Understanding Steams Policies On Selling Items And Games

Steam, the digital distribution platform operated by Valve Corporation, is a central marketplace for PC gaming. It allows users to purchase, download, and play games, and it also features community-driven elements such as trading cards, in-game items, and a community market. For consumers and aspiring developers, understanding the rules surrounding the sale of items and games on Steam is essential. This article details the regulations, fees, and requirements for selling on Steam, based on the provided documentation.

Selling In-Game Items and Trading Cards

The Steam Community Market is a platform where users can buy and sell in-game items related to games on Steam. This includes items such as trading cards, emoticons, backgrounds, and specific in-game inventory items (like skins or weapons) that are designated for trade.

Eligibility and Access Access to the Community Market is not available to all users immediately. To be eligible to sell items, a user's Steam account must meet specific criteria: * Purchase History: The account must have a successful purchase on Steam that is older than 7 days but not older than a year. * Steam Wallet: The account must have a sufficient Steam Wallet balance to cover the item's price and applicable fees. * Steam Guard: Users must have Steam Guard mobile authentication enabled on their Steam mobile app.

Fees and Pricing When selling items on the Community Market, Steam and the game's developer charge fees on every transaction. * Standard Commission: Steam takes a 15% commission on all sales. Of this, 10% goes to the game's developers, and 5% goes to Steam. * Steam Store Items: For items sold directly by Steam, such as trading cards, emoticons, or profile backgrounds, the fee is reduced to 5% of the set price. * Minimum Price: The lowest price an item can be listed for is $0.01.

Transaction Rules * Purchases are Final: All Community Market purchases are final. Steam does not offer refunds for market transactions under any circumstances. * Spending Funds: Money earned from selling items on the Community Market is added to the user's Steam Wallet. This balance cannot be withdrawn to a bank account or other payment method; it must be spent on the Steam platform (such as purchasing games or buying other market items). * Price Limits: There is a maximum price for a single listing on the Community Market, set at $1,800. Furthermore, users are restricted from listing items if the sale price, combined with their existing Steam Wallet balance, would exceed a total of $2,000.

Selling Games on Steam

The rules for selling games on Steam differ significantly depending on whether you are a consumer or a game developer.

Consumers: Selling Games from Your Library According to the documentation, it is not possible for a regular user to sell games from their personal Steam library. The platform does not support the resale of digital games that have already been purchased and added to an account.

Developers: Publishing and Selling Your Own Game Individuals or companies who wish to sell their own digital games on Steam must go through the official publishing process. * Entry Fee: There is a one-time fee of US$100 to publish a game on Steam. This fee acts as a deposit or participation fee. * Refund Condition: The $100 fee is refunded to the developer once their game generates $1,000 in gross revenue. This includes all sales of the game. * Requirements: To publish a game, you must comply with the Steam Terms of Service and create a game that meets Steam's standards. No external business license is explicitly mentioned as a requirement in the provided text, though compliance with terms is mandatory. * Free-to-Play (F2P) Games: Developers have the option to release their game as Free to Play. In this scenario, the game is available for customers to download at no cost. Revenue is typically generated through in-game purchases (microtransactions) or downloadable content (DLC), which must use the Steam Wallet system. When setting up a Free to Play game, developers select the "This is a free product" option during the app creation process.

Selling Steam Accounts

The documentation is clear and strict regarding the sale of Steam accounts.

Prohibition Valve strictly prohibits the buying and selling of Steam accounts. While the documentation notes that selling an account is not necessarily illegal in a criminal sense, it is a violation of the Steam Terms of Service.

Consequences If Steam's support team determines that an account has been sold or transferred: * The account will be permanently locked. * This restriction applies regardless of who currently possesses the account (the buyer or the seller). * Any attempt to access or sell someone else's account is considered account theft. * Buying a Steam account can result in the account being restricted. Trade bans may also be issued to accounts that commit scams or violate community guidelines.

How to Sell Items on Steam

For users eligible to use the Community Market, the process for selling items is straightforward: 1. Navigate to the Steam Inventory page. 2. Click on the specific item you wish to sell. 3. Click the "Sell" button that appears in the bottom right of the item's details window. 4. Set a reasonable price based on current market trends and graphs. 5. Confirm the listing, acknowledging the fees and finality of the transaction.

Conclusion

Steam provides a regulated environment for the exchange of digital gaming goods. For consumers, the primary avenue for selling involves community-traded items like trading cards and in-game assets via the Community Market, subject to specific eligibility requirements, fees, and spending restrictions. The funds generated are strictly for use within the Steam ecosystem. Conversely, selling personal games from one's library is not permitted. For those looking to publish and sell games, Steam offers a relatively accessible entry point with a $100 fee that is refundable upon reaching $1,000 in revenue. Finally, the platform maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding the sale of user accounts, enforcing permanent bans on any accounts found to be traded or sold. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for navigating the Steam marketplace legally and effectively.

Sources

1. Is it legal to sell stuff on Steam?
2. Steam Market Guide
3. Free to Play Games on Steam
4. Can You Sell Games on Steam for Free?