For the people. Not for bots! #FixTF2[save.tf]

Upgrading is not for free. Start by deciding how much you want those benefits:

• Expanded Backpack: 300 instead of 50 slots! "Backpack Expander" adds 100 extra slots.
  Already gained extra slots will remain (e.g. upgrade from 150 to 400 slots).
  
• Items: You'll be able to find unique hats and miscellaneous items.
  F2p players can only find weapons and tools; and obtain achievement hats and misc.
  
• Trading: F2p players can only trade found tools and items received from a premium player.
  Your found weapons and metal will become tradable after upgrading to premium.
  (exception: achievement weapons and metal crafted with achievement weapons)
  
• Crafting: You'll be able to craft hats. Trading hats is often cheaper through.
  
• Gifting: You can wrap items to gifts using a Gift Wrap (to trade non-tradeable items).
  
• Communication: You need to be tf2-premium and have an unlimited steam account
  to be able to write in the chat, speak in the voicechat, participate in votes
  and use voice commands (like calling for a medic). A harsh restriction.

TF2 Premium itself will not unlock a limited steam account.
For that "You will need to spend at least $5.00 USD within the Steam store." (support info)

Ready to step up? Great! Here are your options:

1. Purchase something in the Store
   
2. Use an "Upgrade to Premium Gift" ↓
   
3. Buy "The Orange Box" ↓

The cheapest and most common way.
Once you buy anything from the Mann Co. (not community!) Store you'll be premium.

· Where to buy?

You can use the ingame - or online Mann Co. Store*.
Again: Those $0.03+ items from the community market WILL NOT upgrade your account!

*: The online store website is closed, but you can still purchase from it by searching the item at the tf2 wiki and pressing the 'buy now' button.
(or through some '¤'-links in this guide)

• If you buy form the ingame store you'll get the #1 hat for the first purchase.
  
• If you buy from the online store you'll get the #1 AND #2 hat for the first puchase.

...so you better buy from the online store.
(the tf2wiki or the '¤'-links in this guide)

You'll see hat #1 (and maybe hat #2) listed when you checkout your purchase.
If you didn't get this hat you've not purchase from the Mann Co. Store & you're not premium!

· Test Run Discount:

You can get a 25% price discount on items that are not cosmetics, tools, actions or new-tagged.
Go to the ingame store, click on the desired item and press the "try out" button to recieve this item (non-craftable, non-tradeable) free for a week. You'll also recieve a 25% price discount at the ingame and online store while this item is tested. The test run discount remains active even after deleting the tested item. You can only have one discount active at once.

· What to buy?

Weapons are starting at $0,99. The price can be reduced by 25% by using a Test Run Discount.
The resulting $0,74 is the lowest price available for the upgrade. (example: ¤)

The Tour of Duty Ticket ¤ also costs $0,99. While the Test Run Discount can't be applied here, it might me tempting to spend the $0,25 extra for its trading or gaming value.
Other useful tools include: Backpack Expander ¤, Name Tag ¤, Description Tag ¤ & Paint Can.

The tools can be sold again to the community market after 7 days, giving you steam wallet back!
You'll only pay the price difference between the Mann Co. Store and the community market,
plus the 15% selling fee. It's the cheapest way if you're planning to spend more money on steam.
Make sure to check if you're able to use the community market at all. More on part 1.3).

If you want to get into trading you should buy the Supply Crate Key ($2,49,¤)
or the Tour of Duty Ticket ($0,99,¤) from the tools. (both tradable after 7 days)
Use this site[backpack.tf] to see the current trading prices. Both items are constantly raising in value as the metal value decreases and are often valued more than shown already.

Go to the 'maps' section of the ingame store and choose a map you play a lot or like.
It will give you the following benefits (the stamp is symbolic, you'll not get a stamp as an item):

• Special hat #3 (plus special hat #1, but not #2 since you can't purchase it from the online store)

• A special greeting and a special particle effect for the map you bought the stamp for.

• The money goes to 100% to the community map makers.

Buy whatever you like, but note that most items are cheaper to trade for.



After sussecfully upgrading your account this way you'll have the possibility to thank someone who 'helped you the most'. This person must be at the current server you're playing on or in your friendslist and will recive the 'professor speks' shown below.

· Beware:
You need to have 'Steam Wallet' in order to buy an item from the store!

You can buy Steam Wallet directly from Steam here. The minimum walllet you can buy is $5/5€.
Try option 1.3), 2) or 3) first if you only need steam wallet to upgrade tf2.

If you are unable to get steam wallet online,
you can buy a 'Gift Card' for real world money at various (game) retailers. Once you bought a card you can activate it here.
They're not available in all countries or only for 20$/€, 50$/€ or 100$/€.

It's also possible to gift "Digital Gift Cards" through the Steam Store itself. Anyone in your friendslist can go to this page and select you to buy some steam wallet for you (5$/€ minimum).

This is the cheapest way if you only need some walled for the upgrade.

Precondition 1: You must be eligible to participate in the Steam Community Market:

Originally posted by Valve:

Any Steam user who has a successful purchase on their account between 30 days and one year ago, and has Steam Guard enabled for 15 days can list items on the Community Market.

In other words: If you never bought a game on steam, this way won't work. The game must be bought from your account (either for yourself or as a gift). A game gifted to you from someone else or a cd-key is not working. You also need an unlimited steam account (have spend at least $5 on steam). For more informations read the Steam Community Market FAQ.

Also: If you don't have the mobile authenticator active since 7 days, you have to wait 15 days until an item is listed on the market. Click here and here for more information.


Precondition 2: You need marketable items:

You might received trading cards from a game you paid for. Each card will give you a few cents steam wallet. Once you have $0,74 you can buy the cheapest weapon while using the test run discount. Every marketable item will work. Trade if you don't have one.









In order to sell an item go to your inventory, select the markable item and click the 'Sell' button. I recommend to sell it for it's current value (/1 cent lower if you don't have the mobile authenticator).

A completely diffrent way
... is using an 'Upgrade to Premium Gift'.

When you have it in your backpack
you can upgrade to tf2 premium by using it.
There are 3 ways to acquire this gift:

• Trading: Use trading sites and check the current prices[backpack.tf] before trading.
  Weapons and metal will become tradable after upgrading to premium unless it's crafted with achievement weapons. Beware the time and effort it takes to trade up to an Upgrade Gift without a propper capital to start off. You can also try to trade for the Orange Box instead.
  
• Purchase: Is actually nonsense, because if you buy it you'll have a premium account already.
  
• Have a friend who buys/trades this gift for you. (usefull if you don't have/want steam wallet)

Using the item will not unlock a limited steam account, as $5 have not been spend there.
Uprade gifts can be purchased for $4.99 here.

The Orange Box unlocks a TF2 Premium account (including the #4 hat) and the following games: Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One,
Half-Life 2: Episode Two and Portal.
It's still sold through some retail stores as well.
The Valve Complete Pack won't upgrade TF2.

Once the Orange Box is redeemed you'll get instant access to the games and the hat.
The premium account takes 1-3 days to be activated. Valve has a seperate server for tf2 services, which has to synchronize with the steam servers in order to acknowledge tf2 premium.

Thanks for reading my guide. I hope it was helpful to you.
Here's another Upgrading to Premium guide (by Jimo):
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=143430756 Once again:
Make sure that you're not redirected to it from the ingame store.

If you still have questions: feel free to write them in the comments.

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