Steam is one of the most popular video game platforms for PC. Users can browse through a large range of video games, and choose to purchase them on the platform.
These purchases can usually be refunded as long as certain requirements are met. Here’s how you submit requests to refund games you’ve bought on Steam.
How to refund Steam games
You can choose to refund a game for almost any reason. For example, you made an accidental purchase, or the game is failing to work correctly.
You can even request a refund because you simply changed your mind, and no longer wish to possess the game.
The reason behind the refund matters little. As long as you meet certain requirements, your refund will be granted.
The basic requirements are that it must be within two weeks of the purchase date, and you must not have played the game for more than two hours. Further details regarding the specific requirements will be discussed later on.
Steam refunds usually take a week at most to be approved. The refunded money should go to your initial method of payment.
For instance, if you used PayPal to purchase the game – the refund should appear in your PayPal account. It will be refunded to the same payment method you used to buy the Steam game.
Otherwise, if Steam is somehow unable to refund the money to your original payment method, the money will be refunded to your Steam Wallet funds.
Your Steam Wallet is accessible from your Steam account, and you can easily use your Steam Wallet funds to purchase a new game to replace your old one.
To access your Steam Wallet, open Steam and click on your username in the top right. Then, select ‘account details’.

Your Steam Wallet balance should be available there – you can use this to buy a new game from the Steam library.
How to request a refund
In order to return a game on Steam, you must request a refund for that specific title. Doing so is quite a simple process.
Firstly, visit the Steam website by going to https://store.steampowered.com/. You should be taken to the login page if you’re not already logged in.
Related: Appear Offline in Steam
Log into your Steam account, and then access Steam Support. You can do so by going to https://help.steampowered.com/en/. Once you’re on Steam Support, click the ‘purchases’ option.

This should take you to a list of your recent Steam purchases. Next, search for the title you wish to return and click on it. If the title isn’t listed in your recent purchases, the game is most likely no longer refundable.
The list of recent purchases cover the last six months. If the game you want to return was purchased more than six months ago, the refund period has very much passed.
However, if you still wish to try for a refund, you can select ‘view complete purchasing history’ to see a list of all your Steam purchases.

Next, select the ‘I would like a refund’ option.

Finally, click the ‘I’d like to request a refund’ option.

Now, you just have to wait a week or so to hear back from Steam about your request.
When can you ask for a refund?
The most basic requirements that must be met when asking for a Steam refund are: no more than two weeks have passed since the purchase date, and the game has less than two hours of play time.
You can check a Steam game’s play time by opening the Steam app, and clicking the ‘library’ option.
Find the game you wish to check on, and select it in the left side tab. The play time should be displayed beneath the game banner.

Game hours still count when you have the Steam overlay working over the top of your game, so keep this in mind.
DLCs
In regards to refunding DLCs, the basic requirements are slightly different. You can refund any DLCs as long as no more than two weeks have passed since the purchase date, and the primary title has had less than two hours of play time since the DLC’s purchase.
The DLC must also have not been used, transferred, or modified. For example, the DLC causes an irreversible change in the game.
In-Game Purchases & Pre-Ordered Games
On the other hand, in-game purchases are a different story. In-game purchases can be refunded, but only within 48 hours of their purchase date.
The in-game items you purchased must also have not been used, modified, or transferred. You must be signed in with your Steam details as the refund will be assigned to your account.
See Also: Finding Your Steam ID
In the case of a pre-ordered game, you can ask for a refund any time prior the game’s official release. After the game’s been released, the basic refund requirements are applicable.
The refund must be requested within two weeks of the purchase date, and the game must have had less than two hours of play time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you can easily return a game on Steam using Steam Support. Certain requirements must first be met depending on the type of content you’re trying to return. However, returning games is simple enough due to Steam’s refund policy.
In regards to games, the refund must be requested within two weeks of the purchase, and the game’s play time must be less than two hours. The refund request should take no more than a week to be approved.