Scope: Valve’s public "Steam Refunds" page (English), which shows "Last updated 23 April, 2024". Checked October 3, 2026 (15:31 KST). Links are at the end. This is a reading guide to the written policy, not a promise that any request will be approved. We have not bought or refunded anything on Steam for this article.
Short answer: Before you buy on Steam, identify what the receipt will call the purchase. A base game, a DLC and a bundle are not checked in exactly the same way. For games and software, Valve’s written offer has two conditions that both apply: the request is made "within two weeks of purchase" and the title has "less than two hours of playtime." DLC and bundles have their own conditions, and purchases made outside Steam are not covered. Use the row that matches your purchase, then check Valve’s current Steam refund policy page.
Which refund conditions apply to your purchase
| Purchase type | Documented condition (paraphrased) | Section on Valve’s page |
|---|---|---|
| Game or software application on the Steam store | Within two weeks of purchase and less than two hours of playtime. Both conditions apply; neither replaces the other. | Where Refunds Apply |
| DLC bought on the Steam store | Within fourteen days of purchase, and the underlying title has been played for less than two hours since the DLC was purchased, and the DLC has not been consumed, modified or transferred. Some third-party DLC is nonrefundable, and Valve says such exceptions are marked on the store page before purchase. | Refunds on Downloadable Content |
| Bundle bought on the Steam store | None of the bundle’s items transferred, and combined usage time across all items is less than two hours. If the bundle includes a nonrefundable in-game item or DLC, checkout tells you whether the whole bundle is refundable. | Refunds on Bundles |
| Pre-purchase that is not playable before release | A refund can be requested at any time before release. The standard 14-day / two-hour period then starts on the release date. | Refunds on Titles Purchased Prior to Release Date |
| Key or wallet card bought outside Steam; Steam hardware | Valve "cannot provide refunds for purchases made outside of Steam." Steam hardware and accessories follow a separate Hardware Refund Policy, not the software window above. | Purchases Made Outside of Steam; Steam Hardware |
Note on DLC: the two-hour clock for DLC counts play of the underlying game since the DLC purchase, not your lifetime hours in that game.
Fill-in worksheet
Fill this in before you buy, and again before you send a request. Leave anything you can’t confirm as UNKNOWN. Don’t write account names, emails, passwords or payment details here.
| Field | Your entry |
|---|---|
| Purchase type as the receipt will show it (game / DLC / bundle / pre-purchase / other) | UNKNOWN |
| Seller (Steam store, or a third party) | UNKNOWN |
| Purchase date | UNKNOWN |
| Release status of this title, if relevant (released / pre-release playable / not yet playable) | UNKNOWN |
| Relevant playtime (game total; for DLC, underlying-game time since the DLC purchase; for bundles, combined time) | UNKNOWN |
| Any content consumed, modified or transferred? (DLC and bundles) | UNKNOWN |
| Date you last checked Valve’s refund page | UNKNOWN |
| Support outcome (after you request) | UNKNOWN |
If the game is playable before release
Valve’s page says that for a title bought before its release date, "the two-hour playtime limit for refunds will apply (except for beta testing), but the 14-day period for refunds will not start until the release date." Its example: in Early Access or Advance Access, "any playtime will count against the two-hour refund limit." So playable pre-release time counts, except beta testing.
What the page does not settle is which date counts as the release date for a specific Early Access or Advance Access title, so your exact calendar deadline can be unclear. Don’t assume the clock restarts when a game reaches 1.0, and don’t treat Early Access and Advance Access as the same thing. If the deadline matters, confirm it with Steam Support for that title. Only the "not playable before release" case is simplified into the table above.
Limits of this guide
- Outside the rules is a request, not a right. Valve writes that "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." That is a chance to ask, not a guaranteed exception.
- Refunds aren’t a free trial. Valve says refunds are "designed to remove the risk from purchasing titles on Steam—not as a way to get free games." It also says, "If it appears to us that you are abusing refunds, we may stop offering them to you."
- Outside-Steam purchases and hardware are separate. A key bought from another store is a purchase made outside Steam, which Valve says it cannot refund. Steam hardware has its own Hardware Refund Policy.
- Not covered here: legal entitlements in your country, when money arrives, payment-method details, and purchase types beyond the rows above.
Next step: Fill in the worksheet, compare it with the matching row, and send any request through Steam Support at help.steampowered.com. Re-check Valve’s refund page on the day you buy, because the policy can change.
FAQ
Is a DLC refund judged on my total hours in the game? No. The DLC condition counts play of the underlying title "since the DLC was purchased."
Can I refund one item from a bundle? The page describes a refund for the bundle, based on combined usage time and no transferred items. Checkout tells you if nonrefundable content affects the whole bundle.
Can I refund a key I bought on another website? Not through Valve. The page names "CD keys or Steam wallet cards purchased from third parties" as outside Steam.
Sources (checked October 3, 2026, 15:31 KST)
- Valve, "Steam Refunds" (page shows "Last updated 23 April, 2024"): https://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds/
- Steam Support (where requests are made): https://help.steampowered.com/