Hi Steam, UK adult user here. Credit card vs Debit card age-verification.

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Artoo Leetoo 8 hours ago

Hallo there. As a UK-based adult user of Steam, and because of some idiotic decisions by politicians in my country, in order to access some of the content available to adults, I am being asked to verify my age by adding a credit card to my account.
I do not have a credit card, nor do I want one.
I do, however, have a debit card.
Now, of course, I am told that simply having a debit card cannot be used to prove that I am over 18, because I could obtain a debit card at the age of 16. Fair enough.
Except, I have been engaging in transactions with Steam using this self-same debit card for well over 2 years.
WHY can't you accept that a debit card that has been registered with you for over 2 years is proof that I am over 18?
(Thanks very much to you, Valve, and to the payment processors, for sucking all the fun out of my gaming experience lately.) :/

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Showing 1-15 of 17 comments

Chompman 8 hours ago

Because the law does not care how old your account is as it will only accept certain things and the use of a credit card is one of them.

Last edited by Chompman; 8 hours ago

Artoo Leetoo 8 hours ago

Originally posted by Chompman:
Because the law does not care how old your account is as it will only accept certain things and the use of a credit card is one of them.

and the law cannot add 16 + 2?
Also, here are some other things that 'the law' will accept; face scans, drivers license, passport, cell phone provider, none of which Steam offers as an option.

Last edited by Artoo Leetoo; 8 hours ago

Chill-Out-Zone 8 hours ago

Can buy steam money in your country or using paypal?
I guess they remove that too?

Chompman 8 hours ago

Originally posted by Artoo Leetoo:
Originally posted by Chompman:
Because the law does not care how old your account is as it will only accept certain things and the use of a credit card is one of them.
and the law cannot add 16 + 2?

It doesn't matter how old your account is or how long you have been using that debit card.

Debit cards cannot be used to verify your 18+ age at all and some people who have steam accounts over 20+ years still cannot use that to verify your age as that's not what the law recognizes in this case.

Artoo Leetoo 8 hours ago

Originally posted by Chompman:
Originally posted by Artoo Leetoo:
and the law cannot add 16 + 2?
It doesn't matter how old your account is or how long you have been using that debit card.

Debit cards cannot be used to verify your 18+ age at all and some people who have steam accounts over 20+ years still cannot use that to verify your age as that's not what the law recognizes in this case.

It absolutely does matter. If I have been using a debit card for more than 2 years, it has to mean that my debits prove that i am over 18. I mean, i'm actually 52, but this absolute nonsense of 'your debit card doesn't prove anything' has to stop. :/

pckirk 7 hours ago

valve / steam went with the easiest and quickest complience, CC are already accepted in the system, so that is the one they selected.

datCookie 7 hours ago

Originally posted by Artoo Leetoo:
Originally posted by Chompman:
It doesn't matter how old your account is or how long you have been using that debit card.

Debit cards cannot be used to verify your 18+ age at all and some people who have steam accounts over 20+ years still cannot use that to verify your age as that's not what the law recognizes in this case.
It absolutely does matter. If I have been using a debit card for more than 2 years, it has to mean that my debits prove that i am over 18. I mean, i'm actually 52, but this absolute nonsense of 'your debit card doesn't prove anything' has to stop. :/

Steam accounts can (but shouldn't) be bought, which is why account age doesn't equate to account owner age.

Credit cards can only be acquired by people 18 or older.

Artoo Leetoo 7 hours ago

Originally posted by Chill-Out-Zone:
Can buy steam money in your country or using paypal?
I guess they remove that too?

Hallo, sir! I have no problem with funding purchases, it's just the dubious 'age-verification' thing I have an issue with. :o
Hope you're having a great day though. :)

Artoo Leetoo 7 hours ago

Originally posted by datCookie:
Originally posted by Artoo Leetoo:
It absolutely does matter. If I have been using a debit card for more than 2 years, it has to mean that my debits prove that i am over 18. I mean, i'm actually 52, but this absolute nonsense of 'your debit card doesn't prove anything' has to stop. :/

Steam accounts can (but shouldn't) be bought, which is why account age doesn't equate to account owner age.

Credit cards can only be acquired by people 18 or older.

Right, and I could verify my age with a credit card, and give the account to my nephew the day after. This UK law isn't 'protecting' anyone. All it's doing is preventing people from accessing content they would otherwise be able to access. :/

Chompman 7 hours ago

Originally posted by Artoo Leetoo:
Originally posted by Chompman:
It doesn't matter how old your account is or how long you have been using that debit card.

Debit cards cannot be used to verify your 18+ age at all and some people who have steam accounts over 20+ years still cannot use that to verify your age as that's not what the law recognizes in this case.
It absolutely does matter. If I have been using a debit card for more than 2 years, it has to mean that my debits prove that i am over 18. I mean, i'm actually 52, but this absolute nonsense of 'your debit card doesn't prove anything' has to stop. :/

All the law see's is debit cards can be used by people under 18 in that part of the world and because of that it's not a legal form to prove your age.

If you want this changed you need to reach out to the lawmakers but you also need to remember that a lot of what you talked about using it for a certain period of time could also be seen as using your personal data that often times steam cannot store of their end.

It's the reason you always have to declare your age when going to certain games no matter how old your steam account is.

#10

Artoo Leetoo 7 hours ago

Originally posted by Chompman:
Originally posted by Artoo Leetoo:
It absolutely does matter. If I have been using a debit card for more than 2 years, it has to mean that my debits prove that i am over 18. I mean, i'm actually 52, but this absolute nonsense of 'your debit card doesn't prove anything' has to stop. :/
All the law see's is debit cards can be used by people under 18 in that part of the world and because of that it's not a legal form to prove your age.

If you want this changed you need to reach out to the lawmakers but you also need to remember that a lot of what you talked about using it for a certain period of time could also be seen as using your personal data that often times steam cannot store of their end.

It's the reason you always have to declare your age when going to certain games no matter how old your steam account is.

'Reach out to lawmakers'... ahahahahahahaha
Yeh, i could sign a petition that will be roundly ignored.....
Or I could lobby my local MP....
Some people on here would have me start a violent revolution...
Maybe Steam could just give me any other route to verify my age. :/

#11

sfnhltb 7 hours ago

Originally posted by Artoo Leetoo:
Right, and I could verify my age with a credit card, and give the account to my nephew the day after. This UK law isn't 'protecting' anyone. All it's doing is preventing people from accessing content they would otherwise be able to access. :/

And you could go into a shop and buy a 18+ DVD/BluRay and give it to your 5 year old nephew. So what? A lot of laws can be circumvented with more or less difficulty, that doesn't mean they do nothing, adding the extra step stops a lot of cases from happening, claiming something isn't 100% perfect in achieving its aims is not a reason to not do it.

Pretty much everywhere will have similar laws within the near future, and they should have existed decades ago, online stores shouldn't have special privileges to get around all laws and sometimes even taxes that other retailers have to adhere to and apply.

#12

Artoo Leetoo 7 hours ago

Originally posted by sfnhltb:
Originally posted by Artoo Leetoo:
Right, and I could verify my age with a credit card, and give the account to my nephew the day after. This UK law isn't 'protecting' anyone. All it's doing is preventing people from accessing content they would otherwise be able to access. :/

And you could go into a shop and buy a 18+ DVD/BluRay and give it to your 5 year old nephew. So what? A lot of laws can be circumvented with more or less difficulty, that doesn't mean they do nothing, adding the extra step stops a lot of cases from happening, claiming something isn't 100% perfect in achieving its aims is not a reason to not do it.

Pretty much everywhere will have similar laws within the near future, and they should have existed decades ago, online stores shouldn't have special privileges to get around all laws and sometimes even taxes that other retailers have to adhere to and apply.

"pretty much everywhere will have similar laws within the near future"... This is what we need to prevent. I am ABSOLUTELY sure that the USA does not want to end up with the same laws as the UK or the EU.
All I'm asking, is that Steam gives its UK customers at least one other route to verify our age. They have to recognise that using a debit card for more than 2 years is a solid indicator that the account holder is over 18, My Youtube channel has been recognised as belonging to someone over 19, without me having to lift a finger. Come the hell on. Sort it out.

#13

Dodece 7 hours ago

This is not a negotiation, and there are no appeals. They're following the laws, and under those very laws. Debit cards can't be used. They picked the least problematic option, and they weren't obligated to offer you any. You'll either get a credit card, stop playing that game genre, or shop at a brick and mortar.

The sense of entitlement that makes you think your whims should be catered to. Is the very same sense of entitlement that has emboldened your lawmakers. You're demanding to be coddled due to taking issue with being coddled. You're just trying to go behind nanny's back.

#14

Artoo Leetoo 7 hours ago

Originally posted by Dodece:
This is not a negotiation, and there are no appeals. They're following the laws, and under those very laws. Debit cards can't be used. They picked the least problematic option, and they weren't obligated to offer you any. You'll either get a credit card, stop playing that game genre, or shop at a brick and mortar.

The sense of entitlement that makes you think your whims should be catered to. Is the very same sense of entitlement that has emboldened your lawmakers. You're demanding to be coddled due to taking issue with being coddled. You're just trying to go behind nanny's back.

Steam is doing the absolute bare minimum, which is exactly how much i will be spending on their service from now on. 'Nanny' does not speak for me, or for many of my fellow countrymen either.

Last edited by Artoo Leetoo; 7 hours ago

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Date Posted: 3 Nov @ 3:26pm

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