For games bought on Steam, Valve’s standard offer is within 14 days of purchase and with less than two hours played. Requests outside those limits can still be considered.
Check the standard window
Valve’s standard offer covers Steam-store games and software within two weeks of purchase and under two hours of playtime. A request is not the same as approval. Valve says you may still request a review outside the limits. Steam Refunds ↗
The purchase type changes the rule
The 14-day and two-hour summary is for games and software. Identify what was bought before applying it to another purchase. Valve’s current policy distinguishes these common cases. Steam Refunds ↗
| Purchase | First rule to check |
|---|---|
| DLC | Within 14 days, with less than two hours played in the underlying game since buying the DLC, and only if the DLC was not consumed, modified or transferred. Some third-party DLC is marked nonrefundable before purchase. |
| Early or Advance Access | Playtime before release counts toward the two-hour limit. The 14-day clock starts on the release date; do not treat early play as free trial time. |
| Unplayed pre-purchase | A title that is not playable before release can be requested for refund before release; the standard period starts when it releases. |
| Gift | For an unredeemed gift, check the standard period. For a redeemed gift, the recipient must initiate the request; any refund goes to the purchaser. |
| Hardware or an outside key | Steam hardware has its own hardware policy. Valve cannot refund a key bought from a different seller. |
For a missing or declined gift, use the gift guide to identify its delivery state before asking about a refund. For an unfinished game, compare Early and Advance Access before assuming the release-date rule applies to every purchase.
Know which purchase you are asking about
DLC, in-game items, hardware, subscriptions, and bundles have separate conditions. For an eligible bundle, Valve counts combined playtime across its items rather than granting a fresh two hours per game. A VAC ban also removes refund rights for the affected game. Playtime in Early Access or Advance Access counts toward the two-hour limit. Valve cannot refund a key bought from an outside retailer. Some jurisdictions provide additional rights when a game is faulty. Steam Refunds ↗
Prepare your request
- Identify the purchasing account and purchase record.
- Open Steam Support and select the purchase.
- Explain the problem accurately and follow the refund options shown.
- Keep the confirmation and review the response before assuming the request succeeded.
Uninstalling the game does not submit a refund request. Approval and payment are separate stages: Valve says an approved refund is issued within a week of approval, either to an eligible original payment method or Steam Wallet. The available destination depends on the payment method and region. Steam Refunds ↗
The distinction between the seller and the activation platform matters here. A Steam library entry tells you where a game is available to launch; your purchase record tells you who took payment. Start with that record when the support path is unclear.
Read the full policy for your case
This overview is a route into Valve’s policy, not a ruling on your particular request. Use the official page for category-specific conditions and exceptions. Record what happened, when you purchased, and what you have already tried. Clear information is more useful than guessing whether the system will say yes.
Sources & review
Prepared with AI assistance under the Steam Updates Editorial Desk role. Current Valve refund policy reviewed; no account request or refund outcome tested. Account-specific outcomes remain with Steam Support. Our methodology explains the limits.
Published 11 September 2026 · Published revision 10 October 2026 — Clarified search questions and source boundaries in the 10 October 2026 review. View editorial revisions.