What Is The Best Payment Method For Steam?

Steam is the world’s largest gaming platform. It works directly on PCs and Macs, while Steam Mobile can be used on iPhones and iPads. Remote play is also compatible with Android and a host of other devices. Using Steam is free, and there are free-to-play games available on the platform.

However, if you want to enjoy most of the titles, you will need to pay for them. Steam has surprisingly limited direct payment options, accepting bank transfers, credit cards, or PayPal.

It has dabbled in cryptocurrency and mobile payments in the past, but both of these payment methods have been discontinued. But, some workarounds enable you to pay for Steam games using other methods.

Cash App

Cash App is a digital wallet that is similar to PayPal and is a commonly used payment method for online shopping. It is also popular for iGaming websites, given that there are now many online casinos that accept Cash App.

According to casino expert Sergio Zammit, the Cash App now accepts cryptocurrency payments, which makes gambling with the likes of Bitcoin and Ethereum a lot easier. 

Cash App is not accepted directly by Steam. However, Cash App does offer debit cards to its users. These cards can be used the same as any other cards, which means they can be used to transfer money to your Steam balance.

This is a good option for those who have Cash App already or who want a single digital wallet that works with crypto and fiat currencies.

Bank Transfer

With a bank transfer, money is transferred directly from your bank account and submitted to your Steam wallet. Steam itself processes these payments quickly, but it can take time for banks to process them. Some users will see the money in their Steam account instantly, but others have to wait two or three days according to their bank’s policies.

Using bank transfer does mean, however, that you don’t have to sign up for any additional wallets or other accounts, which means it can be a convenient way to transfer the cash you want.

Credit Card

Credit cards are the preferred purchase method for many people because of the fraud and buyer support they offer. This can prove invaluable if you have a dispute over payment because the credit card company will usually side with the buyer automatically.

Payments are usually instant, but the fees associated with using a credit card can make this an expensive option. If you are the kind of credit card user that repays the balance within a few days, you won’t usually attract any fees and this can be a safe payment method.

Debit Card

Debit cards, or bank cards, are linked to bank accounts. The money used to make a payment comes directly out of the associated bank account.

Using a card directly linked to a bank account makes it easier to budget and it prevents users from spending money they don’t have. It also negates the need to pay monthly fees or interest on the credit balance.

However, bank cards don’t come with the same level of protection as credit cards offer, and it isn’t possible to buy games even a few days before payday.

PayPal

PayPal is a digital wallet. Users can fund the wallet by depositing money from credit cards, bank cards, and directly from bank accounts via bank deposits. The wallet can then be used to buy items or fund other wallets and accounts, including Steam.

Payments are usually instant, and because a PayPal account can be linked to a credit card or bank account, using PayPal doesn’t add steps to the process.

Prepaid Card

Prepaid cards work in the same way as credit cards except, rather than using a line of credit offered by the issuer, they are preloaded with money by the user.

Prepaid cards can be a good way to budget because the user can set aside money on their prepaid card used for a specific purpose. If the money on the card runs out, then the user has met their predetermined budget.

In terms of payment times, prepaid cards take the same time to process payments as credit cards. There are prepaid cards available that can be connected to crypto balances and other alternative payments.

Gift Cards

Steam gift cards can make great gift ideas for the gamers in our lives. They also represent a way for the world’s approximately 1.5 billion unbanked people. Gift cards can be bought in person and online, and buyers can use any payment method that the retailer accepts, regardless of whether Valve officially accepts that payment method.

Gift cards can be bought using the Cash App. They can also be purchased using cryptocurrency from some gift card sites. Valve did experiment with accepting Bitcoin via BitPay, but the experiment was short-lived, with the company citing market volatility as the reason they stopped accepting Bitcoin payments.

Conclusion

Steam is a convenient gaming platform that can provide players with access to thousands of games in a library that constantly updates with new titles.

It also offers a convenient central library that makes access easier. It directly accepts credit cards, bank transfers, and PayPal payments, but users can buy gift cards or top-up prepaid cards using other payment methods. Alternatively, it is possible to use Cash App’s debit card directly on the Steam website.