Steam users now have to spend $5 worth in purchases before they can add friends

[Nowak]

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3330-IAGK-7663

 

 

Limited users are prevented from accessing several features on Steam, including but not limited to:

• Sending friend invites
• Opening group chat
• Voting on Greenlight, Steam Reviews and Workshop items
• Participating in the Steam Market
• Posting frequently in the Steam Discussions
• Gaining Steam Profile Levels (Locked to level 0) and Trading Cards
• Submitting content on the Steam Workshop
• Posting in an item's Steam Workshop Discussions
• Accessing the Steam Web API
• Using browser and mobile chat

Say what you will about this, but they are actually taking a stride to really protect their users from phishing bots. Yeah, $5 seems a bit steep to remove these restrictions upon new accounts, but it's Steam. It's easy to meet that quota. Again, hopefully this helps protect us from phishing bots, which are a huge problem on Steam now.

[werto165]

That's actually a good move I feel. However, it will screw over a few customers that just want to play free to play games like TF2, or dota 2. 

[Firearm2112]

The title is a bit misleading. You dont pay a 5 dollar fee to access these features, you just have to spend 5 dollars on something

[ESPclipse]

Glad I don't have any B)

[desertcomputer]

Yea this should really help... steam should remove/disable existing account.

[thekeemo]

this was always a thing. when I firsgt got steam I couldnt add friends

[givingtnt]

hm

I think its ok. but still very bad 

I donT' get spammed all tha t much

[desertcomputer]

hm

I think its ok. but still very bad 

I donT' get spammed all tha t much

cause you dont post trade on trading site mate

[Kyuubixchidori]

its steam, it could be 500$, and it will would be  okay everytime a sale comes around

[tp95112]

If a had a dollar for everytime a bot tried to add me to scam my csgo skins...

[Nowak]

I don't play CS:GO even though I own it and don't play TF2 anymore, and the most expensive item in my inventory is... like, $4. I still get bot invites from time to time.

 

Also, fixed the title.

[TheSLSAMG]

I think this is fine.

[NateGSR117]

Problem, what problem? I haven't seen anything wrong (doesn't mean the problem not there). But then again I don't do a whole lot on steam and have like two friends on steam one is my brother and the other I known from middle school.

[The Gaige]

This is awesome IMO cause I hate all the bots with there toll apps!

 

BTW, 

How do I gain access to these features?

You will need to spend at least $5.00 USD within the Steam store.

Some examples of purchases that grant access to these features are:

• Adding the equivalent of $5 USD or more to your Steam Wallet
• Purchasing game(s) that are equal to $5 USD or more from the Steam store
• Adding a Steam Wallet card to your Steam account
• Purchasing a Steam gift that is equal to $5 USD or more from the Steam store (Receiving a Steam gift from a friend doesn't count)

Each Steam purchase total will be tracked in USD. If your Steam store's currency isn't in USD, it will be tracked and converted to USD automatically using daily exchange rates.

 

[MountainDrew]

Sounds like a good idea to me if it gets rid of the bots.  I've already spent like...a lot of money on Steam so the $5 dollar fee doesn't effect me.

 

At first I thought I would have to pay $5 in order to add a new friend 

[Nowak]

Problem, what problem? I haven't seen anything wrong (doesn't mean the problem not there). But then again I don't do a whole lot on steam and have like two friends on steam one is my brother and the other I known from middle school.

Try playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. As soon as you get a valuable item you'll be waking up to 40 phishing bot invites, I've heard.

[ivan134]

This isn't new...it's been like this for years.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

That's actually a good move I feel. However, it will screw over a few customers that just want to play free to play games like TF2, or dota 2. 

 

Well you already had to buy a game on Steam before adding someone anyway... this just raises the price up to 5$.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

This isn't new...it's been like this for years.

 

Well actually you just had to spend 0.01$ technically. Now, 5$ minimum.

[wyattzx]

I wonder what happens if you redeem a code on Steam for a game worth $5 or more? Like Humble Bundles, for example. 

[DimasRMDO]

Well that's suck....

[werto165]

Well you already had to buy a game on Steam before adding someone anyway... this just raises the price up to 5$.

Oh right, I didn't know that was a thing, I didn't add anyone on steam for a while, took a while for my friends to go on the PC bandwagon. 

[Commander Llama]

How is $5 steep?

 

If this can cut into those level 0/level 1 spammer accounts, might be a good move.

[Nowak]

How is $5 steep?

I know Steam's detractors are going to come into this thread and go "WTF ARE YOU DOING VALVE RAAAAAAAAAAAGH" even though this is meant to cut down the amount of phishing bots.

[Unhelpful]

Well that's suck....

It doesn't mean you have to buy the ability to add people... It just means that you must have bought something to show you aren't a phishing bot. How does this suck?