Valve Launches Steam Wallet Beta Test

Andy Chalk

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Nov 12, 2002
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Valve Launches Steam Wallet Beta Test


Valve has begun testing Steam Wallet [http://store.steampowered.com/steamaccount/addfunds/], a new payment option that will make it even easier to throw your money at the world's most popular PC digital distribution platform.

Steam [http://store.steampowered.com] is already a money-magnet. It's convenient, it's reliable and it offers up seriously good deals on a dangerously regular basis. But just in case you haven't discovered enough ways to go broke on it, here's one more: Steam Wallet, a Microsoft Points-style system that lets you add money to your Steam account that you can blow on stuff later.

It might seem like a bit of a wasted effort, given that Steam works perfectly well with credit cards, but for people who don't have credit cards - kids and poor folks like me - it could be a real boon. Steam Wallet can be topped up in amounts of $5, $10, $25, $50 or $100, which can then be used to buy games or within any game that supports Steam transactions.

It's also crazy convenient, although that's actually more of a benefit for Blood Bowl [http://valvesoftware.com/] at 75 percent off is a great deal but your credit card is in your wallet and that's all the way over on the other side of the house - maybe even downstairs. Yeesh, what a hassle. But if all you have to do is click a button and it's yours? I think it's a good bet that impulse buys on Steam are about to experience a serious spike.

via: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/12/steam-launches-beta-for-steam-wallet-payment-option/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weblogsinc%2Fjoystiq+%28Joystiq%29]


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HK_01

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Jun 1, 2009
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I fail to see how it's more convenient than PayPal or[sup]1[/sup] Click&Buy...

[sup]1[/sup]Okay, I get it, PayPal is evil
 
Jul 22, 2009
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This is a good payment option.

It's something that makes XBLA so appealing too.

I am 17 so I can't own a credit card. And I refuse to use my Debit Card anywhere online as if it gets breached and I lose money, it isn't covered.

I love the idea of buying cards in advance and being able to buy something later on.

Forcing every transaction to be made online definitely makes me less likely to buy things.
 

Alandoril

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Jul 19, 2010
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HK_01 said:
I fail to see how it's more convenient that PayPal or Click&Buy...
Indeed by having to buy points in the first place all it really does is add/replace a step in the transaction.
 

Cowabungaa

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Feb 10, 2008
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HK_01 said:
I fail to see how it's more convenient that PayPal or Click&Buy...
Seconded. I use Click&Buy myself and, well, it's exactly what it says on the tin; you click and you buy something, can't get easier than that.

It barely even feels like spending money. That is, until I log in my bank account and find another X amount of euros missing thanks to Steam. Curse those awesome deals...
 

Blackadder51

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Jun 25, 2009
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I like it a lot, for people that don't have credit cards them selves this is very useful, its similar to the PSN store. That said Vale will make a shit load more of this with impulse buys as you said, and of course once you have bought credit you must spend it on steam stuff. Still good idea.
 

Cpt_Oblivious

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Jan 7, 2009
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Alandoril said:
HK_01 said:
I fail to see how it's more convenient that PayPal or Click&Buy...
Indeed by having to buy points in the first place all it really does is add/replace a step in the transaction.
Unless you can give points as a present. Then birthdays just got a whole lot easier for gamers.
 

Ruairi iliffe

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Sep 13, 2010
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Just updated my Paypal *sigh* now more ways to lose my money to Steam.

Oh well, lots of cheap games in return :D
 

TimeLord

For the Emperor!
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Aug 15, 2008
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I like this idea because I am lazy and have to attempt to find my wallet every time I want to buy something.
 

coldfrog

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Dec 22, 2008
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If Steam hasn't made you memorize your credit card number yet, you're not using it enough.
 

Virgil

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HK_01 said:
I fail to see how it's more convenient that PayPal or Click&Buy...
It is if someone gives you a $25 Steam card as a gift. I would bet that the Steam Wallet is primarily a framework for allowing things like gift cards to be sold.

Andy Chalk said:
It's also crazy convenient, although that's actually more of a benefit for Blood Bowl [http://valvesoftware.com/] at 75 percent off is a great deal but your credit card is in your wallet and that's all the way over on the other side of the house - maybe even downstairs.
On Valve's end, having a wallet also is good for reducing credit card fees. Especially for <$5 transactions. If they could convince even a small portion of their users to drop $25 or $50 into their account in advance instead of charging all those $1-5 games individually, they'd save a lot of money.

If they keep moving towards having cheap DLC (like the Magic: The Gathering deck upgrades, at $1 each), that could make a huge difference for them.
 

Atmos Duality

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Mar 3, 2010
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Clever. It's an investment pool disguised as a pay account.
They get your money now, but can reinvest it sooner, generate interest or fund other projects, and you keep your store credit.

Sorta works on rebate logic.
 

Assassin Xaero

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Jul 23, 2008
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Finally, but I already got a debit card about a year ago, so now it's more of a meh... Maybe people will quit begging on the forums now.
 

teh_Canape

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May 18, 2010
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still, how would this work for me?

since I am in the wonderland known as Argentina, and especially in my city (which isnt the capital city, mind you) it's a pain in the ass to even get Microsoft Points, so, how would it work for me?

still, looks really useful