Steam lets players ask for a refund on almost any purchase, for almost any reason, as long as the request is made within 14 days of buying and the game has been played for under two hours. This guide sets out how Valve’s refund policy works, what falls outside it and how money is returned.
The core rule: 14 days and 2 hours
For games and software, both limits apply at once. The request must be made within 14 days of purchase, and total playtime must be under two hours. Valve says requests outside those limits can still be submitted, and Steam will review them. Some regions may also give extra refund rights for faulty games.
How to ask for a refund
Refund requests go through Steam’s help site, help.steampowered.com. Valve’s policy page names that site as the place to submit a request. The on-screen options can change, so follow the prompts shown there for the purchase in question.
How and when the money comes back
Valve says approved refunds are issued in full within about a week. The money goes to the Steam Wallet or to the original payment method. If the original method cannot be refunded, the full amount goes to the Steam Wallet instead. Steam publishes a list of payment methods that cannot be refunded to the original method.
Rules for common purchase types
- DLC: refundable within 14 days, provided the base game has under two hours of playtime since the DLC was bought, and the DLC has not been used, changed or transferred. Some third-party DLC is marked as non-refundable on its store page.
- Pre-purchases: if a game cannot be played before release, a refund can be requested at any time before release. The usual 14-day and two-hour window then starts on the release date. Early Access or Advance Access playtime counts towards the two hours.
- Gifts: unredeemed gifts follow the standard rules. Redeemed gifts can be refunded under the same conditions if the recipient asks, and the money goes back to the original buyer.
- Bundles: refundable if no items were transferred and total use is under two hours.
- Steam Wallet funds: refundable within 14 days if unused.
- Subscriptions: renewable subscriptions are refundable within 48 hours of purchase or renewal if unused in the current billing cycle.
In-game purchases
For Valve’s own games, in-game items are refundable within 48 hours if the item has not been used, changed or transferred. For third-party games, an in-game purchase can be refunded only if the developer enables it, and Steam shows this at checkout. Otherwise the purchase is not refundable through Steam.
What is not covered
- Video content is generally not refundable, unless bundled with refundable non-video content.
- Purchases made outside Steam are not refundable by Valve.
- Accounts banned by VAC for a game cannot get a refund for that game.
Refund abuse
Valve says refunds exist to reduce the risk of buying, not to obtain free games, and it may stop offering refunds to accounts that appear to abuse the system. Buying a game before a sale and then buying it again at the sale price is not treated as abuse.
