coordinate with the recipient because the recipient must start the request.
- Choose the original payment method or Steam Wallet when Steam offers the choice.
- Save the confirmation email and wait for the processing message.
The short answer to common situations
- Played 90 minutes and bought it eight days ago: submit through Purchases; this fits the ordinary game conditions.
- Played three hours and bought it yesterday: you may ask, but Steam must review it outside the standard playtime condition.
- Bought it 20 days ago and never launched it: you may ask, but the request is outside the usual 14-day period.
- Bought a DLC pack and used its contents: the consumed-content condition can prevent a refund even if the date and playtime look acceptable.
- Received a gift that you redeemed: you initiate the request, approve removal, and the original purchaser receives any approved refund.
- Bought a key from another seller: contact that seller; Steam’s offer does not cover the external transaction.
- Want to stop a subscription renewal: cancel the subscription for future cycles, and submit a separate refund request if the current charge is eligible.
Bottom line
Use Steam Support’s Purchases flow and apply the rule for the specific product, not just the familiar game limit. For ordinary games, 14 days and less than two hours is the standard offer; special products have separate windows and usage tests. Outside the limits, submitting a request is still worthwhile when you have a clear explanation, but Steam’s review is not a promise of approval. Approved refunds are issued within one week and return to the original payment method when supported, otherwise to Steam Wallet.
Valve’s Steam Refunds policy was last updated April 23, 2024. Payment-method availability, product terms and local consumer rights can change, so check the current Steam Support wording when you file.
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