Paying in the UK

Paying for games in the UK

Every store takes cards, and most take PayPal. After that it gets patchy. Here is what each store accepts from a UK account, what each method can cost you, and which one gives you the most protection when something goes wrong.

Last checked 24 September 2026

The short version

Most protection: a credit card, paid directly to the store. You get a chargeback route on any amount and section 75 cover on single items over £100.
Easiest budget: a gift card or a platform wallet top-up for a fixed amount. When it is gone, it is gone.
Least paperwork: PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay, where accepted. They keep your card details away from the store but can weaken section 75 cover.
No card at all: Paysafecard vouchers bought in a UK shop, on the stores that accept them. Watch the monthly fee on unused balances.
No extra fees: UK law bans surcharges for paying by consumer debit or credit card, and the big stores bill UK accounts in pounds.

Who accepts what

What each store accepts from a UK account, from the stores' own payment pages, checked 24 September 2026. "Partly" means the store lists it in some regions or only at checkout.
Store	Debit and credit cards	PayPal	Apple Pay or Google Pay	Paysafecard	Gift cards	Pay by mobile	Pay later
Steam	YesNo Amex	Yes	No	YesRefunds go to Steam Wallet	YesSteam cards only	No	PartlyKlarna listed
PlayStation Store	YesAmex too	Yes	YesApple Pay only	Yes	YesPlayStation cards	YesEE, O2, Three	No
Xbox and Microsoft Store	Yes	Yes	No	No	YesXbox cards	YesEE, O2, Three, Vodafone	PartlyHardware only
Epic Games Store	Yes	Yes	PartlyCheck at checkout	PartlyCheck at checkout	YesFortnite cards	PartlyCheck at checkout	PartlyCheck at checkout
GOG	Yes	Yes	PartlyCheck at checkout	PartlyCheck at checkout	No	No	PartlyCheck at checkout
Riot Games (League of Legends)	Yes	Yes	PartlyDigital wallets listed	Yes	YesRiot cards	No	No
HoYoverse web and PC	Yes	PartlyCheck at checkout	PartlyCheck at checkout	PartlyCheck at checkout	No	No	No
Apple App Store	Yes	Yes	YesApple Pay	No	YesApple cards	YesAll four networks	No
Google Play	YesAmex too	Yes	YesGoogle Pay	YesVia a my paysafecard account	YesGoogle Play cards	YesAll four networks	No

On consoles and phones, games bought inside the app are billed by the platform: PlayStation, Xbox, Apple or Google. That means their payment methods, refund rules and parental controls apply, even for games like Genshin Impact that also sell directly on PC.

Guides to each method

Cards and your rightsDebit and credit cards, section 75, chargebacks, surcharges and what happens when a child uses a saved card.Read the guide PayPal, Apple Pay, Google PayWhich stores take them, what they add in protection and where currency conversion costs creep in.Read the guide PaysafecardPrepaid vouchers from UK shops: where they work for games, the monthly fee on unused balance and the age rules.Read the guide Steam, PlayStation and Xbox gift cardsDenominations, where they can and can't be spent, and the gift card scams to recognise.Read the guide Refunds and cancellationsStore refund windows, your 14-day rights for digital content and why in-game currency is different.Read the guide

What paying can cost you

Cost	When it applies	How to avoid it
Card surcharges	Never, for consumer cards. They have been banned since January 2018	Nothing to do. Report any store that adds one
Non-sterling transaction fee	When a store bills in euros or dollars. UK banks commonly charge 2.75% to 2.99%	Check the currency at checkout, or use a card with no foreign fees
Dynamic currency conversion	When a checkout offers to charge a foreign price in pounds at its own rate	Choose to pay in the store's currency and let your card convert
PayPal conversion	When PayPal converts a foreign-currency purchase, typically at around 3% above the base rate	Where offered, let your card issuer convert instead
Paysafecard monthly fee	On unused balance, from the second month after purchase, about £3 to £4 a month	Buy only what you will spend straight away
Wallet top-up fees	None on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo when paying in pounds	Nothing to do

Wallets and top-up amounts

Steam Wallet: top-ups of £4, £10, £25, £50 or £100, so £4 is the minimum. Funds can't be moved to another account or turned back into money.
PlayStation wallet: topped up with a saved payment method or a gift card. Money added to the wallet can't be refunded.
Microsoft account balance: used on Xbox and the Microsoft Store. Non-promotional balance doesn't expire.
Epic account balance: fixed top-up amounts, not refundable as money, capped at the equivalent of 500 US dollars.
Nintendo eShop: cards of £15 to £100 add exactly their face value, up to a £340 balance.

Prices and VAT

UK consumer prices on every store listed here include VAT at 20%. Since April 2025 the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 also requires the headline price to include any fee you can't avoid, so a price shown at the start of checkout should be the price you pay.

Your rights, in brief

Digital purchases come with real protection under UK law: the right to content that works as described, rules on cancelling within 14 days, limits on what you owe if a card is misused, and extra cover on credit cards. Our guide to cards and your rights goes through each one, and the refunds guide explains each store's rules.

Sources: the payment method pages of each store, legislation.gov.uk, Barclays, PayPal and Paysafecard fee pages, checked 24 September 2026. This is general information, not financial advice.