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????????????? 12 Sep @ 5:20pm
Please fix cross-region gifting: Just charge the recipient’s price!
Hey Valve and Steam peeps,

Here’s the problem.. right now, gifting across regions is a nightmare. If my friend is in a different country with a different store price, then poof, my gift? Blocked. This makes zero sense when the whole point of a gift is… well, to give and gift it. 🎁

The simple fix:

If I try to gift a game across regions, just charge me the recipient’s regional price.

Example: If the game is $10.99 in Country A and $20.99 in Country B, and I (Country A) gift it to my Country B friend, I should just pay $20.99.

Because that way:

• Publishers get their proper cut.

• No one can abuse cheap regions.

• And friends can finally gift without hitting the “sorry, blocked” wall.

Why this makes sense:

• Prevents the gray market problem (since I can’t send a $10 game into a $20 market).

• Keeps gifting simple and user-friendly.

• People like me can actually buy gifts for birthdays/holidays instead of… uh… sending a “Happy Birthday, Steam says no” screenshot and "bro and/or gal, wish I could gift this for u cuz u a real brokie"

RN gifting on Steam feels like seeing a game at 90% off in the Summer Sale… and then finding out the “Add to Cart” button is just a decorative sticker.

I really think this would make gifting fun again while still protecting regional pricing. Please, so we can send lovey dovey gifts to our friends, let us spend more money on your platform.

Thanks for reading and leave a comment if you agree! Valve, pls fix
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Showing 1-4 of 4 comments
Anonymous Helper 14 Sep @ 7:05am 
The problem is law states that Valve charge you exactly the advertised price, nothing else. This is to protect consumers from stores that advertise one price and charge different price at checkout.

This topic has been discussed to death in the Suggestions / Ideas sub forums. Just do a search and you find dozens of similar topics there.
Last edited by Anonymous Helper; 14 Sep @ 7:06am
#1
????????????? 14 Sep @ 7:53am 
Originally posted by Anonymous Helper:
The problem is law states that Valve charge you exactly the advertised price, nothing else. This is to protect consumers from stores that advertise one price and charge different price at checkout.

This topic has been discussed to death in the Suggestions / Ideas sub forums. Just do a search and you find dozens of similar topics there.

Please cite 'the law' you mentioned. They can still do that if the person wants to buy it for themselves and charge a different price if the region price is different for their friends in different regions.
#2
Anonymous Helper 14 Sep @ 8:38am 
Every country has it's own version of it and US has both federal level and state level laws about it.

Federal regulations prohibit "bait and switch" advertising under the FTC Act's prohibition against unfair or deceptive acts or practices (15 U.S.C. § 45), but enforcement is primarily the responsibility of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC has also issued specific rules like the 2025 Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees for event tickets and lodging, and the 2023 Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Rule for new car dealers, to combat bait-and-switch tactics and hidden fees in those industries. A bait and switch occurs when an advertiser lures consumers with an attractive offer they don't intend to honor, only to switch them to a less desirable or more expensive product.

The actual legal documents are written in legalese and not that easy for a layman to read.

https://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/supmanual/cch/200806/ftca.pdf

Consumers cannot reasonably avoid injury from an act or practice if it interferes with their ability to effectively make decisions.Withholding material price information until after the consumer has committed to purchase the product or service would be an example of preventing a consumer from making an informed decision.
Last edited by Anonymous Helper; 14 Sep @ 8:38am
#3
????????????? 14 Sep @ 10:44am 
Originally posted by Anonymous Helper:
Every country has it's own version of it and US has both federal level and state level laws about it.

Federal regulations prohibit "bait and switch" advertising under the FTC Act's prohibition against unfair or deceptive acts or practices (15 U.S.C. § 45), but enforcement is primarily the responsibility of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC has also issued specific rules like the 2025 Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees for event tickets and lodging, and the 2023 Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Rule for new car dealers, to combat bait-and-switch tactics and hidden fees in those industries. A bait and switch occurs when an advertiser lures consumers with an attractive offer they don't intend to honor, only to switch them to a less desirable or more expensive product.

The actual legal documents are written in legalese and not that easy for a layman to read.

https://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/supmanual/cch/200806/ftca.pdf

Consumers cannot reasonably avoid injury from an act or practice if it interferes with their ability to effectively make decisions.Withholding material price information until after the consumer has committed to purchase the product or service would be an example of preventing a consumer from making an informed decision.


You’re totally right that different countries (and even U.S. states) have their own consumer-protection laws and that the official rules are written in a wall of legalese. But in this case, the “bait-and-switch” concept doesn’t really fit Steam’s cross-region gifting problem.

Why:
No fake price is being dangled. With bait-and-switch, the company advertises a cheap price just to pull you in, then refuses to sell at that price. Steam isn’t showing me a lower price for my friend’s region and then switching it. It’s just blocking the gift outright.

It’s not a hidden fee situation. The FTC rules are about stopping companies from hiding the real price until the last second. With gifting, there is no alternative higher price offered the transaction is just denied.

The harm is about friction, not deception. The frustration here is that I want to buy a gift and Steam won’t take my money if my friend’s price is different. That’s not misleading, it’s just overly restrictive.

So the legal framework around bait-and-switch doesn’t really apply here. My suggestion isn’t about accusing Steam of breaking the law it’s about making gifting simpler and more consistent, while still respecting regional pricing rules.

Thank you for taking the time to find it and respond though!
Last edited by ?????????????; 14 Sep @ 10:45am
#4
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Date Posted: 12 Sep @ 5:20pm
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