Originally posted by shootnclassics:

tl;dr - Why isn't Valve limiting games purchases based on payment types? Your Steam Wallet can be loaded via Cash (gift card) or other methods.

Valve then limits AO purchases to Steam Wallets only. That's a win for Valve as now they make money on the back end residual interest of effectively zero-interest, non-transferable, savings accounts.

OR, Valve spins up their own "PayPal" like system for EFT transfers to remove card processor from the equation.



Longer version:

As we all now know, Valve is complying with payment processors with about acceptible content.

https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding?language=english#5

...
15. Content that may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers. In particular, certain kinds of adult only content.

Which is ridiculously vague

https://www.mastercard.us/content/dam/public/mastercardcom/na/global-site/documents/mastercard-rules.pdf

5.12.7 Illegal or Brand-damaging Transactions A Merchant must not submit to its Acquirer, and a Customer must not submit to the Interchange System, any Transaction that is illegal, or in the sole discretion of the Corporation, may damage the goodwill of the Corporation or reflect negatively on the Marks. The Corporation considers any of the following activities to be in violation of this Rule: 1. The sale or offer of sale of a product or service other than in full compliance with law then applicable to the Acquirer, Issuer, Merchant, Cardholder, Cards, or the Corporation. 2. The sale of a product or service, including an image, which is patently offensive and lacks serious artistic value (such as, by way of example and not limitation, images of nonconsensual sexual behavior, sexual exploitation of a minor, nonconsensual mutilation of a person or body part, and bestiality), or any other material that the Corporation deems unacceptable to sell in connection with a Mark

So base on Master Card's rules, Valve should be banning nearlly all AAA titles and more due to:
* nonconsensual mutilation of a person or body part
* or any other material that the Corporation deems unacceptable to sell

Basically ... I know Art when I see it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_it_when_I_see_it

Will Steam ban AAA titles of violence? Unlikely. What about indie titles of gore/horror? More probable.

Unfortunately, this is impacting game listing and purchases in allowed in one country that the payment processor of another country. For example, Japanese law vs Western processor of Visa and Master Card.


So we have to question:

Why isn't Valve limiting games base on payment types? Your Steam Wallet can be loaded via Cash (gift card) or other methods to purchase anything - including Valve hardware.

Valve then limits AO purchases to Steam Wallets only. That's a win for Valve as now they make money on the back end residual interest of effectively zero-interest, non-transferable, savings accounts.

OR, Valve spins up their own "PayPal" like system for EFT transfers to remove card processor from the equation.

The Wallet is an easy win _right now_! All Valve has to do has have a new store attribute (simplified version): if rating = ao then payment = wallet-only

Originally posted by shootnclassics:

tl;dr - Why isn't Valve limiting games purchases based on payment types? Your Steam Wallet can be loaded via Cash (gift card) or other methods.

Originally posted by Ettanin:

Originally posted by shootnclassics:

tl;dr - Why isn't Valve limiting games purchases based on payment types? Your Steam Wallet can be loaded via Cash (gift card) or other methods.

Because to top up the wallet balance (without retail wallet cards), you will still have to use an external payment method.
And if it gets known that steam wallet balance is used to purchase adult games, retail stores will ALSO get wary which will make it harder to get those cards in an offline fashion.

The knowledge that such action is possible is enough for the external payment method provider to cease business with Valve. It does not matter what the wallet balance in the end will be used for; the possibility is enough for the payment provider to say no.

Originally posted by McFlurry Butts:

You're right, the credit companies could just tell Walmart to stop selling Steam cards or else they will stop doing business with them and collapse their entire business.

Originally posted by shootnclassics:

Correct. they aren't idiots. But they are greed monsters too.

Leveraging the Wallet give the processor plausible deniability and puts the AO vetting onto Valve.

Originally posted by shootnclassics:

Valve work around to new updated censorship rules - use Wallet payment type ... Why isn't Valve limiting games base on payment types? Your Steam Wallet can be loaded via Cash (gift card) or other methods to purchase anything - including Valve hardware.

Valve then limits AO purchases to Steam Wallets only. That's a win for Valve as now they make money on the back end residual interest of effectively zero-interest, non-transferable, savings accounts.

Originally posted by The End:

Originally posted by shootnclassics:

Valve work around to new updated censorship rules - use Wallet payment type ... Why isn't Valve limiting games base on payment types? Your Steam Wallet can be loaded via Cash (gift card) or other methods to purchase anything - including Valve hardware.

Valve then limits AO purchases to Steam Wallets only. That's a win for Valve as now they make money on the back end residual interest of effectively zero-interest, non-transferable, savings accounts.

The problem is not people buying said trash, it's Master/Visa that won't continue to work with Valve if they keep the trash on their store.

There is no workaround and that's great imo.
We do not need trash like that on the store.

Originally posted by shootnclassics:

tl;dr - Why isn't Valve limiting games purchases based on payment types? Your Steam Wallet can be loaded via Cash (gift card) or other methods.

Valve then limits AO purchases to Steam Wallets only. That's a win for Valve as now they make money on the back end residual interest of effectively zero-interest, non-transferable, savings accounts.

OR, Valve spins up their own "PayPal" like system for EFT transfers to remove card processor from the equation.



Longer version:

As we all now know, Valve is complying with payment processors with about acceptible content.

https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding?language=english#5

...
15. Content that may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers. In particular, certain kinds of adult only content.

Which is ridiculously vague

https://www.mastercard.us/content/dam/public/mastercardcom/na/global-site/documents/mastercard-rules.pdf

5.12.7 Illegal or Brand-damaging Transactions A Merchant must not submit to its Acquirer, and a Customer must not submit to the Interchange System, any Transaction that is illegal, or in the sole discretion of the Corporation, may damage the goodwill of the Corporation or reflect negatively on the Marks. The Corporation considers any of the following activities to be in violation of this Rule: 1. The sale or offer of sale of a product or service other than in full compliance with law then applicable to the Acquirer, Issuer, Merchant, Cardholder, Cards, or the Corporation. 2. The sale of a product or service, including an image, which is patently offensive and lacks serious artistic value (such as, by way of example and not limitation, images of nonconsensual sexual behavior, sexual exploitation of a minor, nonconsensual mutilation of a person or body part, and bestiality), or any other material that the Corporation deems unacceptable to sell in connection with a Mark

So base on Master Card's rules, Valve should be banning nearlly all AAA titles and more due to:
* nonconsensual mutilation of a person or body part
* or any other material that the Corporation deems unacceptable to sell

Basically ... I know Art when I see it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_it_when_I_see_it

Will Steam ban AAA titles of violence? Unlikely. What about indie titles of gore/horror? More probable.

Unfortunately, this is impacting game listing and purchases in allowed in one country that the payment processor of another country. For example, Japanese law vs Western processor of Visa and Master Card.


So we have to question:

Why isn't Valve limiting games base on payment types? Your Steam Wallet can be loaded via Cash (gift card) or other methods to purchase anything - including Valve hardware.

Valve then limits AO purchases to Steam Wallets only. That's a win for Valve as now they make money on the back end residual interest of effectively zero-interest, non-transferable, savings accounts.

OR, Valve spins up their own "PayPal" like system for EFT transfers to remove card processor from the equation.

The Wallet is an easy win _right now_! All Valve has to do has have a new store attribute (simplified version): if rating = ao then payment = wallet-only