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How Does Gifting Work on Steam? Buying, Sending, and Refunds

Steam gifts are sent through checkout to a friend, with immediate or scheduled delivery. Learn what recipients can do, when refunds apply, and why a game may not be giftable.
From TheFinanceBase Team4 min to read
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To gift a game on Steam, add it to your cart, choose “This is a gift,” select a friend, and pay. Your friend can accept the game into their library or decline it; Steam automatically refunds a declined gift. The main complications are eligibility, region restrictions, and the extra approval step required to refund a gift that has already been redeemed.

How to buy and send a Steam game as a gift

  1. Find the game in the Steam Store and add it to your cart.
  2. In the cart, select “This is a gift.”
  3. Choose the recipient from your Steam Friends List.
  4. Choose immediate delivery or schedule delivery for a date up to 12 months after purchase.
  5. Complete checkout using an available payment method.

Steam sends the recipient an email and a gift notification in the Steam client. You can review gift history in your Steam Inventory by choosing “View Gift History.” If a gift is still scheduled in your Inventory, you can reschedule it through purchase history. Steam Gifts

What the recipient can do

The recipient can accept the gift, adding the game to their Steam library, or decline it. If they decline, Steam automatically refunds the purchaser’s payment method. A delivered gift stays pending for 30 days; if the recipient does nothing during that time, Steam cancels the purchase and refunds the original payment method. Once accepted, the game is permanently added to the account that redeemed it. Steam Gifts

How refunds work for Steam gifts

Gift not yet redeemed

The purchaser can request a refund through Steam Support. Steam’s stated baseline is that the gift was purchased within 14 days and the recipient played it for less than two hours. Requests outside those conditions may still be submitted for review, but approval is not guaranteed. Steam Gifts Common Refund Questions

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#1 Best Overall
Visa Virtual eGift Card
  • Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
  • When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
  • This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
  • Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
  • This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.

Gift already redeemed

The recipient must first approve removal of the gift from their account. After that, the purchaser submits the refund request through Steam Support. The same 14-day and under-two-hours baseline applies; Steam reviews requests that do not meet it rather than guaranteeing a refund. Steam Gifts Common Refund Questions

If Steam revokes a gift following fraud or a payment dispute, the recipient is notified and the game is no longer playable from their library. Revoked Gifts

Rank #2
Visa Virtual eGift Card
  • Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
  • When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
  • This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
  • Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
  • This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.

Why Steam may not let you gift a game

Gift availability depends on the specific title, the recipient’s account, and sometimes the recipient’s region. Steam lists these common blockers:

  • The recipient already owns the game.
  • A regional price difference or territory restriction prevents the cross-region gift.
  • The recipient does not own a required base game for the DLC you want to send.
  • A customized “Complete Your Collection” bundle is not giftable, or the title does not support gifting.
  • The item is a multipack. Steam says multipacks cannot be gifted directly as a purchase, although extra copies from eligible promotions may be passed along.

Steam identifies applicable restrictions during checkout, and the gift description lists the countries where the gift can be redeemed. Those country groups can change, and Steam Support cannot remove the restrictions. Using a proxy or VPN to disguise your location and redeem a restricted gift violates Steam’s Terms of Service and may result in account restrictions. Steam Gifts Region Restrictions on Steam

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Rank #3
Visa Virtual eGift Card
  • Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
  • When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
  • This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
  • Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
  • This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.

Game gift or Steam Gift Card?

Consideration Gift a specific game Steam Gift Card
What the recipient gets The game you select, if the recipient is eligible to receive and redeem it. Wallet funds the recipient can apply toward a game or add-on for their account.
Choosing what to buy The buyer selects the title. The recipient chooses an eligible purchase after redeeming the card.
Availability Can be blocked by ownership, DLC requirements, product eligibility, or region restrictions. Availability and use depend on the specific card terms; a card should not be assumed to bypass local availability or account restrictions.
Delivery and refund details Can be delivered immediately or scheduled up to 12 months ahead; gift acceptance and refund rules apply. Steam says the recipient receives an email and account notification. The gift-game acceptance and refund process described above should not be assumed to apply to cards.

Steam recommends a Steam Gift Card when direct gifting is unavailable or you would rather let the recipient choose. After redeeming it, they can use the wallet funds toward a game or add-on for their own account. Steam Gifts Revoked Gifts

Can you send a duplicate game as an extra copy?

Usually not: buying a game the recipient already owns does not generally provide an extra gift copy. Steam limits giftable extra copies to certain promotions, including some four-packs and other offers explicitly identified at checkout. Promotional extra copies cannot be bought or sold. Extra Copies

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  • The perfect gift to say happy birthday, thank you, congratulations, and more.
  • Available in $15 - 500, Card delivered via email or SMS
  • Use it for purchases at any Apple Store location, on the Apple Store app, apple.com, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple News+, Apple Books, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Fitness+, Apple One, and other Apple properties in US only
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

How to avoid gift scams

Steam warns against accepting gifts from people you do not know. Redeeming a fraudulent gift can also contribute to a restricted Steam account. Use Steam’s gifting flow or an authorized seller, and do not assume a third-party offer to sell Steam gifts is supported: Steam says it does not support sales of Steam gifts outside Steam. Revoked Gifts Restricted Steam Account Steam Sales – Purchasing and billing FAQ

Quick Recap

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Visa Virtual eGift Card
  • Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
  • When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
  • This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
  • Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
  • This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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