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Steam Points were first introduced in June 2020 alongside the year’s Steam Summer Sale. Before this change was implemented, you could only get special backgrounds and emoticons by collecting Trading Cards and crafting badges. The addition of the Points system gives easy ways to add flair to your gaming profile, rewarding purchases and interactions. But other than that, what are the Points used for and how exactly can you get them?
How Do You Get Steam Points?
The Points are earned by spending money on the Steam Store, with one point granted for every $1 spent. Regional equivalents apply, so for those outside the US, your local currency determines how many points you’ll get per purchase.
Nevertheless, Steam Points aren’t exclusive to game purchases. Buying DLCs, soundtracks, or even hardware like the Steam Deck will also add to your total. However, Points cannot be earned from top-ups or any purchase made outside the Steam Store and cannot be exchanged for real money.
What Can You Spend Steam Points On?
Have you seen your friends decking their avatars and profile pages with flashy cosmetics Well, that’s the main purpose of Steam Points. They are used to buy exclusive avatars, frames, profile backgrounds, and startup animation through the Steam Points Shop. Usually, each item category is priced at:
- Avatar: 2,000 Points.
- Animated avatar: 3,000 Points.
- Avatar frame: 2,000 Points.
- Background: 1,000 – 2,000 Points.
- Big Picture or Deck startup movie: 3,000 Points.
- Item bundle: 5,000 Points.
There are also animated stickers and emotes that you can use in your chats. Seasonal sales often add exclusive items like special backgrounds, Badges, and free stickers, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for limited-time rewards. Obviously, these items don’t affect gameplay, but they do make your profile and conversation look stylish.
Another popular use for Steam Points is to give awards to other users in the Community section. Say you found a helpful review, a funny comment, or an impressive mod. You can use your Points and give various Awards — like the popular Clown Award — to show appreciation or troll them.
One of the best parts of Steam Points is that they don’t expire. You can save them up and splurge on something special whenever you like.
Still, keep in mind that when you refund a game, the points you gained from that purchase will be deducted from your account. If your Points balance ends up negative, Steam will remove the most recent items and Awards until it is no longer negative.
Where Do You Find the Points Shop?
The Points Shop is located in the main navigation bar on Steam, under the ‘Store’ tab. Clicking on it takes you to the Shop page, displaying all items you can buy with Points. Your current Points balance is also visible here, making it easy to track. Otherwise, you can also open it by going to store.steampowered.com/points/shop on a web browser.
Steam Points can add value to your browsing experience if you enjoy customizing your profile or interacting with the community. But, other than ‘just for fun,’ it serves no purpose and can be safely ignored.
