What is Steam on my bank statement?

Steam is the world's largest PC gaming platform, operated by Valve Corporation. Unlike most services, Steam has no subscription fee — every charge is a one-off purchase of a game, DLC (downloadable content), in-game items, or a Steam Wallet top-up.

Someone else made a Steam purchase on my card — what do I do?

If you share a computer, a family member may have made the purchase using a saved card. Check the Steam account's purchase history. If you don't recognise the account or purchase, contact Steam Support and your bank. Steam can investigate unauthorised purchases and issue refunds in confirmed fraud cases.

DecodeMyCharge Bank statement decoder

Valve / Steam

What is STEAM or VALVE on my bank statement?

Q: What is VALVE CORP on my bank statement?

VALVE CORP or VALVE*STEAM refers to Valve Corporation — the company that owns and operates Steam. The billing entity name on your statement depends on your bank's formatting, but VALVE CORP, VALVE*STEAM, and STEAM* all refer to purchases made on the Steam platform.

Q: Can I get a refund on a Steam purchase?

Steam has a two-week refund policy: you can refund most games within 14 days of purchase as long as you have played for less than 2 hours. Go to help.steampowered.com, find the purchase, and select Request a Refund. Refunds are usually processed within 7 days.

This is a one-off purchase from Steam — Valve's PC gaming platform. Steam has no subscription; every charge is for a specific game or item.

Steam — PC gaming platform

✓ Legitimate charge

STEAM, VALVE*STEAM, or VALVE CORP on your bank statement is a purchase made on Steam — the world's largest PC gaming platform, operated by Valve Corporation. The billing entity name varies depending on your bank's formatting, but all three refer to the same platform.

Unlike most services on this list, Steam has no subscription fee. Every charge is a one-off transaction — typically a game purchase, downloadable content (DLC), in-game items, or a Steam Wallet top-up (prepaid credit used for future purchases). There is no recurring monthly charge from Steam unless you've subscribed to a game that offers its own subscription service sold through the platform.

A common reason people don't recognise a Steam charge is that someone else used a saved payment method on a shared computer — particularly children or other household members. Steam also stores payment details after the first purchase, making it easy for others with access to the computer to buy without needing card details again.

Company

Valve Corporation

Type

PC gaming platform

Recurring?

No — one-off purchase

Country

Global (Valve Corp, USA)

What to do Log into store.steampowered.com → click your username → Account Details → View Purchase History. Every transaction is listed with the date, amount, and name of what was bought. To request a refund: visit help.steampowered.com, find the purchase, and select Request a Refund (within 14 days, under 2 hours played).

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Frequently asked

Questions about Steam charges

What is VALVE CORP on my bank statement?

VALVE CORP or VALVE*STEAM is the billing name for Valve Corporation — the company that runs Steam. Some banks display the merchant as VALVE or VALVE CORP rather than STEAM, but it all refers to purchases made through the Steam gaming platform. Log into your Steam account and check Account Details → Purchase History to see exactly what was bought.

How do I see what was purchased on Steam?

Log into store.steampowered.com, click your username in the top right corner, go to Account Details, then click View Purchase History. Every transaction is shown with the exact date, amount, and the name of the game or content purchased. You can also see Steam Wallet top-ups and any refunds processed.

Can I get a refund on a Steam purchase?

Steam's refund policy allows you to return most games within 14 days of purchase, provided you've played for less than 2 hours. Go to help.steampowered.com, log in, click on the purchase, and select I would like a refund. Refunds are typically processed within 7 days and returned to your original payment method.

My child bought something on Steam — can I get a refund?

Contact Steam Support via help.steampowered.com and explain that the purchase was made by a child without authorisation. Steam will review the case — they often issue refunds for accidental child purchases, especially if the game hasn't been played. You can also set up Steam Family View to prevent future unauthorised purchases by requiring a PIN.

Is Steam a subscription service?

No — Steam itself has no subscription fee. You only pay when you buy something. However, some individual games sold through Steam have their own subscription models (like certain MMO games), which would appear as recurring Steam charges. Check your Steam purchase history to see if any ongoing subscription was added.

What is STEAM or VALVE on my bank statement?

Steam — PC gaming platform

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