Valve to require UK Steam age verification via payment cards

Valve is now requiring Steam users in the United Kingdom to verify their age with a payment card before they can view store pages for games with mature or adult content, the company said, with the change taking effect on August 29, 2025. The move implements requirements of the UK Online Safety Act and follows guidance from regulator Ofcom that credit card checks are an effective form of age assurance.

Under the new process, UK account holders must log into Steam, add a valid payment card to their account and complete a zero pound authorization to confirm the card is active. If the authorization succeeds, Valve says the account can be marked as age verified and the user may opt in to see previously restricted mature content. Valve indicated accounts remain age verified while a payment card is stored on the account and that the checks are handled through its own payment processing system, which it says is independently certified under PCI DSS standards.

Valve defended the choice of payment checks as preserving user privacy compared with other methods. The company said it reviewed alternatives, including AI-driven facial analysis, and concluded that processing payment card details...