Steam Points explained: learn how to earn and spend them, what the Points Shop sells, why points disappear, and whether they expire.
Steam Points are Steam's non-cash loyalty currency, earned mainly by buying games, DLC, hardware and other eligible items through Steam. Spend them in the Points Shop on profile cosmetics, chat items, community awards and selected Steam Deck customisations. They cannot be withdrawn, traded or converted into Steam Wallet funds.
How do you earn Steam Points?
Steam uses a reference rate of 100 points per US dollar of eligible spending, converting purchases made in other currencies. The points displayed at checkout and in your Points History are the authoritative totals for your account.
| Account activity | Does it earn points? |
|---|---|
| Buying games, DLC, applications, soundtracks or eligible in-game items | Yes |
| Buying eligible hardware through Steam | Yes |
| Buying a gift for another account | The purchaser earns the points, not the recipient |
| Adding money to a Steam Wallet | No, but spending that balance on an eligible purchase earns points |
| Trading or buying through the Steam Community Market | No |
| Receiving a community award | The recipient receives a portion of the award's points after a processing delay |
Points belong to the account that made the purchase. Playing a shared game, receiving a gift or installing a title bought by somebody else does not award points to the player.
How do you use Steam Points?
You redeem points through the Steam Points Shop; they are not applied during normal game checkout.
- Open the Points Shop: In the Steam client, open Store and select Points Shop. The same shop is available when signed into Steam through a browser.
- Choose a category: Browse profile items, chat effects, stickers, community awards, badges or Steam Deck customisations.
- Check the conditions: Confirm the point cost, duration and any ownership or playtime requirement. Some game-specific cosmetics remain locked until you own or have played the associated game.
- Redeem the item: Preview it and confirm the redemption. Steam deducts the points immediately.
- Equip it: Many profile items offer an immediate equip option. You can also manage them later through your profile editor, avatar settings or chat item picker.
What can you buy in the Steam Points Shop?
The best use depends on which part of Steam you want to personalise.
| Points Shop item | Choose it when | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Avatars, frames, backgrounds and game profiles | You want to customise your public Steam profile | Some game-related items have ownership or playtime conditions |
| Emoticons, stickers and chat effects | You regularly use Steam Chat | They have no value outside Steam |
| Community awards | You want to recognise a review, guide, screenshot or other eligible contribution | The recipient receives only a portion of the points spent |
| Points Shop badges | You want badge XP for your Steam profile | Availability and upgrade limits can vary |
| Steam Deck start-up movies and keyboard themes | You own a Steam Deck and want device customisation | These do not add games or improve hardware performance |
Steam Points cannot normally buy games, DLC, Steam Wallet credit or store discounts. They also cannot be used to pay the remaining balance on a purchase.
Do Steam Points expire or have cash value?
Steam Points do not expire, so there is no penalty for saving them. Most redeemed cosmetics remain attached to the account, but some special or seasonal profile effects may have a stated duration. Check the item panel before spending; limited shop availability and limited item duration are separate conditions.
Points and redeemed items are not marketable or tradable. You cannot sell them, send points directly to another user or convert them into cash, Wallet funds or gift cards. Community awards are the only built-in way for another account to receive a portion of points you spend, and they are not a direct transfer system.
Why are my Steam Points missing?
A missing or lower balance usually comes from an ineligible transaction, a refund or looking at the wrong Steam account.
- Wallet funds were added but not spent: Loading the Wallet does not award points; buying an eligible product with that balance does.
- The purchase was made on another account: Points stay with the purchaser, including when the product was sent as a gift.
- The transaction used the Community Market: Market activity does not qualify in the same way as eligible Steam Store purchases.
- A community award is still processing: Recipient points are not necessarily credited immediately.
- A purchase was refunded: Steam deducts the points originally earned from that transaction.
What happens to Steam Points after a refund?
Refunding an eligible purchase reverses the points it awarded. If you have already spent those points, Steam may remove recent Points Shop items or community awards to cover the shortfall. Our step-by-step Steam refund instructions explain the underlying refund process and its eligibility rules.
Open your Points History and compare it with the relevant purchase receipt before assuming the balance is wrong. If an eligible completed transaction is absent, restart or sign back into the client, then contact Steam Support from the purchasing account. For related sign-in and client problems, see our Steam account and client troubleshooting answers.