How to refund a game on Steam – step-by-step guide

With an abundance of Steam Sales, there’s never been more incentive to stock up on a load of new games. But sometimes, they don’t end up being what we expect them to be.

Maybe you pre ordered Jedi Survivor, only to be let down on by the game’s woeful performance issues on PC. We don’t blame you either – who wants to deal with stuttering and frame rate drops on their first day of playing the game. Or maybe it’s just the negative reviews pouring in that’s convincing you you’re better off refunding the game, despite the positive reviews sourced from our reviews roundup. One popular review from Steam seems to sum it up well: the game is “extremely fun but performs terribly.”

The good news is that Steam has a very fair and easy refund system in place, which we’re going to take you through now.

You qualify for a refund if you:

• Have bought a game by mistake
• Un-played title: You have bought the title in the last 14 days and have not played it
• Played title: You played the title for a short period of time and do not like it (the title needs to be played for less than two hours)
• Your PC does not meet the minimum requirements

Of course, there are other reasons, but the most common refunds will likely boil down to these. The one to watch out for is time played. You will likely struggle to refund a game on Steam if you have played over two hours – so if you don’t like it, it’s best to opt for a refund rather than risk being stuck with it.

Those who have bought a game but not got round to playing it have 14 days from the time of purchase to refund. This set of rules applies to DLC also, as per the Steam parameters.

How to refund a game on Steam – step by step guide

Here’s how to apply for a refund in Steam:

• Step 1: Check you fall into the above criteria – this will ensure you are eligible
• Step 2: Head over help.steampowered.com and log in
• Step 3: Click Purchases and then ‘I purchased this product by accident’
• Step 4: Click ‘I’d like to request a refund’
• Step 5: You’ll then need to fill out a short form, explaining why and then submit

It’ll take up to a week for your submission to be processed, after which, if it’s successful, you’ll be issued a full refund, either in Steam Wallet funds or through the same payment method used in the initial purchase.

It’s worth noting that there is some flex in Steam’s refund policy, as confirmed by Valve themselves. So if you just fall out of these requirements, it may still be worth giving it a go. They will likely look at time played as the decider. Best of luck!

Frequently asked questions

It’s a frustrating business when you realise you need to refund your Steam game, so we’ve done our best answering some of your questions below.

Can I refund a pre order on Steam?

Yes you can refund a preorder from Steam so long as your purchase was less than 3 months ago. If more time has elapsed, it’s more likely Steam will give you credit, than refund to your original payment method.

How many refunds does Steam allow?

There’s no limit to how many refunds you can request from Steam, so long as they’re genuine requests. Be weary that if Valve believes you’re abusing the refund system, you may risk being barred from getting refunds in the future.