You can send a Steam gift card directly to another person's Steam account, or buy a physical card and give them the code

Steam offers two ways to send a gift card. The first is to buy a gift card through Steam itself and send it to someone's Steam account — it arrives as a gift in their inventory within minutes. The second is to buy a physical Steam gift card from a retailer (Best Buy, Target, Walmart, GameStop, or online), scratch off the code on the back, and share that code with the person. Both methods put money into their Steam wallet that they can spend on games, but they work differently and have different security trade-offs.

The account-to-account method is faster and more convenient, but it requires you to know their Steam username or email address. The physical card method is slower but works if you don't have their account details — you just hand them the card or text them the code. Neither method requires you to know their password or personal information beyond a username.

Key Takeaways

  • To send a gift card through Steam's website, go to the gift card page, choose an amount, enter the recipient's username or email, and complete the purchase — it arrives in their account within minutes.
  • Physical Steam gift cards from retailers work the same way as account gifts but require you to manually share a 16-character code instead of Steam handling the delivery.
  • Account-to-account gifts cannot be refunded or traded once sent, so double-check the recipient's username before you buy.
  • If you buy a physical card and share the code, anyone who sees that code can redeem it, so send it through a private message or email rather than posting it publicly.
  • Steam gift cards never expire and can be used to buy any game, DLC, or in-game item on the platform.

Sending a gift card directly through Steam's website

Go to steampowered.com and log into your account. Click on your profile icon in the top right corner, then select "Account" from the dropdown menu. Look for "Manage gift cards" or navigate directly to the Steam gift card purchase page (search "buy Steam gift card" in your browser if you can't find the link — it changes location occasionally).

Choose the amount you want to send: Steam offers cards in $5, $10, $25, $50, and $100 denominations. Enter the recipient's Steam username or the email address associated with their Steam account. Review the details to make sure the username is spelled correctly — once you complete the purchase, the gift cannot be cancelled or refunded. Complete the payment using your credit card, debit card, or PayPal account.

The gift arrives in the recipient's Steam account within a few minutes. They will see a notification in their Steam client or on their account page that they have received a gift. They can then add that balance to their wallet and use it to buy games when ready.

Buying a physical Steam gift card from a retailer

Physical Steam gift cards are sold at most major retailers in the United States and many other countries. You can find them at Best Buy, Target, Walmart, GameStop, CVS, Walgreens, and some grocery stores. They are usually displayed near the video game section or at the checkout counter. Online retailers like Amazon also sell them.

The card itself is a piece of plastic or cardboard with a 16-character code printed on the back, hidden under a scratch-off panel. When you buy the card, you own it when ready — there is no set up delay. Scratch off the panel to reveal the code, then share that code with the person you want to give it to. They log into their Steam account, go to "Redeem a Steam Gift Card or Wallet Code" (found under Account settings), paste the code, and the balance is added to their wallet.

Physical cards work anywhere in the world as long as the recipient's Steam account is set to the same region as the card. A card purchased in the United States, for example, can only be redeemed on a Steam account set to a US region. If the recipient's account is in a different region, the code will not work.

Security differences between the two methods

Account-to-account gifts are more find because Steam handles the delivery. You do not have to share a code with anyone, and the gift goes directly into the recipient's account. No one else can intercept or steal the code because there is no code to share. The only risk is if you send the gift to the wrong username by mistake.

Physical gift cards carry more risk if you share the code insecurely. If you text the code to someone over an unencrypted text message, email it in plain text, or post it in a public chat or forum, anyone who sees that code can redeem it before the intended recipient does. The safest way to share a physical card code is through a private message on a platform that encrypts messages (like Steam's own messaging system, Signal, or iMessage), or by handing the physical card directly to the person in person.

If you buy a physical card and the code is already visible (for example, the scratch-off panel is damaged), do not buy it. Return it to the retailer and ask for a different card. A code that has been exposed can be redeemed by anyone, and you have no way to know if someone has already used it.

What happens after the gift card is redeemed

Once a gift card code is entered into a Steam account, the balance is added to that account's wallet. The wallet balance can be used to buy any game, DLC (downloadable content), cosmetic items, or in-game currency on Steam. The balance never expires — it stays in the account until it is spent.

Wallet balance cannot be transferred to another account, refunded to a credit card, or converted to cash. It can only be spent on Steam purchases. If the recipient does not want to use the balance, they can leave it in their wallet indefinitely, but they cannot get the money back.

If a gift card code is redeemed by someone other than the intended recipient (because the code was shared insecurely), Steam does not reverse the transaction or refund the balance. The person who redeemed it keeps the money. This is why sharing the code securely matters.

Troubleshooting codes that do not work

If a code does not work when the recipient tries to redeem it, the most common reasons are: the code was entered incorrectly (check for typos, especially the letter O versus the number 0), the account region does not match the card region, or the code has already been redeemed by someone else.

If the code was entered correctly and the regions match, ask the recipient to try redeeming it again after waiting a few minutes — sometimes Steam's servers are slow to process codes. If it still does not work and you have the receipt from the retailer, contact that retailer's customer service with the receipt and the code. They can investigate whether the card was defective or already redeemed when you bought it, and they may issue a replacement or refund.

If you sent an account-to-account gift and the recipient says they never received it, check that you entered their username correctly. Ask them to log into their Steam account and look for a notification or message about the gift. If they still do not see it, contact Steam Support through the help page on steampowered.com — provide your order number and the recipient's username so they can investigate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send a Steam gift card to someone in a different country?

Account-to-account gifts work between countries as long as both accounts are in good standing. Physical gift cards only work if the recipient's account region matches the card's region — a US card cannot be redeemed on an account set to the UK region, for example. If you want to send a gift to someone abroad, use the account-to-account method instead of a physical card.

What if I send a gift to the wrong person by mistake?

Account-to-account gifts cannot be cancelled or refunded once purchased. Contact Steam Support when ready with your order number and explain the mistake. They may be able to help if you reach out within a short time, but there is no may provide. Always double-check the recipient's username before you complete the purchase.

Can someone use a Steam gift card code if they do not have a Steam account yet?

No. The recipient must create a Steam account and log in before they can redeem a code. Once they have an account, they can redeem the code and the balance will be added to their wallet. They do not need to buy anything when ready — the balance stays in their account until they spend it.

Do Steam gift cards expire?

No. Once a code is redeemed, the wallet balance never expires. The recipient can use it when ready or wait months or years to spend it. The balance only disappears if they spend it or if their account is closed.

Is it safe to buy Steam gift cards from third-party resellers?

Third-party resellers (websites that sell discounted Steam codes) carry higher risk. Some sell codes that were purchased with stolen credit cards or obtained through fraud, and Steam may revoke those codes after you redeem them. Buying directly from Steam or from authorized retailers like Best Buy and Walmart is safer because you know the code is legitimate.