Blog
Articles and stories from the XPReward team.
Steam Guard Email Code Not Arriving? 6 Fixes That Work
Steam sends Steam Guard codes to the last email address on your account, but some providers delay them by up to 30 minutes or file them as spam. Here's Valve's checklist, in order, plus what to do if the email address itself is wrong.
Oct 30, 2026Are Steam Gift Cards Being Discontinued? What Valve's Retail Exit Means for You
Valve has stopped restocking physical Steam gift cards in shops and expects retailers to sell out by the end of 2026. Cards you already own still work, and digital gift cards are staying. Here's what changes and what doesn't.
Oct 30, 2026Why Does My Xbox Say "Ask a Parent"? How Purchase Approval Works
The "Ask a parent" message appears on a child's Xbox account when a purchase needs an adult's approval. Here's why it shows up, how the request reaches the parent, how to change the setting, and how gift cards fit in.
Oct 30, 2026How to Check Your Steam Inventory Value (Safely)
Steam has no built-in "total value" for your inventory. You can price items yourself from the Community Market, or use a third-party checker that reads public inventories. Here's how to get a realistic number and stay safe doing it.
Oct 30, 2026Can You Withdraw Money From Your PlayStation Wallet?
Money in a PlayStation Store wallet can't be cashed out to a bank account or PayPal. Sony's terms make wallet funds non-refundable and non-transferable except where the law requires. Here's what that means and how to plan around it.
Oct 30, 2026How to Change Your Steam Store Country (and the 3-Month Rule)
You can change your Steam store country once every three months, but only by making a purchase with a payment method from the country you now live in. Here's how it works and what to expect.
Oct 30, 2026Can You Change Your PSN Region? What to Do Instead
PlayStation doesn't let you change the country or region of an existing account. If you move abroad, the usual answer is a second account for the new country. Here's how that works and what carries over.
Oct 30, 2026Steam Gift Card Amounts: Every Value in the US, UK and More
Steam's digital gift cards come in five fixed amounts per currency: $5 to $100 in the US, £4 to £100 in the UK. Here's every value we checked, how to make an odd total, and the limits that apply.
Oct 30, 2026How to Change Your Xbox Region (and What Happens to Your Balance)
You can change your Xbox and Microsoft account region on the console or online, but not more than once every three months, and your Microsoft account balance doesn't move with you. Here's the safe order to do it in.
Oct 30, 2026Can You Transfer Steam Wallet Money to PayPal or Cash?
Steam Wallet money can't be withdrawn to PayPal or a bank account, and the Steam Subscriber Agreement says it has no cash value. The only way money comes back is a refund of unused funds within 14 days. Here's the detail.
Oct 30, 2026Steam Parental Controls: Playtime Limits, Game Access and Purchase Requests
Steam's parental controls now live in Steam Families. An adult can turn on playtime limits, choose which games and features a child can use, and approve purchase requests from their own account. Here's how to set it up.
Oct 30, 2026Steam Deck Refund Policy: How to Return a Steam Deck
Valve lets you cancel a Steam Deck bought on Steam within 14 days of receiving it, as long as it hasn't been modified or used beyond reasonable testing. Here's the process, who pays shipping, where refunds go, and what happens after 14 days.
Oct 30, 2026PlayStation Family Spending Limit: How a Child's Purchases Are Paid
On PlayStation, a child account has no wallet of its own. Purchases come out of the family manager's wallet, up to a monthly spending limit that starts at zero. Here's how to set it on PS5, on the web and in the PlayStation Family app.
Oct 30, 2026Why Is There Tax on the PlayStation Store?
In the US, PlayStation Store prices don't include sales tax, so it's added when you check out, which is why a wallet holding exactly the sticker price can fall short. Here's how it works and how to plan around it.
Oct 30, 2026Steam, PSN and Xbox "Gift Card Code Checker" Sites: Are They Safe?
Websites that offer to "check" an unused Steam, PlayStation or Xbox code before you redeem it can simply redeem it themselves. Here's why those checkers are a risk, and the safe ways to confirm a code or a balance.
Oct 30, 2026Can You Buy a Steam Gift Card With PayPal, Apple Pay or Crypto?
You can buy a Steam digital gift card with PayPal, but only if your Steam currency is EUR, CAD, GBP, JPY, AUD or USD. Wallet funds can't be used at all, and Steam dropped Bitcoin in 2017. Here's every payment option.
Oct 30, 2026Forgot Your Steam Family View PIN? How to Reset It
If you've forgotten your Steam Family View PIN, Steam can email a link that disables Family View, provided a recovery email was set. Without one, Steam Support has to help. Here's each route, plus why Steam Families is replacing Family View.
Oct 30, 2026Steam Market Fee Explained: How Much Does Steam Take?
Steam takes a 5% transaction fee on every Community Market sale, and Valve games like CS2, Dota 2 and TF2 add a 10% game fee. Here's how the fees stack, worked examples, and the limits that apply.
Oct 30, 2026How to Buy a Steam Gift Card Without a Steam Account
You don't need a Steam account to buy someone a Steam gift card. Guest checkout lets you pay as a guest and send the gift to an email address. Here's how it works, the 30-day acceptance window and the same-country rule.
Oct 30, 2026Why Does Steam Charge Sales Tax? How It Works in the US and EU
Steam uses your billing address to apply the right sales tax rate in the US and Canada, even when you pay with Steam Wallet money. In the EU and UK, VAT is already in the price. Here's how it works and how to find it on a receipt.
Oct 30, 2026Microsoft Gift Card vs Xbox Gift Card: Is There Any Difference?
Xbox gift cards and Microsoft gift cards look different on the shelf but add money to the same Microsoft account balance. Here's what that balance pays for, where it doesn't work, and the region and expiry rules both cards share.
Oct 27, 2026Steam "Not Yet Eligible to Receive This Gift": What It Means and How to Fix It
Steam won't let you send a digital gift card and says your friend is not yet eligible to receive it. Nearly always, you haven't been Steam friends for three days. Here's the rule, the less common causes, and how to send money today anyway.
Oct 27, 2026Can You Refund a Steam Wallet Code or a Steam Key?
Steam's refund policy is generous for games bought on Steam, but wallet codes, gift cards and game keys bought elsewhere are a different story. Here's exactly what Valve will and won't refund, and who to ask instead.
Oct 27, 2026How to Level Up on Steam Fast (and What It Costs)
Your Steam level comes from badges, and most badges come from crafting trading card sets. Here's how much XP each level needs, what higher levels unlock, the cheapest ways to climb, and how much a level 10 or level 50 profile really costs.
Oct 27, 2026Redeemed an Xbox Gift Card but the Balance Isn't Showing? Fixes
You redeemed an Xbox or Microsoft gift card and the money doesn't appear on your console. Usually it's on a different account, waiting for a refresh, or already used by a subscription renewal. Here's how to find out which.
Oct 27, 2026Steam Gift Sent but Not Received? 7 Reasons and How to Fix Each
You bought a game as a Steam gift and your friend says nothing arrived. Here are the usual causes, from scheduled delivery and unseen notifications to region locks and declined gifts, and how to check where the gift actually is.
Oct 27, 2026Steam Gift vs Steam Key: What's the Difference Before You Buy?
Key sites sell the same game as a "Steam Key" and a "Steam Gift" at different prices. Here's what each one actually is, how it reaches your account, and why the gift version carries more risk when it comes from a reseller.
Oct 27, 2026Steam Wallet Pending Balance: What It Means and How Long It Takes
Sold something on the Steam Community Market and the money shows as pending? Here's why Steam holds some sale funds for up to five days, what else can make a balance pending, and what you can and can't do to speed it up.
Oct 27, 2026Can You Buy a Digital Steam Gift Card for Yourself?
Steam's own digital gift cards can only be sent to friends, so there's no option to send one to yourself. Here's what to do instead, from adding funds directly to redeeming a retailer's digital code, and when each makes sense.
Oct 27, 2026How Many Characters Is a Steam, PSN or Xbox Gift Card Code?
Steam wallet codes have 15 characters, PlayStation Store codes 12 and Xbox codes 25. Here's what each format looks like, which characters trip people up, and why a code with the wrong length is a red flag.
Oct 27, 2026