Steam does not permit sending games via personal accounts.
Steam does not permit sending games via personal accounts.
Hi, I’ve been looking for a solution over the past few hours but haven’t found a perfect fit. Here’s what I know: I’m a Chinese student studying abroad in Canada. My family and my girlfriend are all back in China. I’ve always wanted a game, but as a student I usually skip buying full-price copies and can’t see Steam having another big sale soon. I’ve been eyeing Watch Dogs 2 on my wishlist since it came out, hoping it’ll be discounted later. My girlfriend noticed I enjoy games and remembered how much I’ve watched playthroughs and shown it to her during Skype. She thought it would be a sweet Valentine’s Day gift for me. I didn’t realize this until I received the e-receipt in my email. Now I’m wondering if this is okay. I told a friend about it, and he was concerned because he thought it might break Steam’s account-sharing rules. But I don’t see how sharing an account justifies that—she only logged in and bought the game for me. She doesn’t play games or use my account for anything. I’ve always pictured this as a rule against games like World of Warcraft or other MMORPGs where you pay for power-ups. We’ve been together for four years, and she’s become like family, having access to everything I own—my bank account, emails, etc. I guess many people in relationships feel the same way. Should I really be worried? I have about 75–80 games in my account, all bought myself except that one gifted by my girlfriend. The receipt proves it was through her payment method. Any advice would be appreciated, as I’m really confused about this.
it's okay to purchase a game for another person, but exchanging bank details and email addresses isn't typical.
Thanks for your response! The issue is that China is seen as a region-locked country, which means prices vary significantly compared to other regions like CAN or the US. I didn’t mind much until I looked into SteamDB and noticed something unusual. At first, I thought it might be against the rules for having 1/80 games from a non-home Steam store, but I realized sharing my bank account and email isn’t unusual—many couples do it. I’m 26, she’s 23, and we’ve been together for four years; she’s considered family. So I guess separating everything from her isn’t really a big deal.
Sure, just to clarify—honestly, as long as Ubisoft and Steam keep making money, they seem to prioritize little.
Several couples share accounts that they combine. My wife and I also have our own plus a shared account for home or other expenses. Email seems uncertain because messages could be forwarded automatically.
I gave my friend in Japan Call of Duty World at War as a gift since it wasn't available there. I believe Valve isn't concerned unless you're attempting to undermine their business interests. It's like pretending you're in a different region just to get better deals.
Thanks for the response. It seems I overanalyzed things, and I'm feeling much more confident now. Regarding the purchase, Steam can log this activity, just like my e-receipt confirms it was made in my hometown using my girlfriend's name. This doesn't involve any VPN or other explicitly illegal methods as outlined in their terms of service. The real concern was my friend's belief that even regular purchases outside your home country could trigger account flags and bans. Many people use VPNs or proxies to bypass regional restrictions, which might make Steam more cautious than intended. I'm worried about the possibility of my account being banned.
I keep my girlfriend completely separate from my personal matters. If she needs to see me, I’ll let her know. If she has access to my password, I’ll update it right away. There’s a good reason they warn against sharing passwords—changing them makes recovery nearly impossible. Even with full trust, I’d rather not risk it. If I had something to hide, I’d switch banks instead. Steam’s family sharing works fine for me, but I get why some people have different views. It probably doesn’t matter much to them. Just avoid it again, just in case something strange happens.