What Can You Buy With a Steam Gift Card? (And What You Can't)

A Steam gift card adds money to your Steam Wallet, which pays for almost anything sold on Steam: games, pre-orders, DLC, soundtracks, Steam hardware, in-game items in games that use Steam's checkout, Community Market items, and games you buy as gifts for friends. It can't buy anything outside Steam, can't pay for Steam digital gift cards, can't be withdrawn as cash, and doesn't buy Steam Points directly. Spending it does earn Points, at 100 per $1.

Key facts

• Valve's subscriber agreement says wallet funds can order games, in-game items where Steam Wallet transactions are enabled, and hardware.
• Community Market items can be bought with wallet funds if your account isn't limited.
• Valve doesn't accept wallet funds as payment for Steam digital gift cards.
• Wallet funds have no cash value and can't be withdrawn or moved to another account.
• Purchases paid from your wallet earn Steam Points; adding funds doesn't.

Not redeemed it yet? Our Steam redeem guide takes a minute.

What you can buy

• Games. Any game sold on the Steam store, including pre-orders.
• DLC and expansions. Add-ons, season passes and soundtracks.
• In-game items in many Steam games. Games that sell items through Steam's own checkout charge your Steam Wallet. You'll see a Steam pop-up asking you to confirm.
• Community Market items. Skins, trading cards and other items other players sell. Market purchases are paid with wallet funds.
• Gifts for friends. You can buy a game as a gift and send it to a friend. See how to gift a game on Steam.
• Steam hardware. The subscriber agreement lets wallet funds pay for hardware such as the Steam Deck. See buying a Steam Deck with wallet funds.
• Unlocking your account. Redeeming a $5 or larger wallet card counts toward the $5 that lifts the limits on a new Steam account. See what a limited Steam account is.

What you can't buy

• Things outside Steam. Wallet money only works on Steam. It doesn't work on the Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Xbox or anywhere else.
• In-game currency in games that use their own store. Some games, even ones on Steam, sell currency through their own launcher or website. If the checkout isn't a Steam pop-up, your wallet usually can't pay for it.
• Steam Digital Gift Cards. You can't use wallet money to send a digital gift card to a friend. You need another payment method. See how to send a Steam gift card.
• Cash. You can't withdraw wallet money to a bank or PayPal, or move it to another account. See whether you can transfer Steam Wallet money.
• Steam Points. You can't buy Points directly. You earn them, 100 for every US$1 you spend on Steam. So spending your gift card does earn Points. Here's what Steam Points are and how to use them.

How to get the most out of a Steam card

• Wait for a sale. Steam's big seasonal sales cut prices a lot. Our Steam sale calendar lists the dates.
• Use the wishlist. Add games you want to your wishlist, and Steam emails you when they go on sale.
• Check bundles. Bundles often cost less than buying the same games one by one, and Steam only charges for the parts you don't own yet.
• Know the refund rule. If you buy a game and don't like it, you can usually get a refund if you ask within 14 days and have played less than 2 hours. Money from a wallet purchase goes back to your wallet. See Steam's refund policy.
• Sell your trading cards. Playing games drops trading cards you can sell on the Market for wallet funds. Here's how to sell Steam trading cards.

Does a Steam card expire?

The card code doesn't usually expire, and money in your wallet doesn't expire in most countries. See whether Steam, PSN and Xbox gift cards expire for the exceptions.

What a $25, $50 or $100 card realistically buys

• $25: an indie game or two at full price, or a bigger game during a seasonal sale. It also clears the $5 limited-account threshold with plenty left over.
• $50: most new releases on sale, or a full-price mid-size game plus DLC.
• $100: a full-price new release with room for add-ons, or a stack of sale games.

Prices vary by region and change constantly, so check the store before choosing a card value.

Earning instead of buying? XPReward exchanges points from completed offers for Steam codes, from 3,600 points for $25 up to 14,400 for $100; the free Steam gift card guide spells out the time involved. Join free for 250 starting points.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy Steam games for a friend with a Steam gift card?

Yes. Redeem the card on your account, then buy the game with Purchase as a gift and choose your friend. The wallet pays for it.

Can I buy Steam Market items with a gift card?

Yes, once the money is in your wallet, as long as your account meets the Market requirements and isn't limited.

Can I buy V-Bucks with a Steam gift card?

No. Fortnite isn't sold on Steam. See using a Steam card on Epic Games.

Sources

Steam wallet rules checked on 2 November 2026 against:

• Steam Subscriber Agreement
• Steam Support: Steam Wallet FAQ
• Steam Digital Gift Cards and FAQ