Gaming is the new norm, and many platforms for gamers and game developers have evolved in the past years.
Valve launched Steam, a video game digital distribution service, and store, in 2003. After years of web operations, they also launch apps for macOS, Android and iOS in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Steam is an all-in-one platform for gamers and game developers alike.
The most popular features of Steam are game server matchmaking, digital rights management, game streaming services, and social networking.
Users can get automatic gaem updates, cloud syncrhonization, and community features to play an interactive game.
However, users face issues when making purchases with Steam Wallet or other accepted payment methods. There can be several reasons triggering the issues, but payment failure is really a panicking one.
In this article, we are going to talk about the 7 most common reasons why your payment on Steam might be declining. We will also discuss the resolution for each reason so that users can easily process the payments.
What Is Steam?
Top Reasons Why Steam Is Declining Your Payments(With Solutions)
Let’s talk about the common issues many users face while trying to make payments via Steam. Several things trigger payment declination or pending payments.
We have tried to cover all possible reasons and their solutions to help Steam users have a better experience of using the platform.
So here are the top 7 reasons why Steam is declining your payment with solutions included:
1. Insufficient Balance In Wallet or Account (Problem With Payment Method)
The most common reason why your Steam payments are not working. If the reason for the failing transaction does not have enough funds to complete the purchase, the message will look something like this:
“Steam Payment could not be completed due to the non-availability of sufficient funds.”
Or
“Your card declined due to insufficient funds.”
The simple solution to the failed transaction resulting from a low account balance is to use an alternative method with enough funds.
Alternatively, consider adding funds to your card or bank account before trying to pay money at Steam.
The error might also occur if there is parental control, payment limit, etc., on your payment method. Ask the authorized users to execute the transaction in case of parental controls.
If you have a payment limit applied to your card or bank account, upgrade it before trying to pay at Steam.
2. Using An Invalid Debit/Credit Card.
The payment will ultimately fail when you use an expired credit/debit card to make a payment or enter the wrong credentials.
An expired card is excluded from the bank system and can’t be used to make any payment. Therefore, when you try to verify the card credentials and make a payment on Steam, it will send a failed payment message.
The only method to resolve the problem is to try a valid payment method. If you don’t have an alternative, apply for a new card, and you have to wait until you get the card. Only then can you make the payment on the Steam platform.
3. Payments Declined By Bank Or Card Issuer
Well, there can be many reasons for your payments and card information being declined by the bank or card issuer.
There can be the following messages shown when such an incident happens:
“Your Purchase has not been completed. Your credit card company has declined your credit card information.”
“Your credit card company has declined your credit card information due to an incorrect address being entered.”
There can be many reasons why your payment is declined by the bank or card issuing institution. The most common reasons are as follows:
- The billing information on your bank file and payment do not match. For instance, your address on the bank file and the one you entered while making payment does not match.
- The limit on the total number of transactions or the total amount spent online has been exhausted.
- Incorrect CVV2 code or incorrect credit card credentials(name, card number, expiry date, OTP)
- A suspicious purchase activity might be noticed by your bank, resulting in a frozen card or account.
- The bank has rendered your card invalid due to suspicious purchase activity on some other platform.
How do you resolve these problems?
Depending on what reason has triggered the payment failure, you can take the necessary action such as:
- Double-check your address with the bank and make sure you add the correct street address and house address to the billing information.
- Double-check your card credentials when entering on Steam store. Make sure you write the correct CVV2, name, card number, etc.
- Try using an alternative payment method if the bank limit on the amount or number of transactions has been exhausted.
- In case of fraudulent or suspicious activity, you should contact your bank’s customer service and resolve the issue before you try to make a payment once again.
4. Trying To Make Payment While Traveling (Different Currency Funds Than Required)
When you are trying to make a payment from your wallet, it can fail for many reasons, which we will discuss. The message, in that case, will be as follows:
“Your Purchase could not be completed because it looks like the currency of funds in your Steam Wallet does not match the currency of this Purchase.”
Many users have reported facing payment problems when they make one while traveling to other countries.
What happened with many users is that the payment is not completed. Instead, it goes to pending payment in the transaction history of Steam.
While many other users face failing payment messages when trying to make payment when traveling to another country.
You can resolve the problem by trying to change the payment instrument. When facing the issue, try using your credit card or PayPal instead of Steam Wallet to make the payments.
5. Accessing Steam Store Page Of Different Region (When Paying Via Wallet)
This problem also relates to the message that shows up in the case of Problem No.4.
The payment will fail if you are making a payment with the funds available in your Steam, but the transaction requires a different currency.
As mentioned above, the issue can persist when you are trying to make a payment while traveling to another country. The problem can also arise when you are trying to purchase from a different Steam Store than for your region.
You can try paying with your credit card or PayPal to avoid currency restrictions when facing the issue.
Besides, access the Steam store page dedicated to the region of your residence. If the issue doesn’t go away, you can restart your machine and try making the payment.
6. IP Proxy, VPN, Or Anonymous Proxy (When Using Steam Wallet To Make Payment)
When you have an IP Proxy or VPN on your laptop, wallet payments on Steam can get failed. It will also show the message:
“Your purchase could not be completed because it looks like the currency of funds in your Steam Wallet does not match the currency of this purchase.”
An IP Proxy or VPN software activated on your machine might trigger the problem resulting in failed payments. To resolve the issue, consider disabling any such software preventing you from completing the payment.
If the issue does not resolve by doing so, contact Steam Support to explain your situation and ask for a resolution accordingly. You must enter your country of residence, travel country, and Steam account you use.
7. Unexpected Error
Among all other reasons, unexpected reasons can also result in payment failure. A website can be down, your internet connection might be unstable, or there can be any technical issue on the platform’s side.
In any instance, you might receive a message saying that payment wasn’t completed due to an unexpected error.
All you have to do is wait and try to make payment after a while. However, if the issue doesn’t go away, consider contacting the Help site or customer support of Steam to get your issue resolved.
Conclusion
We have discussed everything you need to know about Steam, its features, and the reasons why the payments are declining.
We hope the solutions will help you resolve the payment issues and enjoy your experience on the platform.