Global issues with Steam payments persist as PayPal becomes inaccessible for numerous regions: Valve aims to restore it, yet the precise timeframe remains unclear.
In early July 2025, a significant change occurred on Steam, Valve's popular gaming platform. PayPal is no longer accepted for purchases in many countries and currencies due to a decision made by one of PayPal's acquiring banks [1][2][3][4][5].
The currencies still supported are Euro (EUR), Canadian Dollar (CAD), British Pound (GBP), Japanese Yen (JPY), Australian Dollar (AUD), and US Dollar (USD). This move is part of a broader crackdown by payment processors and banks on explicit or adult-themed content [1][2][4].
Valve, the company behind Steam, has confirmed that this banking decision is related to content issues similar to previous disputes involving Mastercard, which pressured Steam over NSFW (Not Safe For Work) games on the platform [1][2][4]. Although Valve and PayPal have not detailed all underlying reasons, it is clear that restrictions imposed by payment processors and banks regarding certain game content led to the termination of PayPal support in these regions.
Valve is currently evaluating alternative payment methods and hopes to restore PayPal support for the affected currencies in the future, but a clear timeline has not been provided [1][3][5]. Affected users must rely on other payment options or add funds using Steam Wallet codes in the meantime.
This development is not unique to Steam. Indie-focused platform Itch.io also deindexed a number of games for the same reason [1].
Interestingly, despite the UK's Online Safety Act legislation, which aims to protect minors from inappropriate content, GBP remains one of the accepted currencies on Steam [1]. This suggests that the PayPal problem may be unrelated to concerns about the potential sale of adult games to minors.
Valve was quite pointed in its response when Mastercard attempted to deflect the blame for the removal of NSFW games on Steam [2]. An identical message regarding the PayPal issue has been added to the Steam Support site [5].
Andy Chalk, a writer for PC Gamer, has reached out to Valve to inquire about the reason for PayPal's unavailability and will update if a response is received.
The issue with PayPal not being accepted as a form of payment on Steam was first reported about a month ago [6]. This news has caused a stir in the gaming community, and users are eagerly awaiting a resolution to the issue.
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