Spending controls · Steam
Steam Families, set up properly
Steam has no monthly spending cap. Instead, you decide whether a child can reach the store at all, and approve what they want to buy from your phone. Ten minutes of setup covers it.
Last checked 24 September 2026
How Steam Families works
Steam Families replaced the old Family View and Family Sharing in September 2024. A family holds up to six Steam accounts, each marked as an adult or a child. Adults manage invitations and set restrictions; children follow them. Every child needs their own Steam account.
An adult who leaves a family has to wait a year before joining or creating another, and an empty place also stays locked for a year. Children can't leave a family on their own.
Set it up in nine steps
- Sign in to Steam as the parent, in the Steam app, the Steam Mobile App or on the Steam website.
- Open Account Details and find the Family Management section.
- Choose Create a Family and give it a name.
- Choose Invite a Member, find your child's Steam account and set the role to Child.
- Accept the invitation from your child's account.
- Back in Family Management, select Manage and open your child's entry.
- Switch on Enable Parental controls.
- Decide on store access, choose which games are allowed and set playtime limits.
- Install the Steam Mobile App on your phone so purchase and playtime requests reach you.
Controlling spending
There are two approaches, and they work well together.
- Block the Steam Store. The child can play what they own but can't browse or buy. This is the firmest setting.
- Use purchase requests. The child fills a basket and sends it to you. You approve and pay from the Steam Mobile App or by email, and the games land on their account.
We could not find an official statement on whether a child with store access can still spend their own Steam Wallet balance. If you want certainty, block the store and remove any saved payment method from the child's account.
Playtime and reports
You can set limits by the hour or by the day for each child, see playtime reports in the Steam app, on your phone or on the web, and answer requests for extra time as they come in, either for today only or permanently.
Purchase history and refunds
Purchase history is under Account Details, then View purchase history. Refunds are requested through Steam Support.
| What was bought | Steam's refund rule |
|---|---|
| A game | Within 14 days of purchase and with less than 2 hours played |
| In-game items in Valve games, such as Dota 2 and Team Fortress 2 | Within 48 hours, if the item has not been used, changed or traded |
| In-game items in other games | Only if the developer has opted in; Steam says so at checkout |
| Steam Wallet funds bought on Steam | Within 14 days, if unused |
| Steam Wallet codes bought in shops | Not refundable by Valve |
Valve says it will still look at requests outside these rules, so it is worth asking if a child bought something by accident.
What Steam's controls don't cover
- Free games that sell items through the publisher's own account or shop, rather than through Steam.
- Games that need another launcher, where that launcher's settings apply instead.
- Free-to-play games can't be shared between family members, so each child downloads their own copy.
Sources: Steam Support, Steam Families FAQ and the Steam refunds page, checked 24 September 2026.