Purchasing games online, whether through Play Store, App Store or any other platform like Steam, has become common in today’s generation. The major population which accounts for using Steam is youngsters who have a huge interest in buying and playing games at Steam. What makes Steam so popular is it’s versatile features. From hiding your games from friends, automatic updation, multiplayer matchmaking to joining the Steam community, there’s so much offered to the players because of which they prefer to purchase their favourite games from this large base gaming platform.

Though there are plenty of games available on Steam but sometimes even purchasing a single game seems like a roller-coaster ride due to your transaction cannot be completed error. You must be wondering now, what’s that? Let us break down the details for you. This error generally occurs during the initial sale time when there’s huge traffic on the Steam. Many PC users encounter this error, and their transaction remains pending on Steam. The reasons for Steam pending transaction is endless, but there are some prominent ones that cause this error constantly during the sale era. Look at the reasons below and check out the solutions later to resolve this transaction issue on Steam.

• Previous Pending Transaction: If there’s already a pending transaction on your Steam account, then you’ll face this issue while purchasing a new game
• Significant Network Errors: This error occurs if there’s a problem with your local network (Internet Connection) or if the Steam server is down due to technical issues
• VPN Software Technical Glitch: Steam pauses transactions if someone uses unfair means to bypass regional restrictions through VPN to buy games at a lesser price
• Wrong Payment Method: Steam pending transaction error also happens if the user tries to make payment through platforms which are not accepted by Steam
• Unavailability Of Sufficient Funds: Steam users face this error when they don’t have an adequate amount to purchase the choice of their game on the Steam
• Buying Game Out Of Your Region: If you try to purchase a game which is out of your region and there are price differences between the two regions then this error can stop your transaction
• Incorrect Steam Account Details: There’s a possibility that you’re seeing this error because you have entered the wrong/invalid payment mode details in your Steam account

6 Solutions To Resolve Your Transaction Cannot Be Completed Issue

As we have already discussed above that the your transaction cannot be completed error on Steam is caused due to multiple reasons. The solutions to resolve this error depend on the core reason. Our advice would be to find out the root cause of the Steam pending transaction & then implement the solutions accordingly.

Method 1: Cancel Pending Transactions

Steam shows pending transaction errors if you already have transactions pending in your cart for numerous items. It generally happens during the peak sale hours when you try to purchase a game, but your last payment hasn’t been facilitated yet by Steam. To get rid of this error, all you have to do is cancel all the pending transactions and then proceed further to purchase a new game.

• Step 1: At first, you have to open the Steam app on your PC
• Step 2: Tap on your Steam account username
• Step 3: Select the “Account Details” option & then tap on the “View Purchase History” option to view all your completed and pending transactions on the Steam
• Step 4: To proceed further, choose the pending transaction you want to cancel & tap on ‘Cancel this transaction’
• Step 5: Now, tap on the ‘Cancel my purchase’ option & with this, your pending transaction is cancelled. By following this simple method, you can cancel all your pending transactions

Method 2: Perform Server Check Via Downdetector

A server error is one of the most basic reasons that lead to Steam pending transactions. It can happen anytime and eventually hampers the overall functionality of the application. If you think that you’re facing this error due to a server outage, then visit Downdetector. It shows the relevant information if the application is facing server error.

• Step 1: At first, you have to open Downdetector on your PC
• Step 2: Tap on the ‘IN’ menu and choose the country from the visible list
• Step 3: Type ‘Steam’ in the search bar and hit enter to see the results. If you see the message “User reports indicate no current problems at Steam,” there’s no server error, and the pending transaction issue has happened for some other reason.

Also Read: How to fix Steam DLC not Installing {Updated Guide}

Method 3: Clean Steam App Cache

Steam regularly sends information about fresh updates to its clients & embeds spectacular features to enhance the gaming experience. The updates should be installed instantly to avail the new features implemented in the Steam application. Moreover, if you don’t update the app on time and try to purchase a game online, there are higher chances that you’ll get stumbled on this error. Although, if you update it alongside clearing the app cache then you won’t face this problem in the future.

• Step 1: Search for Steam and open it on your PC
• Step 2: Tap on the “Steam” option on the top-left screen area. A drop-down menu will appear
• Step 3: Choose “Settings” > “Downloads” > “Clear Download Cache”
• Step 4: Next, turn off Steam and restart it again. This upgradation process will take some time.
• Step 5: Cross-check the cart to see whether the previous pending transaction has cleared or not

Method 4: Buy From Steam Website

This technique serves as a fix for a temporary period & works out in the majority of cases. Follow the steps mentioned below to purchase your favourite gaming deals directly from the website.

• Step 1: Go to any web browser and type Steam Website in the search bar
• Step 2: To proceed further, tap on the Official Steam Website & let it open
• Step 3: Tap on the ‘Login’ option displayed on the right side of the screen to fill in your valid Steam credentials, i.e., username & password

• Step 4: Search for the “Store Page” to make your gaming purchase
• Step 5: Select and add the game which you purchase to the shopping cart
• Step 6: Initiate ‘Checkout’, make the payment, and you’ve now successfully purchased a new Steam game

Also Read: Steam Not Opening In Windows 10 : Multiple Methods To Fix It

Method 5: Stop Your Virtual Private Network

If you are using a VPN, you may need to disable the VPN and try the transaction again. Alternatively, you can use a different payment method or contact Steam Support for further assistance. It’s important to note that using a VPN to bypass regional restrictions or pricing differences on Steam is against the platform’s policies and can lead to account suspension or other penalties.

• Step 1: Altogether, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete & select Task Manager to you can also type ‘Task Manager’ in the search bar
• Step 2: Search for your VPN name from the processes list & right-tap on it
• Step 3: Select the End-Task option from the drop-down menu to disable your VPN

Method 6: Contact Steam HelpDesk

Steam knows the importance of genuine users hence they make sure to offer top-quality features and services to all its clients. The customer service associates at Steam are highly versed in helping users to resolve problematic errors like login failures, pending transaction which occur on Steam. They know the relevant troubleshooting tips to stop such issues in one go. In case, none of the above methods work out for you, then you should immediately contact the Steam Support Team for quick fix. For better results, explain them your issue clearly which is easily understood by them. This would help them to provide you with the right solutions in order to fix your issue.

Conclusion

All the solutions listed in this article are written down after conducting extensive research from multiple sources & have worked out for many Steam users in the past. In 2020, it had more than 120 million users, and since then, the number has increased more in 2023. If you’re an active Steam player and purchase multiple games on Steam, then some or the other time your transaction cannot be completed issue will arise. Hence, we suggest that you buy games during the odd sale hours to avoid Steam pending transaction errors. However, if you still face the issue then do implement the solutions written above for faster resolution. Also, do let us know which method worked out for you and what was the reason behind the failed transaction in Steam.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q) In which year Steam was launched?

Ans: Steam was launched in 2003 by Valve Corporation. It’s a digital platform which works as a PC games distributor and offers diversified gaming deals to the players. Till 2003, Steam was in the beta-testing phase, and it’s community was released after 4 years.

Q) Name the 8 most popular games played or purchased on Steam?

Ans: Destiny 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Dota 2, Apex Legends, Lost Ark, Goose Goose Duck & Grand Theft Auto V are some of the mind-boggling games on Steam.