How to buy games on Steam without a credit card

On this page:

▸ Can I buy games on Steam if I don’t have a credit card?

▸ How does Steam work?

▸ How much does Steam cost?

▸ What is Steam wallet?

▸ Steam without a credit card but with a prepaid card?

▸ What are the benefits of prepaid cards?

Get access to all your favourite games on Steam—even if you don’t have a credit card. Rather than risk sharing personal debit or credit card details online, simply use a Getsby Virtual Mastercard for your Steam Wallet.

Since its launch as a software client in September 2003, Steam has become the world’s biggest digital distribution platform for PC gaming. In fact, many gamers consider it to be the gaming equivalent to Amazon.

As well as providing automatic updates for all games, it now has many other features, such as game streaming services and social networking. Steam’s users can enjoy features including in-game chat, friend messaging and a community market.

Steam has grown so much in recent years that there are now more than 130 million monthly active users and in excess of 34,000 games. Many of Steam’s users are under the age of 18. Plenty of these younger users may not have access to a credit card, and as such, they may be under the impression that they cannot purchase these games on the platform. However, many other payment options are available, including paying using a prepaid card.

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Can I buy games on Steam if I don’t have a credit card?

There are various ways to purchase games on Steam, including using a credit card, debit card, PayPal or a gift card.

Alternatively, you can use a prepaid card like the Getsby Virtual Green Card or the Getsby Virtual Black Card to pay for games on the Steam store.

In this article, we’ll reveal the different options you have for paying on Steam, and take you through why using a virtual gift card could be your best option.

How does Steam work?

Steam is a cloud-based gaming platform that’s based online. This means users can download the games they’ve bought on their Steam accounts on any computer.

Once you’ve downloaded Steam to a computer and logged into your account, you will be able to access your full library of games — as well as software and forums — and make digital game purchases. You can then download the games from your library as and when you wish to play them.

While there are thousands of family-friendly games to choose from, Steam is targeted to all ages, meaning there is content that is unsuitable for children. This includes content such as swearing, violence and sexual content. If you’re a parent worried about their child or teenager using the platform, you can control what they can access by implementing the “Family View” option. You can also allow them to buy games from the Steam library without giving them access to your credit card. We’ll walk you through exactly how to do this.

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How much does Steam cost?

The platform itself is free to download — and so are some of the games, however, most of them do cost money.

Paid-for individual games are priced at anything from just a few pence to bundles costing hundreds of pounds. And, new release games from the best well-known developers can cost up to £50 (€60).

It is worth noting, though, that sales often allow savvy gamers to grab themselves a bargain.

Accepted payment methods on Steam

You can purchase Steam games in one of two ways:

1. An accepted payment method, for example, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover, JCB or PayPal
2. The Steam Wallet

The payment methods that Steam accepts vary depending on which country you’re in, meaning that the easiest way to pay for Steam games is via Steam Wallet.

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What is Steam Wallet?

If your payment method isn’t accepted, you can bypass this by adding funds to your Steam Wallet and paying for games, software, hardware, in-game purchases and other items on Steam with that instead.

You can purchase Steam credits and add them to your Wallet using a credit card, a Steam Wallet Code or a Steam gift card. If you don’t have a credit card, Steam code or physical gift card, you can add money to your Steam Wallet using a prepaid card instead. This option is useful for those who do not own a credit card (maybe they’re too young, don’t have a bank account, or have bad credit) or for parents who want their children to be able to buy games but don’t want to give them their credit card details.

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Steam without a credit card but with a prepaid card

Prepaid cards are similar to debit cards. You can get physical cards or virtual ones that reside in a digital wallet. You can control how much money gets loaded onto a prepaid card, and many choose to buy them as gift cards.

The main difference between prepaid cards and gift cards is that with prepaid cards you can spend the money on whatever you like, while gift cards limit you to a certain brand, shop or product. For example, you can only use a Steam gift card to buy on the Steam platform, whereas a Getsby Virtual Card lets you spend your money anywhere you see the Mastercard symbol.

Getsby offers two types of virtual prepaid cards. The first — the Getsby Green Card — works like a debit card, however, it’s not linked to your bank account, and you can only spend however much you’ve loaded onto it. The other is the Getsby Black Card, which can’t be topped up, making it more similar to a disposable gift card. Both cards are powered by Mastercard, meaning that, depending on your location, you can add them as one of your Steam payment methods.

Alternatively, you can link your Getsby card to your PayPal account and pay using your prepaid card that way instead.

Add funds to your Steam Wallet using a Getsby virtual prepaid card

1. Go to your Steam profile in the top right-hand corner of the webpage and click on ‘Account Details’
2. In the right-hand panel, click on ‘+Add Funds to your Steam Wallet’
3. Choose the amount you wish to add by clicking on the ‘Add funds’ button next to the relevant figure
4. Select the ‘Mastercard’ option from the drop-down list and press ‘Continue’
5. Confirm your selection by clicking on the Mastercard icon

Note that once you’ve added money to your Steam Wallet, it will be non-refundable, meaning you can’t withdraw it, and you will only be able to use it for Steam purchases.

Add a Getsby virtual prepaid card as a Steam payment method

Adding a payment method to your Steam account is simple (provided your chosen method is accepted in your region):

1. Go to the ‘Account Details’ menu
2. Select ‘Add a Payment Method’ in the right-hand panel
3. Click on the first payment method given to reveal a drop-down menu
4. You’ll then be able to choose from a list of payment methods, which depend on the region you’re in
5. Select Mastercard and enter your Getsby Virtual Card details
6. Click ‘Continue’, and the card will be added to your Steam account

What are the reasons for not using a credit card on Steam?

There are many reasons why it’s sensible to use a prepaid card rather than a debit or credit card to buy games on Steam. Some of these are:

• You don’t have a credit card, either because you don’t want one or you can’t get one due to a bad credit rating
• You haven’t got a bank account, meaning you haven’t got a debit card
• You’re using a prepaid card instead of a credit or debit card to help you budget better
• You’re avoiding using your credit or debit card because you’re worried about going over your overdraft or credit limit and incurring fees which could negatively impact your credit score
• You’re worried about adding your credit or debit card details online
• You’re unsure as to whether your card issuer offers optimal protection against fraud, so you’re concerned about cyber security issues
• You’re a parent who doesn’t want to let your child or teenager use your credit card to pay for things on Steam
• You’re a parent encouraging their child or teenager to use Steam Wallet to teach them about budgeting, or you want to have more control over what they’re spending their money on

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What are the benefits of prepaid cards?

There are several benefits to using prepaid cards in place of credit or debit cards:

• Budgeting is easy — You can only spend what’s been loaded onto the card, and because there’s no credit limit or overdraft facility, there’s no risk of overdraft or credit card fees. This makes it easier to stick to a budget.
• Convenient — It’s easy to top up a prepaid card via a bank transfer or by using a debit or credit card, and you can use your card at millions of retailers who accept Mastercard, rather than just on one platform (like with Steam’s own gift cards).
• Easy to apply — Prepaid cards aren’t linked to bank accounts, so there’s no need for credit checks. This means that even if you have a bad credit rating, you’ll still qualify for a prepaid card. However, to register for a Getsby account, you will need to be at least 18 years old and a resident of the EEA or UK.
• Environmentally-friendly — With a virtual prepaid card like Getsby’s Virtual Green Card, you’ll be helping the environment by reducing your plastic consumption.
• Secure — With a Getsby virtual prepaid card, online payments are protected against fraud using 3D secure from Mastercard.

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Summary

If you’re looking to buy games from Steam, you don’t necessarily need a credit card to make a purchase. You can buy a game on Steam either by using a payment method of your choice (for example, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover, JCB or PayPal) or with your Steam Wallet. However, because Steam’s accepted payment methods vary depending on the country you’re in, the easiest way to pay for Steam games is via your Steam Wallet. Funds can be added to a user’s Steam Wallet using a credit card, a Steam Wallet Code or a Steam gift card. If you don’t have a credit card, code or gift card, you can add money using a prepaid card instead.

Prepaid cards are a great way to spend money on Steam for those who are security conscious and looking to stick to a budget. Budgeting is easy as you can only spend what’s been loaded onto the card, and it’s easy to top up a prepaid card via a bank transfer or by using a debit or credit card. Plus, for people looking to reduce their carbon footprint, virtual cards like Getsby’s are environmentally-friendly and secure. Prepaid cards are also ideal for parents who want to teach their children about budgeting or who don’t want to give them access to their credit cards.