Steam refunds explained – how refunds work and everything to know

Steam began offering refunds on titles purchased from its storefront in 2015, effectively changing how customers buy games on the PC distribution service. These days, it’s relatively common knowledge that all games bought in the Steam store are refundable. While the process of getting a refund is relatively simple, finding out if you can get a refund is the hard part because of the limitations Valve has put in place. So, here’s everything you need to know about Steam’s refund policy.

How to initiate a refund

Refunding Steam games is relatively simple. Head on over to the Steam Support section and log in if you haven’t already. In the opening drop-down menu, click “Purchases,” find the game in question that you want to refund, and then go to “I would like a refund.” Then hit “I’d like to request a refund.”

Afterward, Steam should open a short form detailing more information needed to refund your purchase. Fill out your refund form by choosing a refund method, the reason for the refund, and any additional notes required to process your request.

From there, Valve will either approve or deny your refund. If approved, refunds can take up to seven days to appear, with more extended periods for international refunds. Don’t worry if your request is denied, either. Customers can appeal an original denial by sending in an additional refund request. Another Valve employee will look over the refund and make a decision.

Games are refundable based on hours played and days owned

When it comes to refunding games and DLC on Steam, there are two critical criteria to keep in mind before sending in a refund request.

Refunds can only be made if the player has less than two hours of in-game time and has solely owned the game in question for two weeks. For example, players can refund games they’ve owned for eight days and only played for an hour or titles they bought during a Steam sale and change their minds a week later. But both ownership length and in-game playtime must meet the rules to receive a refund.

So if a Steam user buys a game, plays 25 hours, and then decides to refund their title, their request will most likely be denied. Similarly, Steam players cannot refund a game they’ve owned for half a year but have only played for 15 minutes. So when in doubt, it’s better to play new purchases sooner rather than later to find out if they’re worth holding onto.

What else can be refunded

The good news is that, other than just games, a lot more products on Steam’s storefront can be refunded. Here’s what else can be refunded on Steam.

• Bundles: You can receive a refund on a bundle as long as none of the products within the bundle have been transferred or if the combined time for all the products in goes over two hours.
• DLC: Downloadable content can be refunded within fourteen days of purchase or if the title in question has been played for less than two hours since the DLC was purchased, so long as the DLC hasn’t been played, modified, or transferred. However, Steam notes that they can’t give any refunds to third-party DLC such as ones that level up characters.
• Gifts: If a present to a loved one didn’t work out, you can refund that with the standard 14-day/two-hour refund period. The gift recipient can initiate the refund process and the funds will be transferred back to you.
• Pre-Purchased Titles: If you want to cancel your preorder on a game, you can do that at any time prior to the game’s release. The standard 14-day/two-hour refund policy also applies once the game releases.
• Steam Hardware: If something happened to a product you’ve purchased from Steam, you can be eligible for a refund. You’ll have to check the Hardware Refund Policy page on the official Steam page for more details to see if you’re qualified for one.

What’s not eligible for a refund

The only pieces of content not eligible for a refund are purchases made outside of Steam and video content. So, if you’ve purchased one of the few documentaries on Steam and didn’t like it, you’re stuck with it.

What makes you ineligible for a refund

To make you ineligible for a refund, you’ll have to either have been banned by VAC (the Valve Anti-Cheat system) on a game or have been caught abusing their refund system. Always make sure whatever you’re buying on Steam is something you’re going to like.