Valve refunds for any reason. The catch is which clock your purchase runs on.
The game is already in your library, the receipt is a few days old, and you want the money back. Stay under the two hours, ask within 14 days of purchase, and Valve refunds for any reason. Every other purchase type below bends that same idea into its own clock.
The two clocks, drawn · both must be inside
The rule underneath everything else
Quoted from Valve
“Valve will, upon request via help.steampowered.com, issue a refund for any reason, if the request is made within the required return period, and, in the case of games, if the title has been played for less than two hours.”
That window is 14 days from purchase. Approved requests move fast:
Quoted from Valve
“You will be issued a full refund of your purchase within a week of approval.”
Miss the window and it is not automatically over:
Quoted from Valve
“even if you fall outside of the refund rules we’ve described, you can ask for a refund anyway and we’ll take a look.”
Read that as a discretionary review, not a promised second window.
Eight purchase types, eight clocks
| Games & software | 14 days, under 2 hours played |
|---|---|
| DLC | 14 days from purchase, base game under 2h since |
| In-game purchases | 48h, Valve’s own games only |
| Subscriptions | 48h of purchase, or of any renewal |
| Wallet funds | 14 days, completely unused |
| Bundles | Combined playtime under 2h, nothing transferred |
| Gifts | Unredeemed: standard rule. Redeemed: recipient requests it |
| Video content | Not refundable, unless bundled with refundable content |
DLC runs on the base game’s playtime, not its own
Quoted from Valve
“DLC purchased from the Steam store is refundable within fourteen days of purchase, and if the underlying title has been played for less than two hours since the DLC was purchased, so long as the DLC has not been consumed, modified or transferred.”
The two-hour clock counts playtime since the DLC was purchased, not lifetime hours on the base game.
In-game purchases: 48 hours, and only in Valve’s own games
Quoted from Valve
“Steam will offer refund for in-game purchases within any Valve-developed games within forty-eight hours of purchase, so long as the in-game item has not been consumed, modified or transferred.”
Quoted from Valve
“Otherwise, in-game purchases in non-Valve games are not refundable through Steam.”
Pre-orders and Early Access: two clocks running in opposite directions
Download not working? Copy the event instead
Download not working? Copy the event instead
Download not working? Copy the event instead
Download not working? Copy the event instead
As published by Valve on its refunds page, read October 3, 2026.
Quoted from Valve
“If you pre-purchase a title which is not playable prior to the release date, you can request a refund at any time prior to release”
and the 14-day window itself will not start until the release date
.
Subscriptions: 48 hours, and it resets every renewal
Quoted from Valve
“If a renewable subscription has not been used during the current billing cycle, you may request a refund within 48 hours of the initial purchase or within 48 hours of any automatic renewal.”
Every automatic renewal opens a fresh 48 hours, not just the first billing cycle.
Wallet funds: 14 days, and only if untouched
Quoted from Valve
“within fourteen days of purchase if they were purchased on Steam and if you have not used any of those funds.”
Spend a dollar of it and the wording no longer describes the rest as refundable.
Bundles: one shared clock, not five separate ones
Quoted from Valve
“so long as none of the items in the bundle have been transferred, and if the combined usage time for all items in the bundle is less than two hours.”
Ninety minutes on one game in a five-game bundle already spends most of that shared allowance.
Gifts: redemption decides who can ask
Quoted from Valve
“Unredeemed gifts may be refunded within the standard 14-day/two-hour refund period. Redeemed gifts may be refunded under the same conditions if the gift recipient initiates the refund. Funds used to purchase the gift will be returned to the original purchaser.”
Once redeemed, only the recipient can start the refund, and the money still goes back to whoever paid.
How to actually do it
- Check both clocks first. Under two hours played, and within 14 days of purchase. A pre-purchase waits for release day, and DLC counts the base game’s playtime since you bought it.
- Ask at help.steampowered.com. That is the route Valve names for a refund, for any reason, inside those windows.
- Expect the money within a week of approval. Valve says an approved refund is paid in full in that time.
- Outside the window? You can still ask. Valve says it will take a look. Treat that as a review, not a promise.
Three sentences that override all of the above
Quoted from Valve
“If you have been banned by VAC (the Valve Anti-Cheat system) on a game, you lose the right to refund that game.”
Quoted from Valve
“Valve cannot provide refunds for purchases made outside of Steam (for example, CD keys or Steam wallet cards purchased from third parties).”
Quoted from Valve
“We are unable to offer refunds for video content on Steam (e.g. movies, shorts, series, episodes, and tutorials)”
Valve’s abuse clause, and what it explicitly does not punish
Quoted from Valve
“Refunds are designed to remove the risk from purchasing titles on Steam - not as a way to get free games. If it appears to us that you are abusing refunds, we may stop offering them to you. We do not consider it abuse to request a refund on a title that was purchased just before a sale and then immediately rebuying that title for the sale price.”
This page is over two years old
Quoted from Valve
“Last updated April 23, 2024”
We first read it July 30, 2026 and read it again on October 3, 2026, unchanged. That gap is worth rechecking yourself before anything time-sensitive.
Questions people actually ask
What is Steam's basic refund rule?
Any reason, requested within 14 days, under two hours played. Approved refunds pay out within a week.
Can I still get a refund outside the window?
You can ask. Valve calls it a case-by-case look.
Does Early Access playtime count against the 2-hour limit?
Yes. The 14-day clock waits for release, but Early Access hours count immediately.
Can I refund a gifted game?
Unredeemed, yes, under the standard rule. Redeemed, only the recipient can request it, and the money returns to the original buyer.
Are in-game purchases refundable?
Only inside Valve’s own games, within 48 hours, unused. Non-Valve games: no.
Does a VAC ban affect my refund rights?
Yes, permanently, for that game, regardless of time or playtime remaining.
Other policies we have decoded
Every one of these is read from the company’s own document and dated. See all 66 questions we have answered.