Steam Keys and Gifts: How to Redeem and Send Them

Steam handles two different things under similar names. A product key is a code printed on a card or sent in a receipt, and you register it to your account. A gift is a game you buy on Steam and send to a friend on your friends list. Each has its own steps, its own errors and its own deadlines, so it helps to know which one you have before you start.

Activating a retail key

Steam's activation article gives the client steps. Launch the Steam client and log in. Open the Games menu at the top and choose Activate a Product on Steam. Then follow the on-screen steps. The retail CD keys article adds that the button is labelled "+ Add a Game" in the bottom left of the client, and it leads to the same activation option.

You can also register a key in a browser on the Steam key registration page. The activation article links to it, and it works without opening the client.

A printed key is usually on a card, a sticker or a disc inside the packaging. For a digital purchase with no physical media, the key is normally in the emailed receipt. The retail CD keys article says the packaging or delivery email should state whether a key is meant for Steam. Keys not intended for Steam can still be added to your library as non-Steam games, which is covered in a separate Steam article.

Reading the key errors

Steam's retail CD keys article separates two registration errors, and they call for different fixes.

An "Invalid Product Code" error means Steam does not recognise the key. Either it is not meant for Steam, or it has been typed wrongly. The article lists look-alike characters to check: the number 0 can be the letter Q, D or O, the number 1 can be I or L, and the letter B can be the number 8. If the key is meant for Steam and still fails after those checks, the article says to contact the retailer.

A duplicate product code error means the key has already been tied to a Steam account. A key cannot be registered twice. If you think you registered it before, the article points to the Steam Help site for recovering a lost account. If you are certain it was never registered successfully, it says to contact the retailer for a new copy.

Once a key is registered, it serves as your proof of purchase and of ownership on the account. Steam Support may ask for it if you need to prove ownership. The article notes that digital keys not part of a physical package cannot be used for that proof, and it recommends keeping the key somewhere safe.

Sending a gift

Gifts are bought in the Steam Store. Add the game to your cart, choose "This is a gift" from the drop-down menu, then select the recipient from your friends list. You can send it as soon as possible or schedule delivery up to 12 months after purchase. After payment, the recipient gets an email and a gift notification, and they have 30 days to accept or decline.

Steam's gifts article says a gift is a one-time transfer. Once it is redeemed, the game belongs to the recipient's account. You can only gift new purchases, so a game you already own cannot be moved to a friend.

If a friend does not show up in the recipient list, the article gives four common reasons. A friend who already owns the game is greyed out, so check their profile's list of owned games. Regional price differences can block a gift to some countries. DLC needs the base game to be owned first. Some bundles and multipacks cannot be gifted, although the extra copies from a multipack can be gifted one at a time. If the gift option is still unavailable, the article suggests sending a Steam Gift Card to the friend's account instead.

Accepting, declining and the 30-day rule

The recipient accepts a gift from the Steam client's gift notification or from the link in the delivery email. If the recipient declines, the article says the purchase is refunded automatically to the buyer.

If nobody acts within 30 days of delivery, Steam cancels the gift and refunds the buyer to the original payment method. The window is short, so a gift sitting unopened for a month is not safe to leave.

The buyer can change the delivery date of a scheduled gift. Scheduled gifts stay in the buyer's Steam Inventory until they are delivered, and the article says to use the Manage gift option there.

Refunds for gifts

A gift purchased within fourteen days, and played for less than two hours by the recipient, may be refunded. A gift the recipient has not redeemed can be refunded through the Help site under the buyer's purchases. If the recipient has already redeemed it, they must first agree to the refund. The article says the buyer's request is declined until the recipient approves.

A gift can also be revoked. When a gift is refunded because of fraud or a payment dispute, the game is removed from the recipient's library. Steam's article says the game would then need to be bought again or redeemed from a new gift copy.

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