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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Yes—buying a game directly from Steam is covered by Valve’s published refund policy. For most Steam-store games and software, the standard request window is within 14 days of purchase and with less than two hours of playtime. Valve reviews requests outside those limits but does not promise to approve them. Buying a key or Steam Wallet card elsewhere is different: Valve says it cannot refund purchases made outside Steam.
Refund protection and account security are separate issues. Steam Guard and careful sign-in habits can help protect your account, but they do not make every product refundable or eliminate phishing and malware risks.
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What Steam’s standard refund rule covers
Valve’s Steam Refunds policy, last updated April 23, 2024, generally lets you request a refund for a game or software bought through Steam if you do so within 14 days of purchase and have played it for less than two hours. The threshold is less than two hours, not two hours or less.
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Within those limits, Steam says you may request a refund for any reason. If you miss either limit, you can still submit a request; Valve says it will review it, but approval is not guaranteed. The policy describes refunds as a way to remove purchase risk, not to obtain free games, and says Valve may stop offering refunds if it believes the system is being abused.
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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.
How to request a refund and when to expect it
- Sign in to Steam and open Steam Support.
- Select the game or purchase in your account’s recent purchases, then choose the refund option and follow the prompts to submit the request.
- Choose an available refund destination. If Valve approves the request, it says the refund is issued within a week, either to your Steam Wallet or, where supported, to the original payment method.
Submitting a request is not the same as receiving approval. Keep the purchase and playtime within the stated limits while deciding whether to keep a game, and check the product-specific terms before buying content that has its own rules.
Refund rules differ by product
Steam’s policy sets separate conditions for several purchase types. The store page or checkout may also identify content that is not refundable.
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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.
| Purchase type | Key rule in Valve’s policy |
|---|---|
| Downloadable content (DLC) | Usually request within 14 days, while the underlying game has been played for less than two hours since the DLC purchase. The DLC must not have been consumed, modified, or transferred. Some third-party DLC is marked nonrefundable on its store page. |
| In-game purchases | For Valve-developed games, request within 48 hours if the item has not been consumed, modified, or transferred. Third-party developers may opt in; Steam indicates eligibility at purchase. |
| Early Access and Advanced Access | Playtime before full release counts toward the two-hour limit. |
| Pre-purchases | If the title cannot be played before release, request a refund any time before release. The standard 14-day period begins on release. |
| Steam Wallet funds bought on Steam | Request within 14 days if none of the funds have been used. A Wallet card bought elsewhere is not covered by this rule. |
| Recurring subscriptions | For an unused current billing cycle, request within 48 hours of the initial purchase or automatic renewal. Playing a game or using a benefit during that cycle counts as use. Cancelling stops future renewal but leaves access in place through the current period. |
| Bundles | Generally, total playtime across included items must be under two hours and items must not have been transferred. Checkout identifies certain nonrefundable contents. |
| Gifts | An unredeemed gift follows the usual 14-day and under-two-hour window. For a redeemed gift, the recipient must initiate the request under the same conditions. |
| Standalone video content | Steam generally does not refund it. |
A VAC ban removes the right to a refund for the affected game. For a game bought just before a sale, Valve’s policy says requesting a refund and immediately rebuying it at the sale price is not abuse, provided the refund request otherwise qualifies.
Steam purchases versus third-party keys and Wallet cards
The purchase route matters. Valve says it cannot refund purchases made outside Steam, including third-party CD keys and Steam Wallet cards. A retailer or key seller may have its own return terms, but those are separate from Steam’s refund process; do not assume a key bought elsewhere carries Steam’s standard refund protection.
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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.
For a Steam-store purchase, the usual game rule is the 14-day window and less than two hours of play. For an external key or Wallet card, Valve’s process does not cover the purchase. Check the seller’s terms before paying if you are buying outside Steam.
How to protect your Steam account
Steam’s Steam Guard FAQ says the feature requires a special code when you sign in from an unrecognized device. Depending on your account settings, the code is delivered by email or generated in the Steam Mobile app. Steam describes mobile authentication as its strongest account-security option among those discussed in that FAQ.
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- Use it for purchases at any Apple Store location, on the Apple Store app, apple.com, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple News+, Apple Books, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Fitness+, Apple One, and other Apple properties in US only
- Use a unique password for Steam and a different, unique password for the email account associated with it; secure that email account as well.
- Do not share your credentials, open unexpected links, follow alleged Steam Support instructions in chat or Discord, or install software from untrusted sources.
- Use official Steam sign-in pages. Steam lists steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, steamcommunity.com, and help.steampowered.com as official login domains.
- Do not buy or trade accounts. Steam defines the account owner as its creator and warns that a purchased account may be locked or reclaimed, without compensation for the buyer’s lost value.
If you suspect someone has accessed your account, Steam’s Account Security Recommendations advise reviewing authorized devices, signing out everywhere, changing your passwords, checking your email security, and scanning for malware.
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Steam notes that consumers in some jurisdictions may have additional rights, including for faulty games, and provides separate information for EU customers. The standard refund limits are Steam’s general policy, not a substitute for checking the rules that apply where you live. Consult Steam’s live policy and the consumer-rights information for your jurisdiction before relying on a legal entitlement.
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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.
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.
