Fix the pending transaction error in Steam with 4 easy steps
- The Steam Your transaction cannot be completed because you have another pending transaction on your account error prevents you from buying games.
- This problem may also be caused by a connection issue within your network or with the game platform's server.
- To bypass this mishap, at least temporarily, you can try to use their website instead of your app.
Steam is the foremost web distribution platform for Windows games. You can buy and play your favorite titles directly from the app.
This is also an ideal communication tool because you can see and review other users’ experiences and even chat to learn important facts about the game.
However, some users have posted on the Steam forum about a repeated error: You have another pending transaction on your account.
Steam displays this message for certain users when they try to make a purchase. They can’t complete transactions for games when that issue arises.
We, at WindowsReport, have tried to replicate this problem and we encountered a variation with the message There was an error with a recent Steam purchase.
However, the items remain in the cart for 72 hours with the included discount. So, there is plenty of time to solve this problem by performing the steps in our guide.
Why do pending transaction errors occur?
There are only a few reasons why these problems can appear when you’re trying to make a transaction and we will outline them briefly:
➡ Connection errors – The main reason for a failed transaction can be a connection problem with the Steam server, whether it’s caused by a local network issue or the Steam services are down.
➡ Other pending transactions – As the error message clearly suggests, there might be other pending transactions and items in your cart but one of our solutions below will help you fix that quickly.
➡ VPN software issues – Virtual private networks are great for protecting your privacy and bypassing regional limitations but sometimes, they can produce such errors. This too can be fixed with one of our following solutions.
How can I fix the pending transaction error in Steam?
1. Is Steam down?
- Open the Downdetector website and select a country in the drop-down menu.
- Enter Steam in the search box on that site to open the page directly below, which provides further details pertaining to Steam server outages.
The pending transaction error might be due to a Steam server outage. OK, that’s not a common scenario, but it might still be worth checking if this service is down.
2. Cancel other pending transactions
- Open Steam and click your user account name.
- Click the Account details option.
- Then click the View purchase history option to open a list of Steam transactions.
- If there are multiple pending purchases, select one of the pending purchases.
- Then select the Cancel this transaction option.
- Click Cancel my purchase.
You can also cancel your pending transactions by accessing your account on the Steam website. The process is identical. This will give you free access to your new transaction.
Tip
3. Try purchasing via the Steam website
Alternatively, try purchasing games via the Steam website instead of its client software. Open Steam in a web browser. Then click login on the website and try getting the game from there.
Of course, this is only a temporary solution but it’s good enough if you only have to download one game.
4. Disable the VPN and the IP proxy software
- Right-click the Start button and select Task Manager from the list.
- Select VPN or IP proxy software on the Processes tab and click the End task button.
- Select the Startup tab, then right-click the VPN or IP proxy software and select Disable.
Steam transaction errors can also be caused by the VPN and IP proxy software so ending its process and disabling it from the Startup list will prevent it from opening.
On the other hand, you could always try using a VPN service like Private Internet Access that is more stable and causes fewer issues with your Steam client and purchases.
How to unlock all the features in your Steam account
If you’re just beginning to use Steam, you probably don’t know why some features that are available for your friends are nowhere to be found.
That’s why we included some information about your basic account and how to unlock all the features.
➡ New account limitations
To prevent any possible fraudulent actions, Steam imposes some limitations on newly created accounts:
- You are not allowed to buy or sell items on the Steam Community Market
- Can’t add friends on Steam
- You’re unable to create a group on the Steam Community
- Also, there are no options to produce any reviews or rating any artwork from other members, screenshots, workshop content, or Greenlight submissions
- There is also impossible to use the Friends chat in your browser or on a mobile device
➡ Lift the limitations
All these limitations can be removed if you spend at least $5 in Steam by buying a game, taking advantage of a gift card, or just including the amount in your Steam Wallet.
Of course, if you’re using any currency, the amount will be converted using the daily exchange rates automatically.
Does pending mean that money has been taken out?
We also need to clarify the fact that if you have any pending transactions in your account, it means that no money has been drawn from your account.
A pending transaction is one that awaits to be completed so, for some reason, the payment has not been issued.
This concludes our guide, and we hope that it provided the fixes you were looking for. You can also set up a Steam support account to send a support ticket if further resolutions are needed.
Even more, we’ve noticed that another annoying problem with this software is that sometimes after you purchase a game, it’s not starting. Well, we have an excellent article on what to do if the Steam game is not launching.
If you have any other questions or suggestions about other such issues, don’t hesitate to use the comments section below.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
These errors usually resolve themselves in a few days (up to 10), but if it doesn’t or you don’t want to wait, you can follow this guide to fix the pending Steam transactions.
-
According to the Steam support page, this can take up to 10 days, depending on your bank’s policy. You can also use PayPal but if you have problems using it, here’s a complete troubleshooting guide to fix PayPal issues in Steam.
-
If you notice that you cannot make new transactions using Steam, check whether or not the client is lagging or running slow first.
