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How to Refund a Steam Game: The Rules, Time Limits, and Exceptions

Request a Steam refund through Steam Support. See the standard time and playtime limits, plus rules for DLC, gifts, preorders, subscriptions, and more.
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To refund a Steam game, sign in at Steam Support, select the purchase, and submit a refund request. The standard offer for games and software bought on Steam applies when you request within 14 days of purchase and have played for less than two hours. If you miss either limit, you can still ask, but approval is not guaranteed.

How to request a Steam game refund

  1. Open Steam Support and sign in to the account that made the purchase.
  2. Choose the purchase you need help with and submit a refund request, following the options shown on the support page.
  3. Provide the requested details and send the request. Steam Support’s exact screens and options may vary.

Valve’s policy says it considers refund requests for nearly any reason, but that does not mean every request will be approved. Steam Support handles the decision for your purchase.

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Check the rules that apply to your purchase

Before submitting, check when you bought the item, how much relevant playtime or use has accrued, and whether it is a game or another kind of purchase. These are the standard published rules; some purchase types have additional conditions.

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Purchase type Published rule
Games and software bought on Steam Request within 14 days of purchase and with less than two hours of playtime for the standard offer.
Steam-store DLC Request within 14 days, with less than two hours in the underlying game since buying the DLC. The DLC must not have been consumed, modified, or transferred. Some third-party DLC is marked nonrefundable before purchase.
In-game purchases For Valve games, request within 48 hours if the item has not been consumed, modified, or transferred. Third-party developers may opt in; Steam indicates refund availability at purchase.
Steam Wallet funds Request within 14 days if the funds were purchased on Steam and none have been used.
Renewable subscriptions If unused in the current billing cycle, request within 48 hours of the initial purchase or an automatic renewal. Steam counts playing subscription games or using included benefits or discounts as use. Cancelling stops renewal, but access continues through the current billing cycle.
Bundles A full refund is available if no items have been transferred and combined use is under two hours. Checkout indicates whether a nonrefundable item makes a bundle ineligible.
Gifts An unredeemed gift follows the standard 14-day and under-two-hour period. For a redeemed gift, the recipient initiates the request under the same conditions; the refund goes to the purchaser.
Video Video content is not refundable unless it is bundled with other refundable, non-video content.
Hardware and accessories bought through Steam These follow a separate Hardware Refund Policy and process, rather than the game-refund route.

Valve’s policy page does not set out the standard game-refund rule for purchases made outside Steam. It specifically says Steam cannot refund third-party purchases such as external CD keys or Steam Wallet cards; contact the retailer instead. A VAC ban on a game also removes the right to refund that game under the published policy.

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Early Access, Advance Access, and preorders

Playtime in Early Access or Advance Access counts toward the two-hour limit. For a pre-release purchase, the 14-day window begins on the game’s release date. If a preorder cannot be played before release, you can request a refund at any time before the release.

What if you are outside the usual limits?

You can submit a request even if more than 14 days have passed or you have played for two hours or more. Valve says it will review requests outside the standard rules, but its policy does not promise approval. Some jurisdictions may also provide additional rights for faulty games; applicable rights depend on where you live.

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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 an approved refund arrives

Valve says an approved refund is issued within a week of approval. The money returns either to your Steam Wallet or to the original payment method. Availability of returns to the original method varies by country and transaction; if that method cannot receive the refund, Valve credits your Steam Wallet. The week is the stated period after approval, not a guarantee for the full time spent reviewing a request.

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Use refunds for their intended purpose

Valve may stop offering refunds if it considers the process abused. It says that buying a game just before a sale, requesting a refund, and immediately buying it again at the lower price is not abuse. The stated purpose is to remove purchase risk, not to use games for free.

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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.

These rules reflect Valve’s Steam Refunds policy, last updated April 23, 2024. For current terms, region-specific rights, and the decision on an individual purchase, check the policy and Steam Support.

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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.
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