What are Steam Points?

Steam Points are a loyalty currency you earn by spending money on Steam, and you spend them in the Points Shop on cosmetic items for your profile. That is the short version. They are not real money, they have no cash value, and you cannot use them to buy games. What they can do is decorate your profile with avatars, animated frames, stickers, and backgrounds. If you are already thinking about your profile setup, our Steam level calculator shows how the cosmetic side ties into your overall Steam level.

How you earn Steam Points

You get Points automatically when you buy things on Steam. There is nothing to switch on.

Buying games and DLC. Most purchases give you 100 Points per dollar spent, roughly speaking. Prices and exact rates vary by region and item.
Buying items on the Community Market. Marketplace purchases also earn Points.
In-game purchases and some bundles. Many of these count toward your balance.
Seasonal bonuses. During big sales like the Summer and Winter sales, Valve often runs events that hand out extra Points or bonus rewards.

You can check your balance any time from the Points Shop page or your account details. There is no way to buy Points directly with cash, and any site claiming to sell you Points cheaply is one to avoid. No legitimate Steam feature sells Points on the side.

What you can spend them on

Everything in the Points Shop is cosmetic. Points dress up your presence on Steam, nothing more.

Avatars and animated avatars. Static or moving profile pictures.
Avatar frames. A border around your avatar, often animated.
Profile backgrounds. Static and animated backgrounds for your profile page. See our guide on Steam profile backgrounds for how these fit together.
Stickers and emoticons. Stickers work in Steam chat, and emoticons show up in comments and reviews.
Mini-profile backgrounds and effects. The little pop-up card people see when they hover your name.

Many items are tied to a specific game, so if you love a particular title, its Points Shop section is where you will find themed gear for your profile.

How to use Steam Points, step by step

Open Steam and go to the Points Shop (it is in the top menu, near the Store and Community tabs).
Browse by category, or filter to a specific game's items.
Click an item to preview how it looks on your profile.
Hit Purchase with Points to redeem it.
Apply it from your profile edit screen. Avatars, frames, and backgrounds all sit under Edit Profile.

Points do not expire, so there is no pressure to spend them the moment you earn them. Save up for a pricier animated frame if you want.

What Steam Points cannot do

This is where people get tripped up, so it is worth being blunt.

They cannot buy games. Points are not wallet funds. A 100 Point item and a $10 game are not interchangeable.
They have no cash value. You cannot cash them out, trade them, or transfer them to another account.
They are not tradeable. Unlike trading cards, Points-purchased items and the Points themselves stay on your account.

If you want spendable balance, that is your Steam Wallet, which is a separate thing entirely. Points are purely a reward for being a paying customer.

What the community actually thinks

Threads on the Steam forums about Points tend to land in the same place. New users ask whether Points can buy games, and the answer is always no. Longtime users mostly treat Points as a fun bonus for decorating a profile rather than something to grind for. In the "how to use Steam points" discussion, the practical advice is to preview items before buying, since a Point spent is a Point gone, and to grab seasonal event items while they are available. If your goal is leveling up rather than decorating, badges are the better path, which our guide on how to level up on Steam covers.

FAQ

Can I use Steam Points to buy games? No. Points only buy cosmetic Points Shop items like avatars, frames, backgrounds, and stickers. Games are paid for with wallet funds or a card.

How do I get Steam Points? You earn them automatically by spending money on Steam, roughly 100 Points per dollar on most purchases, plus bonus Points during seasonal sale events.

Do Steam Points expire? No. Your balance stays until you spend it, so there is no rush.

Can I sell or trade my Steam Points? No. Points have no cash value and cannot be traded, transferred, or cashed out.

Where do I spend Steam Points? In the Points Shop, reachable from the top menu on Steam next to the Store and Community links.

Is there a way to buy Points directly? No. You can only earn them through purchases. Any site selling Points is not legitimate, so steer clear.