The Steam Sale is almost upon us once again, and it is time to prepare our wallets for the impending apocalypse. Buying games on Steam is one of the cheapest options for PC gaming, but not everyone has a credit card. Fortunately, there are other ways to get your hands on the latest discounted titles without ever going near a bank.
Steam sells codes for adding funds to the Steam Wallet through many avenues. We don’t have the option of walking into a store and buying codes like they do in other countries, but we do have a few other options.
Debit Cards
Most ATM cards in the 21st century also double as debit cards. For most intents and purposes, this is functionally similar to having a credit card, except that you cannot spend money you don’t have yet. Debit cards also have the benefit of having refunds returned to the buyer’s bank account instead of being reimbursed in Steam credit.
The only down side is that a lot of banks are blocking debits cards from Steam by default. Nobody really wants to keep calling the bank every day of the Steam sale.
MOL/eClub points
While Malaysia may not have Steam Wallet codes readily available, Valve allows users to use codes from MOL and eClub instead. Steam users will end up paying a little extra in transaction fees; meaning that paying RM10 will only provide RM8 of Steam Wallet credit.
Hotlink
This is the best middle ground between debit cards and MOL/eClub points. Steam users are able to purchase Steam Wallet codes through the Hotlink games site using either top up tickets or charged from their Hotlink airtime. The top up ticket method also allows non-Hotlink subscribers to get in on the action.
The system is also relatively new, and Hotlink is offering a few extra bonuses for those looking to give this alternative payment method a try. For instance, an extra RM8 Steam Wallet code to the first transaction from any account from 15 June. Just in time to get ready for the Steam Summer sale. Additionally, customers get a 7-percent discount on purchases while using the “charge credit” (Hotlink airtime) option.
That’s not all, Hotlink is giving away eight level 50 Battle Passes for The International Dota 2 Championship which takes place in August. These will be given away to lucky Dota players at the end of June and July, with four Passes available each time. All you need to do is top up your Steam Wallet using Hotlink.
The beauty of the system is the ubiquity of prepaid phone reload coupons which can be bought online, or through physical stores like 7-Eleven and KK Super Mart.
Hotlink will also be holding the Hotlink Games Sale from 15 – 31 July, which sees the RM 10 promo extended beyond Steam to Garena, CIB, and Playone Asia as well. Topping it off is an offer on Google Play that gives users RM5 off purchases for first time users.
Conclusion
Steam provides the biggest deals for games in the world, and the Steam Sale is a massive event for all gamers. As far as topping up Steam Wallet credit goes, Hotlink has the most value for money. The best part is that you don’t even need to be a Hotlink subscriber to benefit from the offer. Although, having Hotlink airtime definitely helps.
*Disclosure: This content was sponsored by Hotlink.
