A checklist before you buy a game key

Almost every problem with a game key can be avoided before checkout. Activation errors, wrong editions and refused codes nearly always come down to one of a handful of details that were on the product page all along. None of them takes long to check. Here they are, in the order you will come across them.

1. The platform

Check the platform badge on the product page. A Steam key works on Steam, an Xbox key on Xbox, and so on. A key cannot be moved to a different platform after you buy it. If the same game is listed for several platforms, our guide to choosing the right platform helps you pick.

2. The activation notice

Next to the price there is a notice saying where the key can be activated. It either says the key activates worldwide, or it lists the countries it activates in and compares them with where you are browsing from. What counts is your platform account's country, so if you are travelling, check the list against that. Region-specific activation explained goes through each version of the notice.

3. The edition

Standard, Deluxe, Ultimate and Game of the Year editions contain different things. Our product pages name the edition, and the platform's own store page for the game lists what each one includes. See editions, DLC and season passes.

4. For DLC: the base game

Downloadable content needs the base game on the same platform and the same account. If you do not own the base game yet, buy it first or choose an edition that includes both.

5. System requirements

We do not list hardware requirements on our product pages, because suppliers do not send them reliably. For a PC game, check the minimum and recommended specifications on the platform's store page before you buy.

6. The account you will use

Decide which platform account will own the game, and make sure you can sign in to it. A redeemed key is tied to that account for good. If you are buying for someone else, read buying a game key for someone else.

7. Your email address

At checkout, check the email address carefully. Your code is sent there as well as being shown on the confirmation page and, if you are signed in, under Account, then Orders. A typo in the address is the most common reason someone cannot find their code later.

8. The final price in your cart

Supplier prices move, so we confirm the price and availability of every item when you open your cart and again when you check out. If anything has changed, the cart tells you before you are sent to the payment page. Our article on how we confirm prices and availability explains why.

Before you pay

It is worth reading our Refund Policy once before your first order. Digital codes are treated differently from physical goods, and the policy explains when a refund is possible and when it is not.

If anything on a product page is unclear, ask before buying. Email [email protected] with a link to the product and we will help.