Issue With Steam Authorisation Charges

Help
1

Hi,

I recently added money to my Steam account using my Monzo card. I had no issues at all and had to verify the purchase in my Monzo app, which I did.

Upon doing this, I noticed that Steam had placed a “market ban” on my account for three days, meaning I was unable to purchase anything, sell anything or trade anything on the Steam Community Market for three days. However, if I did not want to wait the three days, I could remove the “market ban” instantly by simply just verifying my bank card with Steam as a way of proving that the card is not stolen and that the funds are legitimate.

I attempted to begin the verification method with Steam, just to clarify, this is different to the verification method in the app where you have to “Approve” or “Deny” transactions with a timer. The way this verification process with Steam works, is that I begin the verification process by clicking a button, Steam is then supposed to send two authorisation charges to my bank (pending charges), of different amounts, that are no greater than £3 each. I am then supposed to input these amounts into Steam, to the precise amount, to prove that the funds are legitimate and not a result of fraud. This then removes my “market ban” and unlocks the funds for me to spend instantly.

However, this is where the problem began. I attempted to verify these funds using the method explained above on Steam, however, I kept getting a red error message saying that my bank has declined the small authorisation charges. I repeatedly tried this, same result. I decided to wait the three days thinking this will only be a one-time thing. I was wrong.

Fast forward to today, I added more funds to my Steam account, and my funds are, again, locked for another three days unless I can verify ownership of the card via the method I mentioned above. I try it again, same message. Ironically, none of these declined transactions appeared in my Monzo app. However, I go onto Monzo via a Web Browser, and not the app, and I can see all of the declined transactions from Steam, where Monzo have instantly declined the authorisation charges instantly whenever I try to begin the veification process on Steam.

This means that Monzo is the one who is instantly declining this, and it is not an issue with Steam. I am not sure as to why this is happening though, and I know other people on this forum, and personally, who are also having this same issue. It is impossible for us to verify our card on Steam because Monzo instantly declines the authorisation charges, even though they’re tiny amounts, so we can never begin the process on Steam as we can’t see the attempted authorisation charges to input them onto Steam.

I attempted to contact support about this, but they constantly get confused and repeatedly think I am talking about Monzo’s in-app verification system where you need to approve/deny transactions within a set period of time, even though I’ve explained countless times that I am not on about this verification system, and I have also sent them documentation and images that quickly and briefly explain how the Steam process works when verifying cards. However, somehow, they constantly circle back to Monzo’s in-app verification system.

Eventually, one of the advisors attempted to say that Monzo is legally required to verify all transactions before they go through. Now this does make sense - if it wasn’t for the fact that the transactions I need to verify my card with Steam are a minor £3, and Monzo quite literally lets me spend £50, £100, however much I want, at Steam, minutes later, without any verification requests needed.

This is an issue and I was hoping somebody, anybody, found a solution to this.

2

Steam are not presenting the charge correctly, getting a detail wrong or missing something. So Monzo are declining it.

3

I use Steam and verified my card years ago, so it is certainly possible. It appears, as you’ve mentioned, that something is amiss.

I’ve experienced this before as well. It seems they skim through messages quickly and make assumptions instead of taking the necessary time to fully understand the question.

To address this, I posted a message similar to yours, emphasising the importance of ensuring the next person thoroughly understands the issue before proposing a solution. I also made it clear that if this doesn’t happen, it should be escalated as a complaint.

In my experience, once it reaches the complaints team, they take the necessary time to properly assess the situation, and you’re more likely to get a resolution.

5

Originally I thought this was the issue, but then I realised it can’t be Steam - other people with other UK Banks are able to verify their cards. Monzo just keep instantly declining the pending charge transaction I need to prove ownership of the card, but then they’ll let me go and spend £100 at Steam without issue or in-app verification needed.

The best answer I’ve had so far from support is that it’s declining because Steam isn’t triggering an approval request in the app, but then this is sort of contradictory because these charges are probably £2 each, and minutes later, I can go and spend £100 on my card at Steam without any issue or without any verification needed.

Doubt I’ll ever get to the bottom of this issue, it’ll just be a case of potentially having to create a bank with somebody else just to be able to verify my funds on Steam. I’ve noticed others have had this issue with Monzo too on the forums.

6

To be fair, I doubt this is going to get sorted. I’ve been trying to get this issue sorted for five days and I think I’ve made zero progress with customer support, both over the phone and via live chat.

It’s disappointing that I’m going to have to consider getting another bank account with another bank just to be able to verify my funds on Steam going forwards.

Thanks for the reply anyway though.

7

Update Anyhow:

I was moved into a new queue in the live chat support area and I was told somebody from a specialist team would contact me within 24 hours. Nobody contacted me within this time. I have just received contact to ask if my issue is resolved because they can see I am able to spend money on my card (which is completely unrelated to my issue). Explained that the issue isn’t this, re-explained the issue again (probably for the 8th time), re-sent a screenshot of Steam’s verification process.

Back to square 1 I assume, where I’ll now have to wait to speak to a generic advisor, who’ll most likely misunderstand the issue, go back and forth again for another two days, to then be moved to a specialist person (if I get this far, haven’t so far).

By which point my Steam funds will be unlocked for me to use anyway but going forwards if no resolution by this point I’ll have to just create a new debit account with somebody else because there’s no way I can continuously wait minimum 3+ days everytime I add funds.