You can return a game you’ve purchased on Steam for any reason, whether it didn’t meet your expectations, you couldn’t play it because of performance issues or whatever the case may be. You’re eligible to request a refund if you do so within two weeks of the purchase and have under two hours of playtime on the game in question.
Read on for a full guide on how to refund a game on Steam.
How To Request a Steam Refund
There are many reasons you might want to refund a game, and Steam is generally permissive about allowing refunds as long as you don’t abuse the refund policy.
Step 1: Go to Steam’s Help Center and sign in to the account that made the purchase.
Step 2: Click on Purchases, then click on the game you’d like to refund.
Step 3: Under the What issue are you having with this purchase? heading, click I would like a refund.
Step 4: On the next page, click I’d like to request a refund, then use the dropdown menu to select whether you’d like the refund amount sent to your Steam Wallet or back to the original purchase method.
Step 5: If you’d like to explain why you’re requesting the refund, select an option from the Reason dropdown menu and enter an explanation in the Notes field.
Step 6: Confirm the details are correct, then click the Submit request button at the bottom.
When Are You Eligible for a Refund?
Any game purchased from Steam is eligible for a refund within certain conditions. One, you must request the refund within 14 days of purchasing the game. Two, you have to have fewer than two hours of playtime logged on the game, which prevents you from speeding through a game only to return it and get your money back.
DLC and In-Game Purchases
For Downloadable Content (DLC), the refund rules are similar. Purchased DLC can generally be refunded within 14 days as long as you’ve played the base game for under two hours since buying the DLC.
Remember that if you play a game after purchasing DLC for it, even if you don’t interact with the DLC content directly, this playtime still applies to the two-hour rule.
Third-party DLC might not be refundable, in which case the purchase will be clearly marked as nonrefundable on its Store page. Third-party developers can also decide whether or not to allow refunds for in-game purchases, but in-game purchases in Valve-developed games can be refunded within 48 hours if they haven’t been used.
Subscriptions and Gifts
If you pay for a subscription on Steam but haven’t used it during the current billing cycle (monthly or yearly), you can request a refund within 48 hours of the original subscription purchase or automatic renewal. You’ve used a subscription if you’ve played any games it includes or accessed any benefits or discounts that come with it.
The same two-week/two-hour rules apply to refunds for gifts that haven’t been redeemed, and refunds can be requested by either the sender or recipient. The original purchaser receives the refund.
Reasons for Refund Denial
Although Steam allows refunds on many purchases, some content types can’t be refunded, and the regular rules don’t apply in some situations.
Nonrefundable Purchases
Video content purchased on Steam, such as movies, episodes or shorts, can’t usually be refunded. Video content might be refundable if it’s part of a bundle with refundable content.
Refund Abuse and Cheating
If you’re banned by the Valve Anti-Cheat system (VAC) on a game, you cannot refund it. In addition, if Steam determines that you’re taking advantage of its policy, your right to receive refunds in the future might be revoked.
Steam Refund Procedure
Once your refund is approved, you should receive it within a week, in the form of either Steam Wallet funds or through the original payment method. If the refund can’t be completed through your original payment method, the amount will be credited to your Steam Wallet instead.
Summary
Refunding a game on Steam is a simple, fairly painless process as long as you know the refund policy. Even if you don’t meet the requirements we covered, Steam encourages you to submit a refund request for consideration on a case-by-case basis.
How was your experience with the Steam refund process? Let us know in the comments below!