Steam Pending Transaction: What It Means & How to Fix

Buying a new game on Steam is usually an easy task. However, in some cases, you might face some issues, such as getting a message about a pending transaction. It is annoying enough by itself to wait, but if a discounted deal is expiring, you can lose your purchase altogether.

A pending Steam transaction also means that you will not be able to make other purchases while the current one is still pending.

Sometimes this error message is just a small fry that will resolve by itself. Other times, a more serious issue might be beneath it, like problems with the type of payment you are using or some security concerns that will need workarounds.

Let’s deep dive into the root causes of this error message, how long you need to wait, and step-by-step moves that can be made to fix it.

What Does “Pending Transaction” Mean on Steam?

A pending transaction means your Steam payment attempt hasn’t been fully processed yet. Instead of going through instantly, it’s sitting in a queue and waiting for either Steam or your bank to approve it.

This status can be triggered by a few reasons:

• Steam is verifying your payment info.
• Your bank is holding the charge temporarily.
• Steam servers are busy, especially during sales.

When is it normal?

• A short delay (minutes to a couple of hours) is completely normal, especially with certain banks or when it’s a huge sale (e.g., Summer Sale).

When is it a problem?

• If your pending purchase has been stuck for more than 24 hours.
• If you see multiple error messages when trying again.
• If you can’t make any other purchases until it clears.

How Long Does a Pending Transaction Take?

Most pending transactions on Steam resolve within a few hours. In rare cases, it can take up to 3 days depending on:

• Your bank’s processing time.
• The Steam client or the Steam website being overloaded.
• Extra security checks on your Steam account.

You should start to worry if:

• It’s been over 48–72 hours.
• Funds are “on hold” in your bank, but Steam hasn’t delivered the game.
• You repeatedly get an error message after retrying.

Why Your Steam Transaction Is Stuck on Pending

A Steam pending transaction can happen for several reasons. The most common are:

1. An existing pending transaction blocking a new one. Steam won’t let you start another pending purchase until the first one clears or is canceled.
2. VPNs or proxies interfering. Using a VPN can trigger fraud prevention systems, stopping the transaction.
3. Steam server issues or downtime. If the Steam client or backend servers are overloaded, especially due to increased sales when many discounts are offered, your Steam payments might stall.
4. Problems with your payment method or bank. Payment interruptions, such as expired cards, insufficient funds, or bank-side blocks, often cause a pending transaction.
5. Suspicious activity triggering security checks.

If your Steam account shows unusual purchase behavior, Steam may flag it for review.

How to Fix a Steam Pending Transaction

Here’s how to resolve a stuck pending purchase step by step:

1. Wait a few hours. If this is your first attempt, give it time – it may clear on its own.
2. Cancel existing pending purchases. Open your purchase history (via the Steam client or Steam website). Cancel the pending one before trying again.
3. Restart Steam and your PC. A simple refresh of the Steam client often clears up minor glitches.
4. Disable VPN or proxy. Make the purchase without VPNs, proxies, or other IP-masking tools, which can be flagged for security concerns that will go away once you are using our original IP address.
5. Switch payment method. Try PayPal, a different card, or use money from your balance in the wallet on Steam.
6. Check the Steam server status. Look at Steam’s official status page or a third-party tracker before trying again, because server issues might be interfering with your payment. You will only need to wait until it gets resolved.
7. Contact Steam Support or your bank. If none of the above works, contact Steam Support. If your bank is holding the funds, reach out to them as well.

Conclusion

A Steam pending transaction can be annoying, but most of the time it’s temporary and clears on its own. If not, mind these tips to avoid future issues:

• Don’t use VPNs during purchases.
• Keep your credit card or other payment info up to date.
• Don’t spam the Buy button before letting the first Steam purchase attempt finish.

With a few quick checks, you will usually get your game without too much hassle.