Paying for games in the UK: methods, fees and the small print

Who takes what

The table shows the five ways most people pay. Some means the method works only in part, for example on a console but not on the website, or on a phone app only. Follow a shop's name for its full guide.

What each method protects

None of these methods should cost you extra. Since January 2018 UK law stops shops charging consumers a fee for paying by card, and the same ban covers PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay. If a checkout adds a card fee, it should not.

Five habits that pay for themselves

1. Buy the game, not the balance. Topping up a store balance before you know what you want leaves money stuck in that shop. Pay for the item directly where you can.
2. Read the edition list twice. Deluxe and Ultimate editions often bundle cosmetics you would never buy on their own. Our receipts list what each edition adds and what the extras cost separately.
3. Check the refund window before pre-ordering. Shops treat pre-orders differently; our shop guides spell out when you are charged and how to cancel.
4. Turn on purchase confirmation. Every console and most launchers can ask for a password or PIN before a purchase goes through. It stops accidental buys by you and by anyone else on the sofa.
5. Use a credit card for anything over £100. A single purchase priced above £100 (a collector's edition or a big bundle) gains section 75 protection if you pay the shop directly by credit card.

Gift cards: useful, with limits

Gift cards for Steam, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo are sold in UK supermarkets and on the shops' own sites. They suit anyone who would rather not put a card on file, and they make a sensible present. Bear in mind that the credit only works in the shop that sold the card and can never be converted back into money. Buy them only from the shop itself or a well-known retailer, and never pay for anything by reading gift card numbers to a stranger: no genuine company asks for payment that way.

Common questions