Valve updates gift rules to limit Steam key resellers

Steam has moved to limit the quick re-sale of gifted Steam keys by applying a 30-day wait before they can be sold on.

The rule change, announced today by Valve's Tony Paloma, is an attempt to clamp down on scammers who trade gifts which are later revoked due to problems with payment.

"All new games purchased as a gift and placed in the purchaser's inventory will be untradable for 30 days," Paloma wrote. "The gift may still be gifted at any time. The only change is to trading.

"We've made this change to make trading gifts a better experience for those receiving the gifts. We're hoping this lowers the number of people who trade for a game only to have the game revoked later due to issues with the purchaser's payment method."

Steam key resellers and rival retail sites have been known to buy up game keys in bulk using fraudulent payment details, then sell them on at a discount to ensure quick sale.

Customers who snap up these keys are then left out of pocket if Valve is unable process the original payment, which then causes the keys to be revoked.