How to Gift a Game on Steam?

What Do You Need Before Gifting a Game on Steam?

Before you can gift a game, a few things need to be in place. You need a Steam account with enough funds or a payment method to buy the game. The person you are gifting to must be on your Steam friends list, and Steam requires you to be friends for a certain period before you can gift, which helps prevent fraud. Both accounts also need to be in compatible regions, since large price differences between regions can block a gift from going through. Once those are sorted, gifting takes only a minute.

How to Gift a Game on Steam? Step-by-Step Process

Once the requirements are met, sending a game is straightforward:

1. Open the Steam store and find the game you want to gift.
2. Click "Add to Cart," then select "Purchase as a gift" at checkout.
3. Choose the friend you want to send it to from your Steam friends list.
4. Add a personal message and choose a delivery date, either now or later.
5. Complete the payment and Steam sends the gift to your friend.

Your friend then receives a notification and can accept the gift, which adds the game to their own library. If they already own it, they can decline and Steam refunds the purchase to you.

Why You Might Not Be Able to Gift a Game?

Sometimes the gift option will not appear and it usually comes down to a few reasons. The most common is the friends-list requirement, since you cannot gift to someone you have only just added. Regional pricing is another: if the game costs significantly more or less in your friend's region, Steam blocks the gift to prevent price arbitrage. Some games are also restricted from gifting entirely by their publisher. Knowing these in advance saves the frustration of reaching checkout only to find gifting is unavailable.

What to Do If You Can’t Gift a Game?

If you cannot gift a specific game directly, the simplest workaround is to send funds instead and let your friend buy it themselves. A Steam redeem code or Steam Wallet code, adds balance to their account that they can spend on any game they want, which also sidesteps the friends-list wait and regional gifting blocks.

You can buy Steam gift cards and Wallet codes online from StanShop, delivered digitally to your orders page after purchase. Your friend redeems the code on their account and picks the game themselves, so it works even when direct gifting does not. StanShop also carries top-ups for other games in its gaming category, and you can browse everything on StanShop.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I gift a game on Steam?

Find the game in the Steam store, click "Add to Cart," choose "Purchase as a gift" at checkout, select a friend from your friends list, add a message, and complete payment. Steam then sends the game to your friend to accept.

Why can't I gift a game to my friend on Steam?

Common reasons include the friends-list time requirement, regional price differences that block the gift, or a game the publisher has restricted from gifting. Check that you have been friends long enough and that your regions are compatible.

Can I gift a Steam game to someone in another country?

Not always. If the game's price differs too much between your region and theirs, Steam blocks the gift. In that case, sending a Steam gift card so they buy it locally is the easier route.

What is a Steam redeem code?

A Steam redeem code or Wallet code, adds funds to a Steam account. The recipient redeems it on Steam and spends the balance on any game or item they choose, which makes it a flexible alternative to gifting a specific game.

Where can I buy Steam gift cards online?

You can buy Steam gift cards and Wallet codes online from digital marketplaces like StanShop, delivered instantly to your orders page with no shipping, ready for the recipient to redeem on their account.