If any of you have ever used Steam, I’m sure you know the pain of having your money stuck in your Steam Wallet. You’d love so much to be able to use it, but there’s no game or item that appeals to you right now. Instead of spending it on Steam, you’d like to go to the movies, buy yourself a new pair of jeans or visit that trendy ramen place that opened just around the corner. The problem is that you can’t do that because your money is stuck on the Internet! Well, worry no more, because we are here to help. This article will show you how to withdraw your funds from Steam so you can enjoy them in real life. Read this piece and you’ll learn everything you need to know in order to get your money back.
Per usual, let’s start with the basics.
The Power of Steam
Steam is probably the most visited website by gamers from all over the world. It had its beginnings back in 2003, but it wasn’t until 2012 that it reached the form we all know (and love) today. At first Valve Corporation set it up to distribute their own games, but the business quickly evolved to distribute titles from other developers as well. Today, more than 30,000 video games are available on the site.
The features offered by Steam have also been enhanced with numerous community-building options such as chat, forums, and, most importantly, the Steam Community Market, an online space where players can sell and buy in-game items, for which Steam charges a percentage.
What is Steam Wallet
Steam Wallet is a fully digitized payment system that runs on Steam. It works a bit like a bank account. Each player who wants to buy products on the platform has his or her own Steam Wallet, which must be credited with funds in order to make transactions. This can be done through one of the available payment methods or through Steam Gift Cards, which have unique Steam Wallet codes that can be redeemed. Once deposited, the funds will be available in your Steam account and you can use them to buy products. In fact, this is the only way to make purchases on Steam. There is no possibility to directly pay for a specific item using, for example, a debit card or PayPal account.
Now note, money deposited into a player’s Steam wallet cannot be directly withdrawn from it. From then on, it can only be used to purchase goods on Steam, or on other sites that partner with Valve Corporation.
Why Steam Doesn’t Allow to Withdraw or Transfer Steam Money
According to Steam’s terms and conditions, “…funds added to the Steam Wallet are non-refundable and non-transferable. Steam Wallet funds do not constitute a personal property right, have no value outside Steam and can only be used to order Subscriptions and related content via Steam…” Unfortunately, there is no official explanation as to why the system works this way.
One can guess, of course, that this is how Steam encourages its users to make more purchases. There is no option on the platform to deposit the exact amount needed to make a particular purchase. You can only choose from the available round options, so most people are always left with some amount in their account. Later, more often than not, these people prefer to spend those steam funds on games or items rather than watch them get stuck online.
Is It Even Possible to Withdraw Steam Funds?
The answer to this question is yes and no. As we have already mentioned, there is no way to DIRECTLY withdraw Steam Wallet money. However, there are several ways to get that money back by a more “circuitous route.” These include:
- Buying items on Steam and selling them to other players
- Buying items on Steam and selling them FOR INSTANT CASH
As you can probably imagine, one is simple and quick, while the other requires a bit more effort. Today we will discuss both of them.
Online Marketplaces
The first method is buying items on Steam and selling them to others. This is most often done through online marketplaces, which are internet websites that allow players to interact with each other in order to make transactions. On such platforms, you are responsible for choosing the price for your item and for finding, as well as selecting, a buyer. After the deal is completed, you receive payment via the preferred payout method (e.g. PayPal, Bitcoin). That money can be easily used in the real world or converted into cash.
Online marketplaces often provide you the opportunity not only to retrieve money from your Steam Wallet, but also to make some profit. Keep in mind, however, that often there is no guarantee of security, and when transacting with random people online, you can never be sure whether you’re dealing with someone reliable who will actually keep his part of the bargain, or a scammer. Of course, some sites require their users to go through a verification process, but not all of them. Therefore, choosing the right platform is key.
Also, when selling your items on a site like this, you never know how long the process will actually take. Let’s say the item you’re trying to get rid go is very popular. In that case, the competition is usually so high that you will have to offer a very low price to make a quick sale. This means that you are more likely to lose money on it. If, on the other hand, you are trying to resale a very rare and expensive item, it can take a long time to find a buyer with a big enough budget.
Third-Party Sites
The second way to recover funds that are sitting in your Steam Wallet is to sell items on alternative third-party sites in exchange for an instant payout. This is the fastest and safest method of withdrawing money from Steam, and is done through sites such as Skinomat. These platforms buy your items for real money, taking a small percentage of the total transaction. As a result, you don’t have to deal with the lengthy process of choosing the right buyer and stressing about whether the money will actually end up in your bank account.
Contrary to many online marketplaces, Skinomat offers a safety guarantee, so you can be sure that you will be immediately paid for the sold items. In addition, we provide our users with a qualified Customer Service team, ready to resolve all your concerns, no matter when they arise.
If you want to know more about the process of selling skins on Skinomat, make sure to read our “How it works” section, where we explain everything in great detail.
Conclusions
Steam Wallet is an efficient system that has been functioning quite well for many years now. However, the problem of money being stuck in an online account is something that players have been dealing with since its very beginning. Fortunately, all it takes is a little cleverness and the help of reliable sites like Skinomat to be able to recover your funds and sell Steam items. So, if you’re wondering what to do with your outstanding Steam Store Credit, be sure to read our article. With us, you’ll be able to pop into town (and for that long-awaited ramen) in no time at all!
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