GUIDE
Steam Points Guide — How to Earn Points & Best Rewards (2026)
About this guide
Steam Points guide. How to earn points, best rewards in the Points Shop, and the difference between Points, Gems and Trading Cards explained.
2 min readReading time
BeginnerDifficulty
UpdatedJul 14, 2026
What Are Steam Points?
Steam Points are earned by purchasing games and in-game content on Steam. They can be spent in the Steam Points Shop on profile customization: animated avatars, animated backgrounds, mini-profile backgrounds, chat effects, and seasonal items. Points have no cash value and cannot be traded or sold.
💰 How to Earn Steam Points
- Buy games: Every $1 spent on Steam = ~100 Steam Points
- Buy in-game items: Purchases from in-game stores (like CS2 cases) earn points
- Steam Market does NOT earn points — buying/selling on the Community Market gives zero points
- Steam Sale events — sometimes offer bonus points for purchases during the event
- Award community content: You earn a small amount of points when others award your content
🎁 Best Things to Spend Points On
BEST METHOD- Animated Avatars (1,000-3,000 points) — Animated profile pictures from your favorite games
- Animated Backgrounds (2,000-5,000 points) — Moving backgrounds for your Steam profile
- Mini Profile Backgrounds (2,000 points) — Customizes the small popup when someone hovers over your name
- Chat Effects (500-1,000 points) — Special effects in Steam chat
- Steam Awards (free-500 points) — Give awards to reviews, screenshots, workshop items you like
- Seasonal/Sale items — Limited-time items only available during Steam Sales
⚠️ Points vs. Gems vs. Cards
| System | Earned From | Tradeable? | Cash Value? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Points | Buying games/items | No | No |
| Steam Gems | Converting inventory items | Yes (as sacks) | Yes ($0.40-0.65/sack) |
| Trading Cards | Playing games | Yes | Yes ($0.03-5.00/card) |
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