If you wan to learn how to make money on Steam, there are many options available. If you are a gamer, designer, or developer, there are ways to make money doing what you love.
There are so many ways to make money online, and Steam offers a platform that can help you do just that. For example, you can sell your own digital products through their marketplace, or sell Steam Trading Cards, to name a few.
If you want to earn some extra money without leaving your house, this blog post will give you everything you need to know about making money on Steam.
Table of Contents
What is Steam, and how does it work?
Steam is a game distribution platform that was created in 2003 by Valve Corporation. Steam offers a massive library for gaming enthusiasts, with new releases added all the time.
Initially, Valve designed Steam to provide updates and fixes for their PC-based games. Since then, it’s become so much more. Steam has become an avenue for third-party game developers to distribute their games online.
Steam also hosts forums where gamers are free to chat with one another while playing their respective games, post reviews on titles they enjoy (and ones they don’t), join groups devoted specifically towards specific interests.
Steam is a site that features many games from different developers of all types. The Steam community can be an exciting place to interact with people, but it has the potential for some amazing things too!
One such opportunity includes earning money through various channels on this platform. You can find yourself in possession of your favorite game in no time if you know what you’re doing. Keep reading below for more info about how easy it is to do.
How to make money on Steam
As a gamer, you may have heard about the many benefits of using this platform, such as downloading games for free and earning trading cards. But did you know that there are ways to earn money?
You can sell items in your inventory or trade them with other gamers. You can even get paid for playing the games! This blog post will give tips on using these features effectively so that you can make money while playing your favorite titles.
Transactions on Steam, buying, selling, trading, increase or decrease your Steam credit balance.
Buy and sell Steam trading cards
Steam Trading Cards are virtual cards that you can earn by playing games on Steam. Playing games will earn you a trading card, and with enough of them in your collection, you can craft badges to get even more cards!
You can find the list of all the game-specific trading card sets here. Of course, the more games you play, the better chance there is to get new trading cards.
These unique pieces of art from the creators themselves represent each game, and you can find, trade, buy or sell them with other players for real cash in your Steam Wallet.
Steam cards work very similarly to other collectible cards, like baseball cards. However, each card has a different value, and you can collect complete sets, which hold greater value.
A complete set can be sold for much more, and there is a reason. You can’t collect all of the cards the game offers from your own gameplay. So you have to trade.
You can view and keep track of your cards under your profile. Select the “Badges” option to see your cards by game.
How it works
One way to add value and give people an incentive to buy from you on the marketplace is by using Steam cards as incentives for transactions. You can collect these through playing or trading with others (although this will take quite some time).
The other way would be going to the Marketplace yourself and buy them at low prices before reselling them at higher price points when supply runs out or demand increases again – which happens all too often!
Steam markets are unpredictable, but they’re worth paying attention to if you want a quick buck. Study the prices for various items carefully so you can buy cheap and sell them at higher price points. But don’t just rely on your Steam activity alone–you’ll be waiting forever!
If you do your research, you can stay in the know and be aware of which cards to buy at the right price. It might take some time to make a decent return. You can buy a card for $1, sell it for $2, rinse and repeat. Sure, that’s not a lot, but you can do this over and over again.
Get to know different games on Steam and the corresponding market for the cards. Each game and card has a price range. It’s good to study this before you jump in with both feet. It’s easy to spread yourself thin, so be cautious and start small.
Foil cards are typically the most valuable because they are hard to find and can sell for a hundred bucks or more. To find gems, it comes down to knowing the market and doing your research.
Earn free Steam codes on apps and websites
As crazy as it sounds, there are free ways to earn money to spend on Steam. You just have to get your creative juices flowing. For example, you can earn free Stem gift cards as a payout from popular apps and websites. Or you can earn gift cards for major brands like Amazon and Walmart, which you can then use to buy Steam cards.
Here are some examples:
- InboxDollars – InboxDollars is a popular way to earn money online. You can complete surveys, watch videos, play games, and get paid to read emails. InboxDollars pays you for completing everyday tasks from their partners. You can get paid by check or Amazon gift card. For example, if you choose an Amazon gift card, you can use those funds to buy Steam cards.
- Survey Junkie – Major brands want consumer insights, and that’s where Survey Junkie comes in. When you join SJ, you share your opinion and earn rewards. There are different ways to participate, including surveys. Check out the program here, and start earning money for Steam.
- Swagbucks – With SB, you can earn points for doing all kinds of everyday things, like watching videos, searching the web, shopping online, and even answering surveys. Like many other programs, you can cash out with gift cards, which you can use to buy Steam cards.
- Rakuten – Every time you shop online, you earn cashback from Rakuten. With Rakuten, you can get paid by check, or PayPal, which you can then fund your Steam wallet.
Custom artwork on Fiverr
Fiverr can be a great place to share your talent and make money if you are a skilled digital artist. Fiverr is a very popular marketplace for people with all kinds of skills. People can hire you to create custom Steam artwork for their profiles.
Folks, who are serious about Steam, and gaming, are willing to pay for custom avatars and artwork. So you can set up shop with Fiverr and create digital art, and get paid.
Currently, custom Steam artwork goes for anywhere from $5 to $40 to start. If you want to help people up their game on Steam, you can design some killer artwork.
Launch your own game
Have you developed a game and want to sell it on Steam? If you want to earn real money, the best way is to develop your own game and sell it on Steam Direct. But, first, make sure that the game is of good quality and has a lot of content. If it’s not, no matter what else happens, it won’t be successful.
The best games out there are ones that truly stand out from others in their genre and offer something new or different than what other developers have done before them.
The most important part of selling a video game is having high-quality gameplay combined with an exciting storyline. These two elements will help you have a successful launch.
You earn with a combination of game sales and in-game purchases.
When it comes to selling your game on Steam, there are many steps in the process. You can read more here about the application process. There is a fee to pay and a bunch of paperwork to fill out.
The strict rules of Steam have become tougher to follow. The company has reviewed numerous games and content, rejecting those that are not relevant or filling current users’ needs. As a result, it is difficult to get accepted into the program, and it requires a ton of work on your end.
The stricter regulations on Steam make it more difficult for developers who want their game published. A lot of work goes into making sure your product meets standards, such as being both enjoyable and appropriate for its audience, including many different types of people from various backgrounds with varying interests.
How much money can you make selling a game on Steam?
This varies depending on how popular the game is and how much you are going to charge. Remember, the goal is to sell as many games as possible, so setting a reasonable price is optimal.
If you can sell a game for $20 and sell 300 of them, that’s $6,000. After a 30% Steam commission, your profit is $4,200.
To improve sales, create games that players love, and they will leave good reviews and spread the word.
Use Gameflip to sell games and other items
Steam’s marketplace is probably the most straightforward way to exchange your Steam inventory for cash. But it can be limiting because you cannot sell games or wallet codes on its site, which means that many potential buyers will go elsewhere searching for items they want.
Luckily, sites like Gameflip take the hassle out of selling video game-related products and let you find new customers around the world with ease.
Gameflip allows you to sell things like:
- Games (digital and physical)
- Steam gift cards and others, like Google Play, Xbox, iTunes, etc.
- Cosmetics
If you are exceptionally skilled at certain games, you can sell your coaching skills to help other players improve. One last note; if you are a pro-level player, people can hire you to help them win games on Steam and ultimately boost their rank.
Gameflip is an excellent option if you are looking for alternatives to the Steam marketplace. With a bit of creativity, you can still make money on Steam outside of Steam.
So, at the end of the day, you can make money being a gamer!
Make money selling cosmetic crates
Another way to earn money on Steam is by selling cosmetic crates. Unfortunately, crates are not always easy to come by. Therefore they are worth money.
Crates drop when you play the game, or you can buy them in-game. Popular games that drop crates are Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) and Counter-Strike: Global Offense (CS:GO). If you are good at these games, you can earn extra loot.
Buy pre-release games
If you’re looking to make some cash and have a particular interest in video games, pre-orders on Steam can be outstanding. In addition, developers may offer exclusive items or crates that they don’t sell anywhere else before the game goes into full release.
If these turn out to be valuable, it’s worth holding for when Steam releases them onto their marketplace. It’s not unrealistic to make hundreds of dollars (maybe even thousands) when the game is fully released.
If you get access to pre-lease content, much of it won’t be available to purchase after the game is released. If you pre-order a game and receive exclusive content, hang on to it until you can sell it for a nice profit. You can see the value in this content.
FAQ’s
What is Steam credit?
Steam credits are money that is locked in your Steam wallet. You can use your credits to buy games or other items. Of course, once cash is in your Steam wallet, you can’t get it out, but you can use the credits to buy stuff.
When you buy and sell stuff on Steam, your credit balance increases and decreases accordingly.
Can I cash out?
You can buy games on Steam and sell them on outside (third-party) websites, like Gameflip. That is how you “cash out.”
How much money can you earn on Steam?
It all depends on your skills. Steam is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Whether you are making money with your gaming skills, coding skills, etc., you can make money on Steam.
Conclusion
Steam is a gaming platform with millions of active users. People use Steam to play games, stay in touch with friends, and have fun. It’s also the perfect place for creators of all sizes: from major game developers to independent artists who digitally publish their work.
The Steam gaming platform is a great place to make money as a game developer, collector, or trader. You can publish your game on the Steam store and earn money each time someone buys your game.
Utilizing your passion for gaming, you can make money by selling on the Steam Market or creating mods that earn you raving fans. But, it doesn’t stop there!
Suppose you’re an active community member in need of work. In that case, Steam provides a great networking platform to find freelance jobs as well—especially if designing and developing games is something up your alley.
If you are interested in a legitimate way to make long term consistent income click here for more information.
