Steam Now Requires Australian Players to Use a Credit Card to Access R18+ Games

Steam has introduced a new age check for Australian users trying to access games rated R18+, with affected players being told to add a valid Australian credit card to their account.

The change follows the September 9 deadline for app distribution services in Australia to have age-assurance measures in place for R18+ downloads and purchases. Without completing Steam's check, users can be blocked from viewing the store pages for R18+ games, rather than only being prevented from buying them.

Australian users attempting to open affected store listings are being shown a message explaining that Steam needs to verify they are at least 18 years old.

Valve directs players to add a valid Australian credit card to their account before updating their Mature Content Preferences. A simple date-of-birth entry is no longer enough to satisfy the age check for content covered by the restriction.

PC Gamer tested the new system and found that a standard bank debit card did not satisfy the requirement. Steam's own message specifically asks for a credit card rather than presenting debit cards or another verification option. Once the account passes the check, users can change their content preferences and regain access to affected R18+ listings.

The change coincides with a new requirement under Australia's Age-Restricted Material Codes.

By September 9, app distribution services were required to have appropriate age-assurance measures in place before allowing users to purchase or download R18+ apps. Australia's eSafety Commissioner says users may be required to prove they are adults when a service does not already have reliable information about their age.

The rules do not specifically require companies to use credit cards. Instead, providers are responsible for implementing appropriate age-assurance measures that meet the requirements. Valve has chosen a credit-card check for Steam's Australian users rather than relying on the age entered on an account.

That distinction is important because the new restriction comes from Valve's implementation of the Australian rules, not from a law requiring every adult to own a credit card before accessing R18+ games.

For now, Steam's instructions point users toward a valid Australian credit card, which could create a problem for adults who do not have one.

PC Gamer contacted Valve after its debit-card test failed, but the company had not announced an alternative verification method at the time of reporting. The restriction applies to games carrying Australia's R18+ classification. Titles outside that category are not subject to the same Steam age check under this system.

Australia's eSafety Commissioner says the purpose of the wider rules is to stop under-18s from purchasing or downloading adult-rated material through app distribution services. Valve's credit-card requirement is its current method of meeting that obligation on Steam.