For almost each purchase you make on Steam, you can ask for a refund. It's possible that your computer doesn't have the necessary hardware, that you purchased the game inadvertently, or that you tried it out for an hour and decided you didn't like it.
It is irrelevant. If a refund request is received via help.steampowered.com within the required return time and, in the case of games, if the title has not been played for more than two hours, Valve will process the refund. There are additional specifics below, but even if you don't qualify for a refund under the criteria we've outlined, you can still request one, and we'll look into it.
After acceptance, you will receive a complete refund for your purchase within a week. The refund will either be given to you in your Steam Wallet or by using the original payment method. If Steam is unable to refund you using your original payment method for whatever reason, the whole amount will be paid to your Steam Wallet. (Some payment options offered by Steam in your nation might not permit refunds to the original payment method.)
Refundable Areas
Games and software programs purchased through the Steam shop are eligible for a refund within two weeks of the purchase date and with less than two hours of playtime. Here is a summary of how refunds function for other kinds of transactions.
Refunds on downloadable content
(Steam store content usable within another game or software application, "DLC")
DLC bought from the Steam store is returnable within fourteen days of purchase and if the underlying title hasn't been played for more than two hours since the DLC was bought, as long as the DLC hasn't been consumed, modified, or transferred. Please be aware that sometimes Steam won't be able to issue refunds for some third-party DLC (for example, if the DLC irreversibly levels up a game character). The Store page will make it very obvious that these exclusions are nonrefundable before the purchase.
Refunds for buys made in-game
As long as the in-game item has not been used, altered, or transferred, Steam will reimburse in-game purchases made within any Valve-developed titles within 48 hours of the purchase. Refunds for in-game items may be made available under these conditions at the discretion of third-party producers. If the game developer has chosen to give refunds on the in-game item you are purchasing, Steam will let you know at the time of purchase. Otherwise, Steam does not offer refunds for in-game purchases made in non-Valve games.
Refunds for early purchased titles
You can ask for a refund at any point before the game's release if you pre-purchase a game on Steam and have already paid for it. Starting on the game's release date, there is a regular 14-day/two-hour refund period that is also applicable.
Refunds for steam wallet
If you haven't used any of the Steam Wallet funds you bought on Steam, you have fourteen days from the date of purchase to ask for a refund.
Periodical subscriptions
Steam offers recurring payments for periodic (monthly, yearly) access to some content and services. You have 48 hours from the time of the first purchase or 48 hours after any automatic renewal to obtain a refund if a renewable subscription has not been used during the current billing cycle. When a game from a subscription has been played within the current payment cycle or when a benefit or discount from the subscription has been used, consumed, updated, or transferred, the content is deemed to have been used.
Please be aware that you can always cancel a current subscription by visiting your account information. After cancellation, your subscription will no longer renew itself, but you will still have access to its features and benefits for the remainder of the current monthly cycle.
Steam hardware
You have the right to ask for a refund for any Steam hardware or accessories you bought through Steam within the appropriate time frame and procedure outlined in the Hardware Refund Policy.
Refunds on bundles
If none of the goods in the bundle have been transferred and the total usage time for all of the package's components is less than two hours, you can get a complete refund for any bundle you bought from the Steam Store. If a bundle contains a DLC or in-game item that is not returnable, Steam will let you know at checkout if the entire bundle is returnable.
Purchases made outside of steam
Refunds for purchases made outside of Steam are not possible from Valve (for example, CD keys or Steam wallet cards purchased from third parties).
Vac bans
You forfeit the right to a refund for a game if VAC (the Valve Anti-Cheat system) has banned you from it.
Visual material
Videos on Steam (such as feature films, television shows, episodes, and tutorials) cannot be refunded unless they are included in a bundle with other (non-video) refundable items.
Refunds on gifts
Gifts that have not been used may be reimbursed during the typical 14-day/two-hour refund window. If the gift receiver requests a return, redeemed gifts may be issued under the same terms. The gift's original buyer will receive a refund for the money spent on it.
Refunds are intended to reduce the risk associated with making purchases of games on Steam, not as a mechanism to obtain free games. We reserve the right to discontinue providing refunds to you if it appears to us that you are abusing them. We do not view it as abuse to ask for a refund on a book that was bought just before a sale and then to buy it again right away at the sale price.
Refund Request Procedure
Visit support.steampowered.com to obtain a refund or receive additional help with your Steam purchases.
Refund requirements for Steam
Before you attempt to seek a refund on Steam, there are a few things to bear in mind. As long as you bought the game less than 14 days ago and haven't played it for more than two hours, you should be able to submit a request for any Steam purchase.
Therefore, there is no point in attempting to get a refund for games you purchased a few years ago but never played. They will always be included in your library.
Nevertheless, Steam does state that, depending on the circumstances, it will nevertheless take some requests into account even if they don't match those conditions.
Carefully seek a refund
It is important to keep in mind that, despite Valve's generally permissive policy on Steam refunds, the firm may nonetheless refuse your request for a game refund if it believes you are abusing the system.
Therefore, refrain from repeatedly asking for refunds or attempting to utilize the system to speedrun games before asking for a refund. Then, your ability to request a refund can be suspended, meaning you won't be able to in the future.
Can in-game items and DLC be refunded?
Refunds are available for downloadable material, in-game items, and Steam games in addition to other purchases. If you haven't played the game it is related to for more than two hours since you purchased the DLC, you have a 14-day opportunity to ask for a refund.
However, there are occasional exceptions to this rule, such as when the DLC fundamentally alters the game in a way that cannot be undone.
The guidelines for in-game material are a little different. If the game was created by Valve, you typically have 48 hours to ask for a refund on an in-game purchase as long as it hasn't been altered, used, or transferred. Other game makers' games can be different.
What if you were prohibited?
Players who have been banned are not permitted to receive refunds by Valve. You won't be able to request a refund on a game if you have a VAC ban (the Valve Anti-Cheat system) on your account or on that particular game.
Are games given as gifts returnable?
A game that has been gifted can also be refunded using Steam. You must first meet the same conditions, namely that you haven't played the game for more than two hours and that it hasn't been in your account for more than 14 days, but if you do, you can request a refund.
If you ask for a refund on a game that a friend bought for you, the money will be transferred back to their account once the refund has been processed.
What about games that are on sale?
The fact that Steam's refund policy is flexible and can be used during sales is another plus. So don't worry if you purchased a game ahead of a Steam sale and it has since been considerably discounted. You can still get a refund. You can ask for a refund for the full amount of the game you bought and then repurchase it at the discounted price, according to Valve, as long as you adhere to the standard standards.
How to ask for a refund for a Steam game
You only need to adhere to a few simple steps in order to submit a refund request:
- First, launch Steam and select the help option in the top left corner of the application.
- Select Steam Support.
- Under "recent products," locate the game you wish to return, or select "games and applications" to view other games.
- Choose the game you want a refund for by clicking it, and then indicate why.
- Select the refund method you prefer.
- You can choose to have the money returned either to your Steam wallet or to the original payment method you made use of.
There are several choices you can choose from when requesting a refund for a game.
- Technical or gameplay issues
- There is no bonus material or DLC.
- I can't seem to use my retail CD key.
- Not what I anticipated
- I accidentally bought this, and I want to delete it from my account forever.
The most typical justifications for requesting and receiving a refund are frequently viewed as being gameplay and technical problems, unintentional purchases, and "it's not what I expected." If you have the chance to explain why you would like a refund after choosing one of the reasons, we advise doing so. especially if there are bugs or other problems with the game that can be a valid complaint that other players are also experiencing.
Don't worry if you aren't using the PC that Steam is installed on because you may still request a refund in another way. Simply go to the Steam Support website, log in, and then carry out the same procedures.
You just need to wait after submitting the request. The clearance procedure will need to be reviewed, and according to Valve, it might take up to seven days. When it is finished, an email ought to be sent to you.
