Steam Error Code 306 — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

Steam Error Code 306 means your purchase could not be completed. You will see a message like 'Your purchase has not been completed' alongside this code. This is a payment or account verification error — your payment method may have been declined, or Steam needs to verify your account before allowing a purchase.

Affected Models

Steam on Windows
Steam on macOS
Steam on Linux
Steam on Browser

Common Causes

Your payment method (credit card, PayPal, etc.) was declined by your bank or payment provider
Your Steam account is new and requires a brief account standing period before purchases are allowed
Steam's fraud detection flagged the purchase as unusual — for example a large purchase from a new account
Your billing address does not match what your bank has on file
Steam Wallet funds are insufficient to cover the total purchase

How to Fix It

Check that your payment method has sufficient funds and is not expired. Log in to your bank account or PayPal to verify.

Steam does a temporary authorization hold — your bank may have declined it even if you have enough funds, if the hold looks unusual.
Try a different payment method. In Steam, go to your cart > checkout > Add a new payment method. Try a different card or PayPal.

If a different payment method works, the issue is specific to your original payment method — contact your bank.
Add funds to your Steam Wallet and use that to purchase. Go to Account Details > Add funds to Steam Wallet and top it up with the purchase amount.

Steam Wallet funds are usually accepted when cards are declined for fraud prevention reasons.
If your account is new (less than 30 days old), wait a few days. Steam imposes purchase limits on brand new accounts to prevent fraud.

This is a Steam security measure. New accounts with no purchase history are limited temporarily.
Contact Steam Support at help.steampowered.com if the above steps do not resolve it. Provide the exact error code (306) and the purchase you were trying to make.

Steam Support can review your account status and clear any flags preventing purchases.

When to Call a Professional

If your payment is being declined despite having available funds, contact your bank first. For account-related purchase restrictions, contact Steam Support at help.steampowered.com. Never share your credit card details with anyone claiming to be Steam support outside of Steam's official website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was I charged even though I got Error 306?

Almost certainly not. Error 306 means the purchase did not go through. However, some banks show a temporary 'pending' hold that can look like a charge. This hold typically disappears within 1–3 business days. Check your Steam purchase history at Store > Account > View Purchase History to confirm whether the purchase completed.

Why would Steam's fraud detection block a legitimate purchase?

Steam's fraud detection looks for unusual patterns: a new account making a large purchase, purchasing from a new device, or purchasing in a region different from your billing address. These systems are automated and sometimes catch legitimate purchases. Contacting Steam Support is the fastest way to resolve a fraud flag on a genuine purchase.

Can I gift a game to someone while getting Error 306 on my own purchases?

Gifting is subject to the same purchase restrictions as buying for yourself. If your account has a purchase restriction, gifts will also be blocked. Resolving the underlying issue (verifying your payment method or waiting for a new account restriction to lift) will enable both personal purchases and gifting.