The original purchaser gets the refund—not the person who received the game. If the gift has already been redeemed, the recipient must first allow the purchaser to request a refund. That permission alone does not finish the refund.
Start with the gift’s status
| Gift status | Who acts? | What happens next? |
|---|---|---|
| Not redeemed | Purchaser | Request a refund from Purchases in Steam Support. |
| Already redeemed | Recipient, then purchaser | Recipient authorizes removal and refund; purchaser then submits the refund request. |
| Declined by recipient | Recipient declines | Steam processes an automatic refund to the purchaser’s payment method. |
| No response after delivery | Steam | After 30 days without acceptance or rejection, Steam cancels the gift and issues a refund. |
The standard refund conditions are within 14 days of purchase and less than two hours played by the recipient. Do not count from the day you first launched the gift. Steam reviews the request; the steps below do not guarantee approval.
If you received and redeemed the gift
- Sign in to Steam Support using the account that received it.
- Choose Games, Software, etc. and find the game.
- Select the problem that explains why you are returning it, then I’d like to request a refund.
- Select Allow the original purchaser of this gift to request a refund.
Tell the purchaser you have authorized the return. They still need to submit their own request. You are approving the gift’s removal, not converting it into credit for your own Wallet.
If you bought the gift
Open Steam Support, choose Purchases, and select the gifted game. Look for the gift icon. Choose I would like a refund, select the relevant reason, and submit the request.
If the gift was redeemed, wait for the recipient’s authorization first. Steam says a request made before that approval will be declined. If it was never redeemed, you can request the refund directly.
Where does the refund go?
An approved gift refund goes to the purchaser’s original payment method. If that method cannot receive it, Steam credits the purchaser’s Steam Wallet instead. The recipient does not receive the money.
For example, if Alex buys a game for Sam and Sam redeems it, Sam must authorize the return before Alex applies. Alex receives any approved refund; Sam loses the gifted game.
Already approved but still waiting? Use our separate Steam refund timing guide to distinguish Wallet credit, a bank refund, and a cancelled payment hold.
Open Steam’s official gift-refund instructions ↗
Checked October 24, 2026 against Steam’s Gifts FAQ. This guide covers a game purchased as a Steam gift, not a retail activation key or a digital gift card. The Alex/Sam example is illustrative; we did not perform a test purchase or refund. Steam logo © Valve Corporation, reused to identify the service; no affiliation or endorsement.
