Steam added disclosure and expiration rules for Japanese subscribers' wallet funds. Starting April 21, 2026, any money added to a Steam Wallet by Japanese users will expire and be forfeited if not spent within six months. Steam now lets users see their wallet balance and expiration dates in their account settings.
If you are a Japanese Steam user, any funds you add to your Steam Wallet will automatically expire and become unusable if you do not spend them within six months from the date you added them. This requirement reflects Japanese law governing prepaid accounts. You can track which funds expire when by checking your Steam Wallet in your Steam account settings.
If you are a Japanese Steam user and add money to your Wallet, you must spend it within six months or lose access to it. This is a financial deadline that affects how you budget for games and in-game purchases.
→ If you are a Japanese user, review your Steam Wallet in your account settings to check expiration dates on any funds you have added.
→ Spend any Wallet funds you plan to use before the six-month expiration date to avoid forfeiture.
→ Wallet funds not spent within six months will expire and become unusable.
→ Expired funds cannot be recovered or refunded and will be permanently lost.
Funds added to Steam Wallet by Japanese subscribers expire after six months of inactivity and cannot be recovered.
Steam users can now view their wallet balance and expiration dates directly in their Steam account settings.
This change record describes what was added, removed, or modified in the document. Analysis reflects what the updated agreement states or permits. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Applicability may vary by jurisdiction. Methodology
Steam disclosed a six-month expiration requirement for prepaid wallet funds held by Japanese subscribers, effective April 21, 2026, along with a corresponding disclosure mechanism (visible expiration dates in user accounts). This change likely reflects compliance with Japanese consumer protection law governing stored-value accounts and dormant funds. Organizations offering Steam gift cards or wallet credits to Japanese customers may need to communicate this expiration rule in marketing and support materials. No new vendor obligations appear created; this is a platform disclosure and user-facing feature change.
Japanese Consumer Protection Law (dormant prepaid account provisions), potentially relevant prepaid payment regulations in Japan
Full compliance analysis
Obligation analysis, escalation trigger, board language, and recommended action.
Watcher: regulatory citations + obligations. Professional: full compliance memo.
ConductAtlas provides verified policy intelligence sourced directly from platform documents. All analysis is intended to support, not replace, legal and compliance review. Record CA-C-001367.
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