How to redeem a Steam gift card on your account
A Steam gift card is a prepaid card that adds money to your Steam wallet, the account balance you use to buy games and in-game items on Valve's Steam platform. You redeem it by entering a code into your Steam account — the balance then appears when ready and stays there until you spend it.
To redeem a card, open Steam on your computer or visit steampowered.com in a browser and sign in. Click your account name in the top right corner, then select "Account details". On the left sidebar, click "Manage gift cards and wallet credit". Paste or type the 16-character code from the back of your card (or from your email if you bought a digital code). Steam will confirm the amount and add it to your wallet.
The code works only once. If you enter it incorrectly three times, Steam locks it for 24 hours as a security measure. Write down the code before you scratch off the back of a physical card, in case the scratch-off wears away.
Key Takeaways
- Steam gift cards add money to your wallet that you can spend on any game or in-game purchase on the platform, with no expiration date.
- You redeem the code through Account details > Manage gift cards and wallet credit, and the balance appears when ready.
- Gift card balances are tied to your account and cannot be transferred to another person or converted back to cash.
- Steam charges sales tax on purchases in most U.S. states and many countries, so your wallet balance may not cover the full price of a game.
- If you lose the code or forget to write it down before scratching, contact Steam Support with proof of purchase to recover it.
What you can and cannot buy with wallet balance
Your Steam wallet balance works for any purchase on the platform: full games, game bundles, DLC (downloadable content that adds features or items to a game you own), and cosmetics like weapon skins or character outfits in free-to-play games. You can also use it to buy Steam gift cards to send to other people, though the recipient will receive a code rather than the balance itself.
You cannot convert wallet balance back to cash, transfer it to another account, or use it outside Steam. Some games sold on Steam use their own in-game currency (like V-Bucks in Fortnite or Robux in Roblox), and you must buy those currencies separately within the game — your Steam wallet does not work for them, even though you launch the game through Steam.
If you have a negative balance (you spent more than you had, usually because of a refund or chargeback), Steam will not let you make new purchases until the balance is positive again. Adding a gift card will cover the negative amount first before adding usable credit.
How sales tax affects your purchase total
Steam charges sales tax on most purchases in the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and many other regions. The tax rate depends on your location — your account address determines which rate applies. A $20 game may cost $21.50 or more after tax, depending on your state or country.
The tax is calculated at checkout and shown before you confirm the purchase. If your wallet balance is $20 and the game costs $21.50 with tax, the purchase will fail and Steam will tell you the balance is too low. You will need to add more credit to cover the tax.
Some countries do not charge sales tax on digital goods, so the price you see listed is the final price. If you travel or move, your tax rate may change the next time you make a purchase, because Steam uses your account address, not your current location.
Protecting your account when you have wallet balance
A Steam account with wallet balance is a target for theft, because anyone who gains access to your account can spend the balance when ready. Enable Steam Guard, a two-factor authentication system, to make your account much harder to break into. Go to Account details > Change my Steam Guard settings and choose either email confirmation (Steam sends you a code when someone tries to log in from a new device) or an authenticator app on your phone (you enter a code that changes every 30 seconds).
Do not share your account password, even with friends or family. If you want to give someone a game, buy a Steam gift card code and send them the code instead — they can redeem it on their own account. Never enter your Steam password on a website other than steampowered.com, because phishing sites that look like Steam exist specifically to steal login details.
If your account is hacked and the balance is spent, contact Steam Support with details of the unauthorized purchases. Steam may refund the balance if you can show you did not make the purchase, but recovery is not may provide and can take weeks.
What happens if you lose or damage the card code
If you bought a physical gift card and lost the code before redeeming it, contact Steam Support with your receipt or proof of purchase. Provide the store where you bought it, the date, and the amount. Steam can sometimes recover the code, but you will need to prove you bought the card legitimately.
If you bought a digital code (sent by email), check your email spam folder first — the code email sometimes lands there. If you cannot find it, contact the seller (Amazon, Best Buy, or wherever you bought it) and ask them to resend the code or issue a replacement. Steam Support cannot recover codes for digital purchases because they do not have access to the seller's records.
If you already redeemed the code and spent the balance, Steam does not reverse purchases unless the purchase itself was fraudulent (someone else used your account without permission). Accidental purchases can sometimes be refunded if you request it within 14 days, but the refund goes back to your wallet, not to the original payment method.
Regional restrictions and currency differences
Steam gift cards are region-locked, meaning a card bought in the United States works only on a U.S. account, and a card from the United Kingdom works only on a U.K. account. If you try to redeem a card from a different region, Steam will reject the code.
Your account region is set by the country listed in your account address. If you move to another country, you can update your address in Account details, but Steam may restrict your access to certain games or prices may change. Some games are not sold in all regions due to licensing or legal restrictions.
The currency of your wallet matches your region: U.S. accounts use USD, U.K. accounts use GBP, and so on. If you have a balance in one currency and change your account region, Steam will convert the balance at the current exchange rate, which may result in a slightly different amount.
Using your balance for pre-orders and seasonal sales
You can use your wallet balance to pre-order games that have not been released yet. The charge happens on the release date, not when you place the pre-order. If your balance is too low on release day, the pre-order will fail and you will not receive the game — you must have enough balance (including tax) at the time of release.
Steam runs seasonal sales several times a year: Summer Sale (June), Autumn Sale (September), Winter Sale (December), and periodic flash sales. Games are discounted 10 to 90 percent during these events. A gift card is useful before a sale because you can add the balance to your account in advance and then spend it on discounted games without waiting for payment to process.
Wishlists let you track games you want to buy. Add a game to your wishlist and Steam will notify you when it goes on sale. You can then decide whether to spend your balance on it or wait for a deeper discount later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a Steam gift card to buy games for someone else?
No, the balance is locked to your account. Instead, buy a Steam gift card code and send the code to the other person — they redeem it on their own account. You can also buy a specific game as a gift through Steam's gift feature, which sends them a code they can accept or decline.
What if the code does not work or says it is already used?
If the code is rejected, check that you typed it correctly (codes are case-insensitive but must be exact). If you entered it three times wrong, wait 24 hours and try again. If the code says it is already redeemed, someone else used it first — contact the seller for a replacement or refund.
Does my Steam wallet balance expire?
No, wallet balance does not expire. It stays in your account indefinitely until you spend it. However, if your account is inactive for a very long time and Valve closes it, the balance may be lost — this is rare and usually requires years of no activity.
Can I see my wallet balance on my phone?
Yes, you can view your balance in the Steam mobile app or on the Steam website. You cannot make purchases directly from the app on most phones due to platform restrictions, but you can see your balance and browse games.
What if I buy a game and then it goes on sale the next day?
Steam offers a 14-day refund window if you have played the game for less than two hours. If you meet those conditions, you can refund the purchase and the balance returns to your wallet, then buy the game again at the lower price. Refunds take three to five business days to process.