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However, having a card check as the only verification option is causing problems, and many users are already asking for other means of verification, even if they're more invasive, citing Xbox and Sony 's services as more accommodating.
Since credit cards in Australia (and the UK) can only be issued to adults, they work fine for Steam verification. Debit cards, on the other hand, can be carried by minors, and they're only valid for age checks under specific conditions. For now, that seems to be those (a) belonging to the Mastercard network, which introduced its own global automatic age verification check on June 2, 2026, and (b) for which the issuing bank flagged the card product as adults-only. The transaction firm only passes the answer to "is the buyer an adult?" back to the merchant (in this case, Steam), without exposing an actual date of birth.
A quick harnessing of user reports, mainly from Reddit posts, seems to indicate that debit Mastercards from Commonwealth, Westpac, and Macquarie appear to work, while those from Bendigo, St. George, Revolut, ANZ, and most Visa cards seem to fail the check. Note that this is an evolving situation, so the situation may have changed by the time you're reading this.
EFF asks California governor to veto bill that would require online age verification
Valve releases drivers, notes to make Windows work on Steam hardware, but refuses to support it
California lawmakers unanimously pass Linux exemption from age-verification law
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/pc-gaming/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/pc-gaming/steam-enforces-australian-age-verification-via-credit-cards-debit-card-glitches-and-low-credit-adoption-alienate-core-gamers-privacy-first-mindset-leads-to-dearth-of-options-that-may-hinder-consumers#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com/membership
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.