How to Refund a Gifted Game on Steam

Steam is a very polished gaming platform, though some options are slightly out of sight. Game refunds are among them.

You can refund the Steam games you’ve purchased for yourself, as well as ones that you bought as a gift. A step by step tutorial on how to refund any gifted games on Steam is right ahead.

How to Refund a Gifted Game

Refunding any game on Steam is simple, but gifts are a little trickier to refund. The general Steam rules for refunds are that you can only refund a game within 14 days of the purchase if you have played it for less than two hours.

The same goes for gifted games, but in that case, the person who received them must initiate the refund process. Here is what the recipient needs to do:

1. Visit the following support page and sign in.
2. Then, choose the Games and Software tab.
3. Locate and select the gifted game from the game list.
4. Select the issue with the game.
5. Then, select I’d Like to Request a Refund.
6. Finally, allow the original Steam game purchaser to receive a refund.

After that, the person who purchased the gift can refund it on their Steam account.

Refund Any Eligible Steam Game

Now, the purchaser of the gift can continue with the usual refund process. Here is how to refund any eligible game on Steam:

1. Go to the same Steam support page (Steam Help) and sign in.
2. Select Purchases.
3. Locate the game you want to refund and select it. If the game is not visible here, sadly, you can’t get a refund (it’s not eligible).
4. Choose a reason you want to refund the game (e.g., purchased by accident).
   
5. Then, choose I’d Like to Request a Refund.
   
6. Add more information about your request in the Notes section. Then, select the refund method (the payment method you used previously or transfer the funds to your Steam Wallet).
7. Steam will email you about receiving your request.

Note that it can take Steam support up to two weeks to process your request. If they decide to refund your game, it may take up to a week until you get your money back.

Additional Relevant Gift Refund Info

Many players ask whether or not you can get the difference refunded when your gifted game is on sale, i.e., costs less than you paid for it. The answer is no, but you can initiate the refund process as explained above.

If you are eligible, you will get your money back, and you can purchase the game at the reduced price, saving the leftover funds in your Steam Wallet.

You can even cancel a Steam gift if nobody redeemed it. A canceled gift will return to your Steam account. Here is how to cancel a Steam gift:

1. Sign in to your Steam account.
2. Select the Games tab at the top of the screen.
3. Then, choose Manage Gifts and Guest Passes.
4. Choose the gift from the inventory.
5. Click Send Gift and then choose Return the Gift to Your Account.
6. Finally, confirm with Next.

Even You Can Redeem the Gift

If you change your mind, you can keep your Steam gift and activate it yourself. Follow the steps:

1. Launch the Steam app and sign in.
2. Select the Games option at the top of the Home screen.
3. Press Manage Gifts and Guest Passes.
4. Then, choose your Steam gift.
5. Finally, select Add to My Library and redeem the gift yourself.

Gift Returned

Steam support usually allows gift refunds. However, if you don’t meet the requirements mentioned above, you most likely won’t get a refund. Your Steam friend also needs to be considerate, because if they don’t allow you to get a refund, you’re out of luck.

Is there anything else you’d like to know about this topic? What is your experience with Steam game refunding? Post your responses in the comments section below.