The method you choose decides what happens when a purchase goes wrong. Cards carry the strongest routes back, gift cards and prepaid vouchers the weakest. Below, each method gets a plain summary, the stores that accept it on a UK account, and the catch worth knowing.
| Method | Protection route | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Debit card | Chargeback through your bank (a card-scheme rule, usually around 120 days) | Everyday purchases |
| Credit card | Chargeback, plus Section 75 for a single item priced over £100 and up to £30,000 | Collector's editions and hardware |
| PayPal | PayPal Buyer Protection: 180 days if an item never arrives, 30 days from delivery if not as described; gift cards excluded; usually no Section 75 | Keeping card numbers off stores |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | A token of your card: the underlying card's protections apply | Fast checkout on phones and web |
| Store gift card | The store's own terms; no bank route | Presents and fixed budgets |
| paysafecard | The voucher issuer's terms; no bank route | Paying without a bank card |
| Pay later (Klarna and similar) | FCA-regulated since 15 July 2026 for new agreements | Rarely the right tool for games |
Debit card
Accepted at: Steam, PS Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop, Epic, GOG, Battle.net, EA app.
Visa Debit and Mastercard Debit work on all eight stores. There is no Section 75 on a debit card, so if a purchase goes wrong and the store will not help, your route is a chargeback: your bank asks the seller's bank to reverse the payment. Visa says plainly that chargeback is not a legal right and a refund is not guaranteed, and you must contact the seller first. Time limits are set by the card schemes, usually around 120 days.
Credit card
Accepted at: Steam, PS Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop, Epic, GOG, Battle.net, EA app.
Visa and Mastercard credit cards are accepted by all eight stores. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act makes the lender jointly liable with the seller, but only for a single item priced over £100 and up to £30,000, and the limit is per item, not per basket. A standard game, a DLC or a currency pack is almost always under £100, so on a credit card too, chargeback is the realistic route for games. Section 75 earns its keep on collector's editions, consoles and accessories.
American Express
Accepted at: PS Store, Battle.net; at some checkouts: Xbox Store, Epic, GOG, EA app.
American Express is listed for UK accounts on the PlayStation Store and Battle.net. Steam's UK method list and Nintendo's eShop card list do not include it. Microsoft, Epic, GOG and EA do not name card brands for the UK, so we mark them as uncertain: try it at checkout, but have another card ready.
PayPal
Accepted at: Steam, PS Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop, Epic, GOG, Battle.net, EA app.
Every store here takes PayPal, though Nintendo only for account holders aged 18 or over, and PlayStation links one PayPal account to one PlayStation account. PayPal's Buyer Protection gives you 180 days from payment to dispute an item that never arrived, but for something significantly not as described the window is 30 days from delivery (or 180 days from payment, if sooner). It does not cover gift cards or other stored-value purchases, and paying through PayPal usually removes Section 75.
Apple Pay
Accepted at: PS Store; at some checkouts: Epic, GOG, Battle.net, EA app.
Apple Pay sends a one-time token rather than your card number, but the payment still runs on your card, so chargeback (and Section 75 on a credit card) work exactly as if you had used the card. The PlayStation Store lists Apple Pay for the UK on web, PS5 and PS4. GOG, Battle.net, EA and Epic show it in some regions only; Steam, Microsoft and the Nintendo eShop do not take it.
Google Pay
Not accepted by any of the eight stores; at some checkouts: Epic, GOG, Battle.net.
Google Pay works like Apple Pay: a token on top of your real card, with the card's protections intact. None of the PlayStation Store, Steam, Microsoft, the Nintendo eShop or EA lists it for the UK. GOG, Battle.net and Epic may show it at checkout depending on region.
paysafecard
Accepted at: Steam, PS Store, Battle.net; at some checkouts: Xbox Store, GOG, EA app.
paysafecard is a prepaid 16-digit code sold in UK shops in values from £10 to £100, issued by an FCA-authorised e-money firm. It suits a fixed budget, but no card protections apply, and stores often refund it as credit: Steam sends paysafecard refunds to the Steam Wallet only. A monthly fee applies to unused balances after an initial period; paysafecard's own fees page and terms currently disagree on the amount, so check before loading more than you plan to spend soon. Accepted by Steam, the PlayStation Store and Battle.net (not for World of Warcraft subscriptions); not by the Nintendo eShop.
Klarna / pay later
Accepted at: Steam; at some checkouts: Xbox Store, Epic, GOG, Battle.net.
Since 15 July 2026 the Financial Conduct Authority regulates buy-now-pay-later agreements, so new ones come with affordability checks, clear information, access to the Financial Ombudsman and Section 75. Among game stores, only Steam officially lists Klarna for UK accounts. Microsoft's online store offers Klarna and PayPal Pay in 3 on qualifying purchases from £20 (not subscriptions or pre-orders). Spreading a £35 game over three months rarely makes sense; if you find yourself needing to, the after hours page lists free help with money.
Phone bill
Accepted at: PS Store, Xbox Store; at some checkouts: Epic.
Charging a game to your mobile bill works on the Microsoft Store and Xbox (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone) and the PlayStation Store (Three, EE and O2). UK rules keep it to £40 per purchase and £240 a month per customer, and networks can set lower limits. It is not available on Steam, the Nintendo eShop, GOG, Battle.net or the EA app. EA treats phone-bill payments as non-refundable.
Bank transfer
Accepted at: Steam; at some checkouts: EA app.
Steam lists Trustly, which pays straight from your bank account, and Skrill for UK accounts, both refundable to the same method. None of the other seven stores offers a UK bank payment; EA lists some bank methods globally without saying which countries.
Store gift card
Accepted at: Steam, PS Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop, Epic, Battle.net, EA app.
Store gift cards are good for presents and budgets, but money on them is money already spent: it cannot go back to a bank. Each store locks cards to its own currency or country. Steam is phasing out physical cards at UK retailers by the end of 2026 (digital cards stay). Xbox digital gift cards run from £5 to £100, Nintendo eShop Cards from £15 to £100, and Epic's Fortnite gift card, which tops up your Epic balance, from £10 to £125. EA may expire unspent gift cards after three years. GOG has no gift card, only game gift codes.