How to redeem a Steam Gift Card

You can redeem a code on a computer or in the browser on your phone. The steps are the same:

1. Have the code ready. With a digital card, it's in the email you received. Leave that email open in a separate tab.
2. Log in to Steam. Use the Steam website or the desktop app, and sign in with the account that should receive the credit.
3. Go to your account details. Click your account name in the top right corner and select "Account details".
4. Open the redeem option. Click "Add funds to your Steam Wallet" and then "Redeem a Steam Gift Card or Wallet Code".
5. Enter the code and continue. Paste in the code and click "Continue". The amount is added to your Steam Wallet.

On a phone, the menus may look slightly different on the smaller screen, but the options are the same. Once you know how to add a Steam Gift Card, you'll fly through it the next time.

Exactly as described above, as long as you use your own account. The credit always goes to the account you're logged in to when you enter the code. Once it's there, it stays on that account.

That's worth remembering on a shared laptop, phone or tablet. Before you enter the code, check the account name at the top of the screen. If a brother, sister or parent was the last one logged in, the credit would end up with them.

Are you the one giving the card? Then don't redeem the code yourself. Forward the email, or pass the code on in a birthday card, and let the gamer add it to their own account. That way the credit lands in the right place, and they get the fun of redeeming it.

When Steam won't accept a code, the cause is usually one of these:

• It has already been used. Ask around the house, and check whether the amount is already in your Steam Wallet.
• A character is wrong. Copy the code straight from the email instead of typing it, and watch out for lookalikes such as O and 0.
• You're in the wrong account. Log out and log back in with the account that should get the credit.
• The currency doesn't match. Steam cards are tied to a currency. A card in another currency than your account may be refused. A Steam card bought in Ireland is in euro.

Still stuck? Contact Steam Support and keep your proof of purchase to hand. Be wary of any website or post offering free Steam codes, and never enter your login details there.

A Steam Gift Card adds credit to your Steam Wallet. From there, you can spend it in the Steam store on games, extra content such as DLC, software and in-game items. If your wallet balance doesn't cover the full price, you pay the rest another way at checkout.

The credit can only be spent on Steam. That makes a Steam Gift Card a perfect fit for anyone who games on Steam. For someone who would rather choose a completely different brand, the All-in-1 Choice Gift Card gives them that freedom.