How-To

How to Refund a Steam Game

By Ben Stockton

Updated November 19, 2023

Not every Steam game is the right one. If you want to request a Steam refund, follow the steps in this guide to get your money back.

Have you ever bought a game on Steam and regretted it later? Maybe the game was too buggy, too boring, or just not what you expected. Whatever the reason, you’ll want to get your money back and spend it on something else.

Can you request a refund for a Steam game, and if so, how? You aren’t necessarily stuck with a Steam purchase you’ve made, but you will need to know the rules and requirements for requesting a Steam refund.

We’ll show you how to refund a Steam purchase (whether a game or an app) in just a few simple steps below.

Can You Request a Steam Refund?

The good news is that Steam has a generous refund policy that allows you to request a refund for almost any game you buy on the platform.

You’ll need to be aware of a few conditions, however. For most games and apps you can purchase on Steam, you must request the refund within 14 days of purchase or 14 days of the game’s release (if it was a pre-order). You must have played the game or used the app for less than two hours.

These rules apply to games and software applications on the Steam store. Some exceptions and variations exist for other types of purchases, such as downloadable content (DLC), in-game items, pre-purchased titles, and Steam Wallet funds.

Additional rules may also apply to your locale, depending on local laws regarding refunds. You can read the specific conditions for refunds in your area on the Steam Refunds page.

If you meet these criteria, you can request a refund for any reason. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t like the game, if your PC couldn’t run it, or if you bought it by mistake. Steam will process your request and issue a full refund within a week of approval.

Steam will return your funds to the payment method you used initially—this could take several days, depending on your bank and location. Alternatively, you can receive the funds back to your Steam Wallet. This allows you to use the funds again for further Steam purchases without waiting for the funds to clear.

If Steam cannot refund your original payment method for any reason, your Steam Wallet will be credited instead as the backup method.

How to Request a Steam Refund

Steam hasn’t made it a difficult process for requesting refunds. If you want to refund a Steam game, you can do so by following the steps below. You can use either the Steam app or website—the steps are mostly the same for both.

To request a Steam refund:

1. Open the Steam app on your PC and sign in (if you aren’t already).
2. Go to Steam > Settings.
   
3. Click Account under Steam Settings on the left.
4. Next, click Account Details.
   
5. Click View purchase history to view a list of your recent purchases.
   
6. Find the game, app, DLC, or other Steam purchase that you want to refund and select it. If your purchase is not listed, it means it’s too old and ineligible for a refund.
7. With the information listed, click I would like a refund.
   
8. On the next menu, click I’d like to request a refund.
   
9. You’ll need to choose your preferred refund method. You can choose to be refunded into your Steam Wallet funds or to the original payment method you used to make the initial purchase.
10. Select your reason for requesting a refund using the form provided. You can also type a longer reason in the box provided to help you argue your case.
11. When you’re ready, click Submit Request. After a few moments, you should receive a confirmation email that your request was successfully submitted.
    

At this point, your request for a Steam refund will be processed. Steam refunds aren’t immediate, but they should happen quite quickly—you can check the status of your request on the Steam Support page. You can also cancel your request at any time before it’s approved.

If your request is approved, you will get your money back within a short period of time (typically a week). If your request is denied, you will get an email explaining why. You can also contact Steam Support if you have any questions or issues with your refund.

Managing Your Steam Account

If a game you’ve purchased on Steam isn’t meeting your expectations, you can request a refund for a Steam game quickly by following the steps above. Thankfully, Steam has a fair and flexible refund policy that’ll get you your money back for almost anything you buy in its store—as long as you meet the requirements.