Steam's refund window and what qualifies
Steam allows you to request a refund on most games within 14 days of purchase and as long as you have played for fewer than 2 hours total. This applies whether you bought the game on sale, at full price, or as a gift. The refund goes back to your Steam Wallet (the account balance you use to buy games) by default, though you can request it go to your original payment method instead.
Some games and content fall outside this policy. DLC (downloadable add-ons), in-game items, season passes, and pre-orders cannot be refunded once they are released. Games you purchased more than 14 days ago or games you have played for more than 2 hours are also ineligible, even if you bought them yesterday and played them for 3 hours. Refunds for games removed from the Steam store due to licensing issues may take longer to process.
The 2-hour limit is a hard boundary. If you have 1 hour 59 minutes played, you may have access to. At 2 hours 1 minute, you do not. Steam counts all playtime across all devices where you logged in, including offline play on the same computer.
Key Takeaways
- You have 14 days from purchase and under 2 hours of playtime to request a refund through your Steam library.
- Refunds return to your Steam Wallet by default, but you can choose to send the money back to your credit card, PayPal, or other original payment method.
- DLC, in-game items, and season passes cannot be refunded once released, even if you bought them moments ago.
- Steam processes most refund requests within 5 to 10 business days, though some take longer depending on your payment method.
How to request a refund through your Steam library
Open Steam on your computer and go to your library. Right-click the game you want to refund and select "Manage" then "View Licenses and Purchases" (or on newer Steam versions, click the three dots and select "Manage"). You will see a "Request a Refund" button if the game is may be able to access. Click it.
Steam will ask you why you want the refund. Choose the reason that matches your situation — "It's not what I expected", "I have a bug or performance issue", "I no longer want this", or "Other". The reason you pick does not affect whether you get the refund; Steam uses it to track patterns in customer feedback. Write a brief note if you want, though it is not required.
After you submit, Steam shows you a confirmation page. The refund request goes into a queue and you will receive an email when it is processed. You do not need to do anything else. If Steam approves it (which happens automatically for requests that meet the 14-day and 2-hour rules), the money appears in your Steam Wallet within a few days, or takes longer if you chose to send it to your original payment method.
Sending the refund to your original payment method
By default, Steam refunds go to your Steam Wallet balance. If you want the money back on your credit card, debit card, PayPal account, or other original payment method, you can change this before you submit the refund request. On the refund request page, look for "Refund destination" and select "Original payment method".
Refunds to your original payment method take longer than refunds to your Steam Wallet. A refund to your Steam Wallet usually appears within 5 to 10 business days. A refund to a credit card or debit card can take 5 to 10 business days for Steam to process, then another 3 to 5 business days for your bank to post it. PayPal refunds typically appear faster, sometimes within 24 hours after Steam processes them.
If you do not see the refund after the expected time, check your bank or PayPal account for a pending transaction. Contact your bank if the money does not arrive within 10 business days of Steam processing the refund. Steam's support team can tell you the exact date they sent it, which helps your bank track it down.
What happens if your refund request is denied
Steam denies refund requests when you exceed the 2-hour playtime limit or the 14-day window. If you are just over the limit — say you have 2 hours 15 minutes played — Steam will still deny it automatically. You can submit an appeal by contacting Steam Support directly, but Steam rarely overturns automatic denials for games that clearly exceed the thresholds.
If you played the game for 10 hours and then requested a refund, Steam will deny it. An appeal is unlikely to succeed unless you can show a technical problem that made the game unplayable — for example, a crash on startup that you spent those 10 hours troubleshooting. Even then, Steam may offer a one-time exception rather than a full refund.
For games with bugs or performance problems, document the issue before you request the refund. Take screenshots or a video showing the problem, note your computer's specifications, and mention this in your refund request. This gives Steam's team something concrete to review if they need to make a judgment call.
Refunds for games purchased as gifts
If someone gave you a game as a gift and you want to refund it, the same 14-day and 2-hour rules explore. The refund goes back to the person who bought it, not to you. If the gift was purchased more than 14 days ago, you cannot refund it through the normal process.
The person who sent the gift can also request a refund on their end if they have not yet given it to you. Once they send it to your account, the refund request must come from you. If you both try to refund the same gift, Steam will process only one request.
Refunds for pre-orders and early access games
Pre-orders follow the standard 14-day, 2-hour rule, but the clock starts when the game is released, not when you pre-ordered it. If a game releases on a Friday and you pre-ordered it three months earlier, you have 14 days from that Friday to request a refund. Playtime still counts from the moment you can first play it.
Early access games (games still in development that you can play while they are being built) are refundable under the same rules. If you buy an early access game, play it for 3 hours, and then the developer abandons the project, you are past the 2-hour limit and cannot refund it through the normal process. You can contact Steam Support to explain the situation, but there is no may provide of a refund.
What you cannot refund on Steam
DLC and in-game items cannot be refunded once they are released, even if you bought them seconds ago and have not used them. If you buy a cosmetic skin, battle pass, or expansion pack, that purchase is final. The only exception is if the DLC is broken or does not work as advertised — in that case, contact Steam Support with details about the problem.
Season passes and battle passes are also non-refundable. If you buy a season pass and then decide you do not want it, Steam will not refund it. Some games offer a way to "reset" your progress in a season, but that is different from a refund and is handled by the game developer, not Steam.
Games you own but never play can still be refunded if you are within the 14-day window. The 2-hour limit is about playtime, not about whether you have "used" the game in some other way. If you bought a game, never launched it, and request a refund within 14 days, you may have access to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I refund a game if I played it for exactly 2 hours?
No. Steam's limit is under 2 hours, meaning 1 hour 59 minutes or less. If your playtime shows 2 hours or more, you do not may have access to for an automatic refund. You can contact Steam Support to request an exception, but they rarely grant one for games that are just slightly over the limit.
What if I bought a game on sale and now it is cheaper?
You can refund it and buy it again at the lower price, as long as you are within 14 days and under 2 hours of playtime. The refund amount is always the price you paid, not the current price. If you paid $20 and it is now $10, you get $20 back to your Steam Wallet.
Do I lose my refund if I use a VPN or change my region?
No. Your refund request is based on your purchase and playtime, not your location. Changing your region or using a VPN does not affect a refund that is already in progress. However, Steam may flag unusual account activity, so avoid making large purchases or changing your region repeatedly in a short time.
Can I refund a game if the developer stops supporting it?
Only if you are within 14 days and under 2 hours of playtime. If a game is abandoned by its developer after you have owned it for months, you cannot refund it through the standard process. You can contact Steam Support to explain the situation, but they do not have a policy that guarantees a refund for abandoned games.
How long does a refund take if I choose my original payment method?
Steam typically processes the refund within 5 to 10 business days, then your bank or payment provider takes another 3 to 10 business days to post it. Credit and debit cards are usually slower than PayPal. In total, expect 1 to 3 weeks for the money to appear in your account.