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Worth the Quid

The law, plainly

What UK law promises when you buy a game

Downloads are covered by consumer law much like boxed games. Here is what the law gives you, what the shops add on top, and which payment method helps most when something goes wrong.

Downloads must work as sold

A paid-for game is digital content in the eyes of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. It has to be of satisfactory quality, fit for any purpose you made known, and match the description the shop gave. A game that will not start on the hardware it claims to support, or that lacks a mode the store page promised, falls short.

When it does, you are first entitled to a repair or a replacement (a patch, a working copy). If that fails or takes too long, you can ask for a price reduction, which can be as much as the full price. Should broken content harm your device or other files, the seller must put that right or compensate you.

Cooling-off: the fortnight you get, and how a download ends it

Most things bought online come with a fortnight in which you can change your mind. Downloads are different: the right disappears as soon as the download or stream starts, as long as you consented to that and confirmed you understood. That is the box most shops ask you to tick. Until you start the download, the 14 days still apply.

Shops often go further than the law

Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG offer refunds after you have played, within set limits. Those are the shops' own promises, not legal rights, so the exact conditions matter. Each shop guide spells them out.

No surcharge for paying by card

From 13 January 2018 traders have been barred from adding a fee when a consumer pays by debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Whichever of those you use, the total at checkout should match the advertised price.

Section 75: strong, but only above £100

Pay by credit card for one item priced above £100 but not beyond £30,000 and the card company shares responsibility with the seller if the seller breaches the contract or misdescribes what you bought. That can matter for a collector's edition or a large bundle.

  • It needs a direct link between the card and the seller. Paying through a PayPal account usually breaks that link; Citizens Advice says paying by card through PayPal's guest checkout, without logging in, may still qualify.
  • Debit cards and prepaid cards are not covered by section 75.
  • Few single games cost over £100, which is why chargeback does most of the work.

Chargeback: the everyday safety net

Chargeback comes from the card networks' own rules, not from legislation. If a purchase goes wrong and the shop will not help, you can ask the bank that issued your debit or credit card to reverse the payment. Banks set time limits, commonly 120 days, so act promptly and keep screenshots of the order and your messages with the shop.

Paying with PayPal

PayPal runs its own dispute and claims process with its own deadlines, generally within 180 days of payment. It sits between you and the seller, which is why it usually replaces section 75 rather than adding to it.

Newer rules

Buy now, pay later. Some checkouts offer Klarna, PayPal Pay in 3 or similar plans. The Financial Conduct Authority has supervised this kind of credit since 15 July 2026: interest-free plans repaid in 12 or fewer instalments within a year, when the credit comes from a firm other than the retailer. Lenders must check you can afford the repayments, set out dates and fees before you sign and get in touch after a missed payment; you can escalate a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, and a purchase above £100 can fall under section 75. Plans taken out before 15 July 2026 are not covered. It is still borrowing, and we would not use it to pay for games.

Subscriptions. The DMCC Act (Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, passed in 2024) sets out a new regime for subscriptions, including a reminder ahead of each renewal, simple online cancellation and a fortnight to change your mind after a renewal. They are not in force yet; the government's response of 2 April 2026 expects them to start in spring 2027. Until then the protection comes from each shop's own policy, set out in our subscriptions guide.

If something goes wrong: in this order

  1. Use the shop's own refund or support form first. Quote the order number and say what is wrong in one or two sentences.
  2. If the shop refuses and the content is faulty, say you are relying on your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
  3. No luck? Raise a chargeback with your card issuer (or a section 75 claim for a credit card purchase above £100), or start a dispute with PayPal.
  4. For free advice, contact Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133. The small claims court is the final step for larger sums.
  1. Consumer Rights Act 2015, chapter on digital content, via legislation.gov.uk
  2. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, reg. 37, via legislation.gov.uk
  3. the surcharge ban, reg. 6A, via legislation.gov.uk
  4. Consumer Credit Act 1974, s. 75, via legislation.gov.uk
  5. recovering money paid by card or through PayPal, via Citizens Advice
  6. buy now pay later, via FCA
  7. regulation of deferred payment credit, via FCA PS26/1
  8. government response on the subscription contracts regime (2 April 2026), via GOV.UK
  9. buying goods and services with credit, via FOS

General information about UK consumer law as it stood on the date we checked it, written for people buying games for themselves. It is not legal advice. For a dispute, Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) can help for free.