Blog
Articles and stories from the XPReward team.
Steam 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, 2026Can You Use an Xbox or PSN Gift Card on Steam? (And Can You Swap One?)
No: Steam only takes Steam gift cards, and Xbox and PlayStation cards only work in their own stores. Here's what each card can actually pay for, the few legitimate options if you got the wrong one, and why gift card swaps are a scam magnet.
Oct 26, 2026Steam Wallet Negative Balance: Why It Happens and How to Fix It
A minus sign in front of your Steam Wallet balance almost always means a payment was reversed, usually by a chargeback or a failed card payment. Here's what causes it, what it blocks and the safe way to clear it.
Oct 26, 2026What Happens to Your Steam Wallet If You're Banned or Delete Your Account?
A VAC ban doesn't take your Steam Wallet money, but deleting your account does, permanently. Here's what each kind of ban, lock and deletion does to your wallet funds, and how to protect the balance.
Oct 26, 2026How to Redeem a Steam Wallet Code on Steam Deck (Game Mode and Desktop)
You can add a Steam gift card to your wallet straight from a Steam Deck, without a PC. Here are the steps in Game Mode, the browser method that always works, and why game keys need a different screen.
Oct 26, 2026Gift Card Code Scratched Off or Unreadable? How to Fix Steam, PSN and Xbox Cards
Scratched too hard and took half the code with it? You can usually still save the card. Here's how to recover a damaged Steam, PlayStation or Xbox gift card code, what proof you need and who to ask first.
Oct 26, 2026How to Buy GTA Online Shark Cards With a Steam, PSN or Xbox Gift Card
Shark Cards are paid for through your platform's store, so a Steam, PlayStation or Xbox gift card can cover them. Here's the exact route on each platform, which card you need, and how to avoid the fake "free Shark Card" scams.
Oct 26, 2026Can't Add Funds to Your PlayStation Wallet? 6 Causes and Fixes
When PlayStation won't let you add money, it's usually a card the store doesn't accept, a service outage, a wallet limit, or a child account's spending limit. Here's how to find the cause and get money into your PSN wallet.
Oct 26, 2026How Long Do You Need to Keep an App Installed for an Offer?
Uninstall too soon and an app offer can quietly fail or be reversed. Here's how long to keep offer apps installed, why advertisers care, and the habits that make game and app offers credit reliably.
Oct 26, 2026Which Gift Card Should You Buy for a Gamer? Steam vs PSN vs Xbox vs Nintendo
The best gift card for a gamer is the one that matches what they play on and where their account is registered. Here's how to find out without spoiling the surprise, which card fits which gamer, and the mistakes that make a card useless.
Oct 26, 2026PlayStation Store Refund Policy: Can You Get Your Money Back (Even With a Gift Card)?
PlayStation gives refunds within 14 days, but only if you haven't started downloading or streaming the game. Here's the full policy in plain English, what happens to in-game currency, pre-orders and PS Plus, and where the money goes if you paid with a gift card.
Oct 26, 2026How Much Have I Spent on Steam? How to See Your Total (2026)
Steam has a hidden page that shows exactly how much money you've ever spent on your account. Here's how to find it, what the numbers mean, what they leave out, and how to use the figure to spend smarter.
Oct 26, 2026Is "Sign in Through Steam" Safe? How to Spot a Fake Steam Login
The real "Sign in through Steam" button is safe, because the site never sees your password. Fake versions are one of the most common ways Steam accounts get stolen. Here's how the real one works and four checks that catch the fakes.
Oct 26, 2026Lost Your Phone With Steam Guard? How to Get Back Into Your Account
Lost, broken or reset the phone with your Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator? You can still get back in. Here's what to do with a recovery code, without one, and how to set things up so it never locks you out again.
Oct 26, 2026Should You Use a Separate Email for Reward Sites? (Yes. Here's How to Set It Up)
Surveys, offers and free trials all want an email address, and your main inbox pays the price. Here's why a dedicated email for reward sites helps you earn more safely, and how to set one up in 10 minutes.
Oct 26, 2026Why Can't I Use the Steam Community Market? Every Restriction Explained
Steam blocks the Community Market for several different reasons: Steam Guard that's too new, no qualifying purchase, a password reset, a new device or a chargeback. Here's how to tell which one applies to you and how long each lasts.
Oct 26, 2026How to Refund an Xbox Game (Including Games Bought With a Gift Card)
Xbox refunds are requested online and reviewed case by case. There's no guaranteed refund like Steam's, but asking quickly and before playing much gives you the best chance. Here's how it works, where the money goes and what can't be refunded.
Oct 26, 2026Is It Safe to Buy a Steam Account? Why Cheap Accounts Get Taken Back
Buying a Steam account full of games looks like a bargain, but the seller can usually take it back, and Steam won't help you when they do. Here's why bought accounts are so risky, the scams around them, and cheaper ways to build a library.
Oct 26, 2026How to Get Notified When a Steam Game Goes on Sale (Wishlist Alerts)
Steam will tell you when a game on your wishlist is discounted, but only if your email is verified and alerts are switched on. Here's how to set up email and phone alerts, why they sometimes don't arrive, and how to get alerts at a price you choose.
Oct 26, 2026Can You Combine a Gift Card and a Credit Card on Steam, PSN or Xbox?
Your gift card covers $25 but the game costs $70. Can you pay the rest by card? On Steam, PlayStation and Xbox the answer is yes. Here's how each store splits the payment, the exceptions, and how to stack several gift cards instead.
Oct 26, 2026Free Trial Offers on Reward Sites: How to Earn Without Getting Charged
Free trial offers pay some of the biggest rewards on any offerwall, and they're also the easiest way to lose money. Here's how they work, when to cancel, and a checklist that keeps the reward and avoids the bill.
Oct 26, 2026Can You Merge Two Steam Accounts or Move Games Between Them?
Steam doesn't merge accounts or move games, keys or wallet funds from one to another. Here's what you can do instead: Steam Families, picking a main account, and the moves that make a second account worthwhile.
Oct 26, 2026Steam Wallet Code vs Steam Gift Card vs Game Key: What's the Difference?
A Steam gift card and a Steam Wallet code are the same thing in different packaging. A Steam digital gift card and a game key are not. Here's what each one does, where you get it, and how to redeem it without mixing them up.
Oct 23, 2026The Cheapest Ways to Buy Steam Games Legally (2026 Guide)
Buy during the big seasonal sales, use the wishlist to get alerts, stack bundles from authorised sellers, and pay with Steam money you didn't have to spend yourself. Eight legal ways to pay less for Steam games, ranked by how much they save.
Oct 23, 2026Steam Trade Hold Explained: Why Your Items Are Held and How to Avoid It
Steam holds items leaving your account for up to 15 days unless the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator has been on for at least 7 days. Why the hold exists, how CS2 trade protection works now, and why anyone offering to skip a hold is scamming you.
Oct 23, 2026Can You Use a Steam Gift Card on the Epic Games Store?
No. Steam Wallet money only works on Steam, and the Epic Games Store doesn't accept it. What you can do instead: check if the game is on Steam, use Epic's own payment options, or grab Epic's weekly free games.
Oct 23, 2026Can You Use a Steam Gift Card From a Different Country?
Valve limits Steam gift card redemption to the currency of your Steam Wallet, so a card from another country often won't redeem. Here's how to check your currency, what to do with a card that fails, and the reliable way to send Steam money abroad.
Oct 23, 2026Do Reward Site Points Expire? What to Check Before You Save Up
Some do. Microsoft Rewards points expire after 18 months without earning activity, and many sites can forfeit points on closed or inactive accounts. The three kinds of expiry to look for in a site's terms, and how to make sure you never lose a balance.
Oct 23, 2026Is It Safe to Buy Discounted Steam, PSN or Xbox Gift Cards?
Rarely. A gaming gift card sold well below face value usually means the code was bought with stolen money or has already been used, and the platform can pull the funds back out of your account. Where real discounts come from, the warning signs, and safer ways to pay less.
Oct 23, 2026Are Cheap Game Key Sites Legit? G2A, Kinguin and Eneba Explained
Key marketplaces like G2A, Kinguin and Eneba are real businesses, but they're open marketplaces where anyone can sell keys, so you can't know where your key came from. Why that matters, what can go wrong, and the cheaper options that carry no risk.
Oct 23, 2026