Steam Points Shop Guide: How to Earn and Spend Steam Points
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Steam Points are one of the most misunderstood parts of the Steam ecosystem. People rack up thousands of them without ever realizing what they're for, or confuse them with Steam Wallet funds, gems, or trading cards. In reality, Steam Points are a free rewards currency you earn simply by spending money you were already going to spend — and they unlock a surprisingly deep catalog of profile customization items in the Steam Points Shop.
This guide explains exactly what Steam Points are, every way to earn them, what the Points Shop sells, and how to spend them wisely. If your goal is a standout Steam profile, pair this with our [Steam Profile Customization guide](/blog/steam-profile-customization-guide) — Points Shop items are some of the best tools for the job.
What Are Steam Points?
Steam Points are a free loyalty currency Valve introduced to reward purchases made on the Steam store. You earn them automatically, and they can only be spent in the Steam Points Shop on cosmetic items — they have no cash value and can't be traded or sold.
How Steam Points differ from other Steam currencies:
Steam Points vs. Steam Wallet: Steam Wallet holds real money you can spend on games. Steam Points are a rewards currency you can only spend on Points Shop cosmetics. You can't convert points to wallet funds or vice versa.
Steam Points vs. Steam Gems: Gems are crafted from unwanted items (cards, backgrounds, emoticons) and used to make booster packs. Points are earned from purchases. They're completely separate systems — our [Steam Gems guide](/blog/understanding-steam-gems) covers gems in detail.
Steam Points vs. XP/Levels: Your Steam level comes from crafting badges, not from points. Points don't affect your level and your level doesn't affect points.
The short version: Points are "thank you for buying" rewards, and the only thing they buy is profile flair.
How to Earn Steam Points
There are several ways to accumulate Steam Points, and most happen automatically:
Buying games and DLC: You earn roughly 100 Steam Points per $1 USD spent on the Steam store (regional pricing scales this). This is the primary source — a $60 game nets about 6,000 points.
Buying Points Shop items during sales: During major sales, Valve often runs point promotions where store purchases earn bonus points.
In-game purchases: Microtransactions in many Steam games also earn points at the same ~100-per-dollar rate.
Steam Awards and events: During the annual Steam Awards and seasonal events, Valve frequently gives out free points just for logging in, voting, or completing simple event tasks.
Reviews: You earn a small number of points the first time you write a review for a game (a one-time bonus per eligible product).
The key insight: you don't grind for Steam Points. They accumulate as a byproduct of normal Steam spending, then sit in your account until you decide to spend them.
What the Steam Points Shop Sells
The Points Shop is where you spend your points, and its catalog is entirely cosmetic. Items are organized by game and by type:
Animated Avatars: Moving profile pictures, usually themed around specific games. These are among the most popular purchases — a subtle animated avatar makes your profile stand out immediately.
Avatar Frames: Decorative borders that surround your avatar, many of them animated.
Profile Backgrounds: Full animated or static backgrounds for your profile page. The animated ones are visually striking and can't be obtained any other way.
Mini-Profile Backgrounds: The smaller background shown in the hover-card version of your profile.
Stickers: Used to decorate reviews and (in some contexts) comments.
Chat Effects and Emoticons: Special effects and emoticons usable in Steam chat.
Profile Bundles: Some games sell discounted bundles combining an avatar, frame, and background from the same theme.
Prices range widely — simple items cost a few thousand points, while premium animated backgrounds and bundles can run 20,000+ points.
How to Spend Points Wisely
Because points accumulate slowly for casual buyers, it's worth being deliberate about how you spend them:
**Prioritize animated items.** Animated avatars, frames, and backgrounds are exclusive to the Points Shop and deliver the biggest visual impact per point. Static items are nice but less distinctive.
**Build a cohesive theme.** Rather than buying random items from different games, pick a game or aesthetic you love and buy a matching avatar + frame + background. A coordinated profile looks far more polished than a mismatched one. See our [Profile Customization guide](/blog/steam-profile-customization-guide) for how these pieces fit together with showcases.
**Wait for the game you actually care about.** The Points Shop catalog is huge. Points don't expire, so there's no penalty for saving them until a game you genuinely like releases items you want.
**Check event-exclusive items.** During seasonal events, the Points Shop adds limited-time items. These often disappear after the event, so grab them if they fit your profile.
**Don't confuse points with progress.** Spending points has zero effect on your Steam level. If leveling is your goal, points won't help — use our [Steam Level Calculator](/calculator/level) to plan badge crafting instead.
Common Questions About Steam Points
**Do Steam Points expire?** No. Steam Points stay in your account indefinitely. There's no pressure to spend them.
**Can I buy Steam Points directly?** No. Points can only be earned through purchases and events — you can't buy them for cash on their own.
**Can I trade or gift Points Shop items?** Points Shop items are generally bound to your account and can't be traded or sold on the Community Market, unlike trading cards and backgrounds earned from badge crafting.
**Do refunds affect my points?** Yes. If you refund a purchase that earned points, the corresponding points are removed from your account.
**Where do I see my point balance?** Your Steam Points balance is shown at the top of the Points Shop page and on your account details page.
Conclusion
Steam Points are free rewards you earn just by using Steam normally, and the Points Shop turns them into some of the best profile customization items available — especially the animated avatars, frames, and backgrounds you can't get anywhere else. Because points never expire, the smart play is to save them for a theme you love and buy a coordinated set rather than spending impulsively.
Ready to put your points to work on a standout profile? Start with our [Steam Profile Customization guide](/blog/steam-profile-customization-guide), and if you're also chasing a higher Steam level, plan your badge crafting with our [Steam Level Calculator](/calculator/level).