Steam gifts can be refunded within 14 days if you haven't played the game yet
Steam allows you to return a gift within 14 days of receiving it, as long as you have not played it for more than two hours. The refund goes back to the original purchaser's Steam Wallet — not to you — so you and the gift-giver need to coordinate. If the gift-giver wants their money back rather than Steam credit, they will need to withdraw it from their Wallet to their original payment method, which takes a few extra days.
The process is straightforward: you initiate the return through your Steam account, select the gift as the reason, and Steam processes it automatically in most cases. Some returns require manual review, particularly if the gift was purchased a long time ago or if there are other complications. You cannot refuse a gift before accepting it, so the 14-day clock starts the moment you click "accept" in your library.
Key Takeaways
- You have 14 days from accepting a gift to return it, and you must have played it for fewer than two hours total.
- The refund goes to the gift-giver's Steam Wallet, not to your account or a bank card.
- You start the return by going to your Steam library, finding the game, and selecting "Return to Sender" from the menu.
- If the gift-giver wants cash instead of Steam credit, they must withdraw the refund from their Wallet separately, which can take up to a week.
Step-by-step: How to return a gift through Steam
Open Steam and go to your library. Find the game you want to return and right-click on it (or click the menu icon on the game tile if you are using the newer Steam interface). Look for an option that says "Return to Sender" or "Refund" — the exact wording depends on your version of Steam, but it will be in that menu.
Click it. Steam will show you a confirmation screen with details about the game, the purchase date, and your playtime. If you have played the game for more than two hours or it has been more than 14 days since you accepted it, the return button will be greyed out and you will see a message explaining why. If the button is active, click it to confirm the return.
Steam will process the return when ready in most cases. You will see a confirmation message, and the game will disappear from your library. The refund appears in the gift-giver's Steam Wallet within a few minutes. If Steam needs to review your return manually — which happens occasionally — you will receive an email within 48 hours with a decision.
What counts as "playing" a game for the two-hour limit
Steam counts playtime from the moment you launch the game until you close it, whether you are actively playing or just sitting in a menu. Launching the game, walking around for 30 seconds, and closing it counts toward your two-hour limit. There is no grace period or "tutorial time" that does not count.
The two-hour window is strict: if you have 1 hour and 59 minutes of playtime, you can still return it. At 2 hours and 1 minute, you cannot. You can check your exact playtime by right-clicking the game in your library and selecting "Properties" — it shows under "Playtime" or "Total Playtime."
The 14-day window starts when you accept the gift
The clock begins the moment you click "Accept" on the gift notification in Steam. It does not matter when the gift-giver purchased it or how long it sat in your inventory before you accepted it — only the acceptance date matters. After 14 days have passed, the return option disappears even if you have never launched the game.
You can check when you accepted a gift by looking at your purchase history. Go to your account settings, select "Purchase History," and look for the gift in the list. The date shown is when you accepted it, not when it was sent.
Where the refund goes and how the gift-giver retrieves it
When you return a gift, the money goes into the gift-giver's Steam Wallet as store credit. They can use it to buy other games, in-game items, or anything else Steam sells. The refund appears in their Wallet within minutes of the return being processed.
If the gift-giver wants actual money back to their bank account or credit card instead of Steam credit, they need to withdraw it from their Wallet. Steam allows Wallet withdrawals in most countries, but not all. They go to their account settings, find the Wallet section, and request a withdrawal to their original payment method. This process takes three to seven business days, depending on their bank.
What happens if Steam denies your return request
Steam occasionally rejects a return if it detects unusual activity — for example, if you returned many games in a short period, or if the return request came from a different location than where the account normally operates. You will receive an email explaining the denial. In most cases, you can reply to that email with more information, and Steam will reconsider.
If you believe the denial was a mistake, include details like the reason you want to return the game and confirmation that you have not played it much. Steam's support team reviews manual appeals, though responses can take several days. There is no formal appeal process beyond replying to the denial email.
Returning a gift when the game is no longer available on Steam
If a game has been removed from the Steam store — which happens occasionally due to licensing issues or publisher decisions — you can still return it as a gift within the 14-day window. The return process works the same way. The refund still goes to the gift-giver's Wallet, even though the game is no longer for sale.
However, if the game was removed from Steam and you are outside the 14-day window, you cannot return it. Removed games cannot be repurchased, so there is no way to restore access if you delete it from your library.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I return a gift if I have already played it for more than two hours?
No. Once you exceed two hours of playtime, the return option disappears and cannot be restored. Steam does not make exceptions for this limit, even if you played most of the game by accident or did not realize the timer was running.
What if the gift-giver wants their money back but I want to keep the game?
You cannot both keep the game and return it for a refund — those are mutually exclusive. If the gift-giver wants their money back, you have to return the game. If you want to keep it, the gift-giver keeps the Steam credit or has to accept the loss. You should discuss this with them before either of you takes action.
Does the gift-giver get charged a fee when I return the game?
No. When you return a gift, the full purchase price goes back to the gift-giver's Steam Wallet with no deductions. If they withdraw it to their bank account, their bank may charge a wire transfer or international fee depending on their location and payment method, but Steam does not take a cut.
Can I return a gift if I bought it myself and sent it to my own account?
Yes, the return process is the same. The refund goes back to your Steam Wallet. This is sometimes used as a workaround if you buy a game as a gift and then change your mind, though it is simpler to just buy it directly for your own account in the first place.
How long does it take for the refund to show up in the gift-giver's Steam Wallet?
In most cases, the refund appears within a few minutes of Steam processing the return. If Steam needs to review the return manually, it can take up to 48 hours. Once it is in their Wallet, they can spend it when ready on other Steam purchases.