Steam Purchase Stuck on Pending? How to Fix It (and Get Your Money Back)

You bought a game on Steam, the money left your account, and now Steam just says "pending". The game isn't in your library and the purchase won't go through. This happens a lot, especially during big sales. Here's how to sort it out without paying twice.

Why purchases get stuck on pending

A Steam purchase is "pending" when Steam hasn't received final confirmation of the payment. Common reasons:

• Steam's servers are busy, especially at the start of a seasonal sale.
• Your bank or payment provider is slow to confirm, or is holding the payment for a security check.
• Some payment methods (bank transfers, some local e-wallets, paysafecard) take longer to confirm by design.
• A dropped connection during checkout.

Step 1: Wait, and don't buy it again

The worst thing you can do is click "buy" again. Steam may block new purchases while one is pending, and if both go through, you'll have to refund one.

• During a big sale, give it at least 20 to 30 minutes.
• Otherwise, many pending purchases clear on their own within a few hours. Some payment methods can take longer.

You can check whether Steam's store is having problems on a Steam status site, or in Steam's official social channels.

Step 2: Check your purchase history

1. Click your account name in the top right, then Account details.
2. Select View purchase history.
3. Find the purchase marked pending. Clicking it shows the details and, if available, an option to cancel it.

Step 3: Cancel the pending transaction

If it's been stuck for hours:

1. In your purchase history, click the pending purchase.
2. Choose Cancel this transaction (sometimes shown as "I'd like to cancel this transaction").
3. Confirm. If there are several pending purchases, cancel them all.
4. Now try the purchase again, ideally with the Steam website if you used the app before, or the other way round.

Some payment methods, including PayPal, may ask you to cancel with the payment provider as well. Follow what Steam's cancel page tells you.

"Steam cancelled it but my bank still shows the charge"

This is usually a bank hold, not a real payment. When you pay, your bank reserves the money. If the purchase is cancelled, Steam never collects it, and the hold drops off. That can take several days depending on your bank. If it's still there after a week or so, contact your bank with the date and amount.

If the money was taken but the game never arrived, contact Steam Support with the purchase details from your history.

Avoid it next time

• Use Steam Wallet funds. Purchases paid from your wallet don't go through your bank at checkout, so they rarely get stuck. Top up first, then buy. Our guide to adding money to Steam without a credit card covers the options.
• Don't buy in the first minutes of a big sale. Prices are the same all sale long. The Steam sale calendar tells you when they run.
• Keep your payment details up to date, including your billing address.

Quick answers

How long can a Steam purchase stay pending? Usually minutes to a few hours. Some payment methods take a few days.

Will I be charged twice if I try again? You might be. Cancel the pending one first.

Can I still refund it later? Yes. Once it completes, the normal Steam refund policy applies.

Wallet funds are the easiest way to skip payment problems. XPReward lets you earn Steam gift card codes from surveys and offers: $25 for 3,600 points. Sign up free and get 250 bonus points.