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If Steam won't let you gift a game to your second account, the problem is usually not the second account at all. It's the money you're paying with. Many accounts have what Steam Support calls a "general gift purchasing restriction," which blocks gift purchases made with Steam Wallet funds. The same purchase goes through if you pay with an external method such as a credit or debit card, PayPal, or another option offered in your region. Your wallet still works for anything you buy for your own account. Gifting itself is still allowed.
There are a couple of other reasons a gift can fail, and they need different fixes. This guide covers how to tell which problem you have, how to get the game onto your other account, and what to do if it still won't work.
What the restriction actually blocks
Here is how Steam Support has described the restriction to users who asked about it, according to a reply quoted on the Steam Community forums:
"You can still purchase gifts and send them to any of your friends if you use a payment method directly to purchase the gift, instead of your Wallet funds. You are free to use your Wallet funds toward making purchases for your own account."
A 2025 thread got almost the same reply. Support confirmed a "general gift purchasing restriction" and pointed the user to an external payment method (Steam Community discussion).
In practice, that means:
- Blocked: buying a gift with your Steam Wallet balance.
- Allowed: buying the same gift with a card, PayPal, or another payment method Steam offers at checkout.
- Allowed: using your wallet to buy games, DLC and items for your own account.
To Steam, your second account is just another recipient. If your main account has the flag, sending a gift to your alt hits the same wall as sending one to a friend.
Why Steam does this
Valve hasn't published a detailed public explanation for each flagged account. In community threads, experienced users say the restriction exists to stop commercial activity. Wallet funds can come from selling items on the Community Market, and some people have used them to buy gifts and resell them. Treat that as a likely explanation from other users, not an official statement.
It's also unclear who gets the flag. Some reports describe it as a flag on specific accounts. One 2026 Reddit thread describes it as a change that affects everyone: "You need to use a different payment method to gift games now." Whichever it is for your account, the workaround is the same.
How to gift a game to your other account with a card or PayPal
The steps follow Steam's own gift purchase guide.
- Add your second account as a friend. Gifts go to people on your Friends List, so log into your main account and send a friend request to your alt. Accept it from the alt.
- Find the game on the Steam Store and add it to your cart. Choose the option to buy it as a gift.
- Pick the recipient. Select your second account from your Friends List.
- Choose delivery. You can send it now or schedule it. Steam allows scheduling up to 12 months ahead.
- Pick a payment method other than Steam Wallet. Choose a card, PayPal, or whatever else checkout lists for your region.
- Accept the subscriber agreement and finish the purchase.
- Log into the second account and accept the gift. The game then sits in that account's library for good.
One detail matters if your wallet has some money in it. Steam's checkout normally uses your wallet balance first and asks a second method to cover the rest. If the account has a wallet gift restriction, that split may still fail. If it does, pay the whole amount with the external method.
Which payment methods work
Support's replies refer to "external" or "direct" payment methods without listing them. Community members mention credit cards, PayPal and Paysafecard. What you see at checkout depends on your country. Bank transfer and local payment services are available in some regions and not others. If it shows up at checkout and it isn't your Steam Wallet, it should work.
Many players keep their wallet only for small amounts, such as money from selling trading cards. They buy games and gifts with PayPal or a card. One SteamGifts discussion recommends exactly that to avoid running into restrictions. Topping up your wallet to buy gifts is the one approach that can leave you stuck.
Other reasons the gift may fail
If you paid with a card or PayPal and it still didn't work, check these.
You're trying to move a game you already own
Steam can't transfer games you already own. Its help page says you "may only gift new purchases." If the game is already in your main library, Steam has no button to move it to your alt. You'd have to buy a new copy as a gift. You could also look at Steam Family Sharing, which lets other accounts in your family group play some of your library without a second purchase. Check Steam's current rules for that feature before relying on it.
The accounts are set to different regions
Games are priced differently around the world, and Steam can block gifts between regions with large price gaps. If your main account and your alt are registered in different countries, the gift may be refused even when payment works. Steam's "I can't send a gift to my friend" section is the official place to check.
Gifted copies were revoked
Steam can revoke gifts in some cases, such as disputed payments. Its gift FAQ has a section on why a gift gets revoked. If a game disappeared from your alt, look there first.
Should you contact Steam Support?
You can, but expect a polite no. In the 2022 forum thread, a user got the restriction cleared by Support in April. A few months later, Support told them it could not be removed and that further tickets on the subject would be closed without a reply. A 2025 user got the same answer: the restriction could not be removed. As one forum regular put it, "Policies change over time."
There's also a common mistake in that 2022 thread. The user sold an item on the Market to raise wallet money for the gift, then found they couldn't spend it on a gift. That money can only go toward purchases for their own account. Before you sell items or top up your wallet to buy a present, check that gifting with wallet funds actually works on your account.
Another route: buy a key and redeem it on the second account
If you just want the game on your alt, you don't need Steam's gift system. Buy a Steam key and redeem it directly on the second account. A key isn't tied to who paid for it, so the wallet restriction doesn't apply.
Keys come from the developer's own store, bundles, and marketplaces such as stockr.org. Wherever you buy, check these first:
- Region lock. Confirm the key works in the country your second account is set to.
- Platform. Make sure it's a Steam key and not for another launcher.
- Seller reputation. On a marketplace, look at seller history and how disputes are handled before you pay.
- Redeem promptly. Activate the key soon after buying so any problem shows up while you can still raise it with the seller.
Quick FAQ
Can I use my wallet to buy games for myself? Yes. Support has said wallet funds can still be used for your own account.
Will I get the restriction removed if I ask again? Recent replies say Support can't remove it. Don't count on it.
Can I pay partly with wallet and partly with a card? Whether the restriction allows a split isn't clear. If checkout fails, put the full amount on the external method.
Can I give my alt a game I already own? No. Steam only lets you gift new purchases, not games already in your library.
Does adding a Steam gift card to my wallet get around it? No. A redeemed gift card becomes wallet balance, so the same restriction applies when you try to buy gifts with it.
The short version
The gift option is usually still available. The block is on paying with wallet money. Add your second account as a friend and buy the gift with a card, PayPal or another method your region offers. Or buy a key and redeem it on the alt. Keep your wallet for things you buy for yourself.