Steam is one of the oldest digital video game distribution services, offering over 30,000 games for sale to 95 million users worldwide. Founded in 2003 and owned by Valve, one of the biggest video game developers, it’s a trusted online store for both PC and Mac users to buy and play games developed by Valve and third-party developers.
Like many other digital stores, Steam offers a generous refund policy on its products, so you can easily return a game that doesn’t meet your expectations or doesn’t work as advertised.
Refund Policy of Steam
You can ask for a refund at any time 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 standard 14-day/two-hour refund period that is also applicable. If you meet these requirements, Valve promises that it will refund the game for you.
It’s also worth noting that the game must be purchased through the Steam client in order to qualify for a refund.
Within 48 hours of purchase, Steam offers refunds for in-game purchases made in any Valve-developed games.
Games purchased through third-party retailers and added to Steam with a product key cannot be refunded by Steam, though you can usually get your money back through the retailer you bought it from in such cases.
How to Refund A Game on Steam?
To Request a Refund, you can basically follow the following steps:
- Log into your Steam account
- Click ‘Help’ and then “Steam Support.”
- Select ‘Purchases’
- Pick the game you want to return
- Select “I would like a refund.”
- Hit “I’d like to request a refund.”
- Choose your refund method
- Click “Submit Request”
- Wait for approval and payment
To request a refund, you must first open the Steam client and click the Help button in the upper-left corner of the screen. From there, select Steam Support to open the online Steam support website. This can be accessed on both PC and Mac, as long as you have the latest version of Steam installed. On the left side of the screen, you’ll see a list of your recent purchases. Select the game you want to refund, then click “Request Refund.”
When requesting a refund, you’ll be asked to choose a reason why you would like your money back and write a short message explaining your thoughts. Though it’s not guaranteed to get you a refund, this process helps Valve and the game developer understand why you’re asking for your money back.
Once you’ve submitted your request, you should receive an email from Valve saying that they are reviewing it and will respond to you shortly. If your request is approved, the game will be removed from your library, and the money will be refunded to your Steam wallet or the payment method used during the purchase.
In our experience, these requests have been processed quickly, though it could take a little longer in some cases.
Keep in mind that you can only have a maximum of 10 refunds at a time, so don’t be afraid to use yours wisely! Also, if you’re found to be requesting refunds for multiple games over a short period of time, it may be a sign that you are using this feature to farm achievements.
