Is it possible to become a steam reseller?

[NuckingFutz]

As the title says i was wondering if it's possible to become a steam reseller and what would the requirements be for this.

Is there somewhere that i can read more about it?

[ReBoot]

For starters, are you a business already?

[Ogami]

You would need to register a business in your city, so you need a business license first.
Then you need to get in contact with developers and publishers that release their games on Steam and make contracts with them for buying keys for their games. Then you resell those on the website you created and registered as an online store.
All of which cost fees and taxes. Its not as simple as you think.

[NuckingFutz]

I understand that the process is long and tedious and I'm willing to go through it anyway. I'm in the process of setting up a business for it.

Would i need to contact each developer individually and make deals with them? I thought I would have to make a deal with steam instead somehow. Also wouldnt i need some sort of credibility as a trusted reseller of cd keys before these guys would even consider making a deal with me?

[ReBoot]

Of course you need to make a deal with the developers! Where else are you going to get LEGIT keys from?

[NuckingFutz]

I thought I would have to make a deal with steam and that they would provide me with the legit keys. But then again I don't exactly know so that's why I'm asking :)

[StickyPawz]

Steam gets all it's own keys directly from the developers … So if you're looking to compete with steam, that's what you have to do, too.

Did you think you'd be working *for* steam by selling the same game-keys that steam needs to sell directly to make a profit from?

[NuckingFutz]

I guess that's a good point. So directly to the developers. Thanks!

[J4MESOX4D]

Originally posted by Nuckingfutz:

As the title says i was wondering if it's possible to become a steam reseller and what would the requirements be for this.

Is there somewhere that i can read more about it?

Firstly; you need to get the terminology correct - a reseller is somone or a site that sells on keys which have already been purchased from source in the first instance. You want to become a key seller or distributor.

You will firstly need to be a globally registered company. You then need worldwide digital distribution licences for this media. Once you've got that established; you can then market your company and approach developers/publishers and ask them if you can buy bulk stock to distribute on your platform. Unless you are highly established or are willing to pay high-level wholesale rates; don't expect many companies to do business especially as you are a start-up with no established trading history.

All in all; for a legitimate site to start up like this; you'd need an injection of £250,000-400,000 to get going and then a rolling stock inventory and clear cash of £100,000+ on top for further acquisitons and replenishment.