Steam Wallet Funds Can Expire After Six Months in Japan

Saving your Steam Wallet balance for the right sale? In Japan, there’s a deadline worth knowing about.

Valve’s Steam Subscriber Agreement says funds added by Japanese users expire if they remain unused for six months after being added. This is a Japan-specific clause, not a new worldwide expiry rule.

Japanese outlet AUTOMATON reports that the wording was added in an April 20, 2026 update. It has only recently started attracting attention on social media.

The wording ties expiration to the date the money was added—not to how long you’ve been away from Steam. This is about unused wallet credit, not games you’ve already bought.

For anyone who loads up a balance and saves it for a future purchase, that distinction matters.

Valve cites Japanese law but does not identify a specific statute. AUTOMATON suggests the rule could be connected to Japan’s Payment Services Act.

The relevant prepaid-payment rules include an exemption for instruments that can only be used within six months of issue. AUTOMATON’s theory is that the expiry period could let Valve use that exemption, avoiding certain requirements to set aside money against unused balances.

That is a possible explanation, not a motive Valve has confirmed.

That’s the part the published clause does not clearly spell out: whether money added before the April update is affected and, if so, when its six-month window would begin.

AUTOMATON raises October 20 as a possible expiry date if the clock for older funds started on April 20. It is not a confirmed blanket deadline, and the report does not establish that all Japanese wallet balances will disappear that day.

There’s also a visibility issue. Valve says users can check their balances and expiry dates in their Steam Wallet, but AUTOMATON said in its October 9 report that it could not find the expiry information when it checked. The outlet said it had contacted Steam Support for clarification.

For players in Japan, the takeaway is to check your wallet details before leaving money parked for months. An older balance with no visible expiry date is a reason to ask Steam Support—not to assume it is unaffected.

Do you keep a Steam Wallet balance between sales, or only add funds when you’re ready to buy?