Convert Steam Points to store credit

[unwaveringresolve]

I have over 261K steam points from a lifetime of buying things from the Steam catalog. I never, ever plan to buy anything from the Steam Points Shop.

Many credit cards offer a cash-back program where you can exchange points you earn for cash at pennies on the dollar. I think Steam could use a similar model, with an appropriately low exchange rate - for example, 1 Steam Point is equal to $0.001, so that 1000 steam points is equal to $1.00, paid to the Steam Wallet.

For those of us who spend hundreds of dollars on games every year, it would still be a fairly small benefit, but it still offers an incentive for players to keep their money in the Steam Marketplace and occasionally get a small bonus for our patronage.

The steam points shop can still be there for people who would make use of it, but it would not be the only use for steam points.

[Boblin the Goblin]

This has been brought up before.

There used to be a coupon program with the points. It was so heavily exploited that they removed it completely.

Another issue is the fact you can give away points in rewards. Allowing them to be exchanged for real money would not only incitivize point farming but also be a scammer/account hijacker's wet dream.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by unwaveringresolve:

Convert Steam Points to store credit

I have over 261K steam points from a lifetime of buying things from the Steam catalog. I never, ever plan to buy anything from the Steam Points Shop.

Many credit cards offer a cash-back program where you can exchange points you earn for cash at pennies on the dollar. I think Steam could use a similar model, with an appropriately low exchange rate - for example, 1 Steam Point is equal to $0.001, so that 1000 steam points is equal to $1.00, paid to the Steam Wallet.

For those of us who spend hundreds of dollars on games every year, it would still be a fairly small benefit, but it still offers an incentive for players to keep their money in the Steam Marketplace and occasionally get a small bonus for our patronage.

The steam points shop can still be there for people who would make use of it, but it would not be the only use for steam points.

Valve tried that a couple times with the Token system. Each time people exploited the crap out of it and it never brought it back when they switched to the points system.

The coupons that were used with the old Token system that users found ways to abuse/stack them to get free games worth over $100.

[76561198407601200]

Originally posted by unwaveringresolve:

I have over 261K steam points from a lifetime of buying things from the Steam catalog. I never, ever plan to buy anything from the Steam Points Shop.

Many credit cards offer a cash-back program where you can exchange points you earn for cash at pennies on the dollar. I think Steam could use a similar model, with an appropriately low exchange rate - for example, 1 Steam Point is equal to $0.001, so that 1000 steam points is equal to $1.00, paid to the Steam Wallet.

For those of us who spend hundreds of dollars on games every year, it would still be a fairly small benefit, but it still offers an incentive for players to keep their money in the Steam Marketplace and occasionally get a small bonus for our patronage.

The steam points shop can still be there for people who would make use of it, but it would not be the only use for steam points.

Ironically you've found a solution to your suggestion, get a credit card that offers cash back. When you use it on steam (or anywhere for that matter) you'll earn cash back, use that towards getting games on steam.

[м]

Well, you can go to the Steam Trading Card group and offer awards for gems / keys.

Then sell the gems / keys on the steam market and use the money for new games.
That's the only possible way.

A lot of people do it like that, but you have to be aware that you can get scammed if you're "trading" for awards with the wrong people.

[rawWwRrr]

Originally posted by unwaveringresolve:

I have over 261K steam points from a lifetime of buying things from the Steam catalog. I never, ever plan to buy anything from the Steam Points Shop.

Start dropping awards on people's profiles or content, then. Spread the love.

Originally posted by unwaveringresolve:

Many credit cards offer a cash-back program where you can exchange points you earn for cash at pennies on the dollar. I think Steam could use a similar model, with an appropriately low exchange rate - for example, 1 Steam Point is equal to $0.001, so that 1000 steam points is equal to $1.00, paid to the Steam Wallet.

So would a lot of other users, specifically those that would inundate Steam with point begging posts, meme reviews, fake guides, etc. If you haven't noticed, we already have that going on while the points currently have no value. Now imagine how fast that would ramp up if Steam Points could help you buy games.

Originally posted by unwaveringresolve:

For those of us who spend hundreds of dollars on games every year, it would still be a fairly small benefit, but it still offers an incentive for players to keep their money in the Steam Marketplace and occasionally get a small bonus for our patronage.

You're still going to spend hundreds of dollars on games. There is no need to incentivize you.

[Mailer]

Can't you just buy the seasonal badge at high levels to flush some of those points into XP?
Even if you don't care in the slightest about community features, leveling up your profile still comes with some benefits. Notably, at level 30.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by Mailer:

Can't you just buy the seasonal badge at high levels to flush some of those points into XP?
Even if you don't care in the slightest about community features, leveling up your profile still comes with some benefits. Notably, at level 30.

What is more special about level 30?

[Mailer]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Originally posted by Mailer:

Can't you just buy the seasonal badge at high levels to flush some of those points into XP?
Even if you don't care in the slightest about community features, leveling up your profile still comes with some benefits. Notably, at level 30.

What is more special about level 30?

:qr:

Booster drop chance and an extra showcase is what came to mind. I guess the latter would be less interesting to those who don't particularly bother with their profiles, but boosters have monetary value.
It's every tenth level, though granted I have no idea how much XP you actually get from the seasonal badge, in terms of points invested.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by Mailer:

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

What is more special about level 30?

Booster chance and an extra showcase is what came to mind. I guess the latter would be less interesting to those who don't particularly bother with their profiles, but boosters have monetary value.

You can buy extra showcases and booster pack increase is negligible but does increase every 10 levels.

[Nx Machina]

Lets assume that 200k of those 261k points are from guides etc, where you spent no money but were awarded by the community.

Why then should Valve give you cashback for those 200k points especially when points have no monetary value irrespective of whether you feel they should.

[Brian9824]

Valve is well aware of this as stated and has mad a choice to discontinue the coupons

[Brian9824]

Oh i guess also don't forget that $1 = 100 so for a $60 game you get 6000 points. Then for that $60 game Valve only kept at most $18.

So if 1 Steam Point is equal to $0.001 that is $6 or 1/3 of steam's profit. So at the rate you propose Valve's profit per game is cut from between 33-50%

[Yzal]

No, you're not getting free money for spending money.

[м]

Thank you for the award!

[✨Saint✨]

For monetary systems there are various laws and permits needed, taxes have do be paid, take this on a international scale, those things do not come cheap, and there is very little profit unless you are a CC company, which Steam is not.