How to activate your Steam Key: A step-by-step guide

Once you've purchased your Steam Gift Card at Startselect, all that's left is to activate your Steam Key. You can do this on desktop, and it's even possible to activate your Steam Key via the Steam app. Simply follow our step-by-step guide, and you'll be back to gaming in no time!

You can easily activate your Steam Key on Desktop via the official Steam launcher, which you probably already use to play Steam games on PC. Follow these steps to redeem your Steam Key on Desktop:

Open the Steam launcher on your desktop.
Go to “View my wallet”.
Select “Redeem a Steam Gift Card or Wallet Code”.
Enter your Steam Gift Card code and click on “Continue”.

Activating your Steam Key using the app

You can also activate your Steam Key via the official Steam app, available on Android and iOS. Here’s how to activate your Steam Key in the Steam app:

Launch the Steam app on your phone.
Tap “Wallet” in the top menu.
Tap “Redeem a Steam Gift Card or Wallet Code”.
Enter your Steam Gift Card code and tap on “Continue”.

Tips when activating your steam key

Want to make sure you can activate your Steam Key without any issues? Here are some Steam key redemption tips to help you get back to your favorite Steam games as fast as possible.

Be aware of currency locks
It is important to know that Steam Gift Cards are currency locked. This means that you can only redeem Steam Keys that are issued in the same currency as the currency of your Steam account. You can view the currency of your Steam account in the top right corner of your account.

To ensure you’re buying a Steam Gift Card for the correct country, always check the country flag icon in the top right of our website. If you’re in the wrong region, you can change it by clicking on the same icon.

Entering your code correctly
Make sure you enter your code correctly to make the redemption process seamless. A Steam Gift Card code always consists of 15 characters, a random combination of letters and numbers.

Your Steam Key should look like this:
XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Still have some questions about your Steam Gift Card? You can probably find the answer in one of our articles about Steam. We’ve also answered several frequently asked questions about activating your Steam Key in the section below.

What can I do when I can't activate my code?

Having trouble redeeming your code? Please make sure that the currency of your Steam Key is the same as the currency of your Steam account and that you’ve entered your 15-character code correctly. If you still encounter issues with the redemption of your Steam Key, please contact our customer service team. We’re always happy to help!

Can I activate a code purchased in another country?

Yes, technically you can activate a code purchased in another country, as long as the currency of the card you purchased is the same as the currency of your Steam account. If this is not the case, you won’t be able to activate your Steam Key.

Is there a limit to how many Steam Keys I can activate?

Yes, the Steam Wallet balance is restricted to $2000 (or a value close to $2000 in other currencies), which means you can’t redeem Steam Keys that would put you over that limit. You may also encounter a cooldown period when entering multiple codes, although this cooldown period usually expires after an hour.

Your country selection will ensure that we offer the correct products and payment methods. Please ensure that it corresponds to your country and to the account(s) on which you are planning to redeem the product.