Upgrading is not for free. Start by deciding how much you value those benefits:

• Expanded Backpack: 300 instead of 50 slots! "Backpack Expander" adds 100 extra slots.
  Already gained extra slots will remain (e.g. upgrade from 150 to 400 slots).
  
  
• Items: You'll be able to find unique hats and miscellaneous items.
  F2p players can only find weapons and tools; and obtain achievement hats and misc.
  
  
• Trading: F2p players can only trade found tools and items received from a premium player.
  Your found weapons and metal will become tradable after upgrading to premium.
  (exception: achievement weapons and metal crafted with achievement weapons)
  
  
• Crafting: You'll be able to craft hats. Trading hats is often cheaper through.
  
  
• Gifting: You can wrap items to gifts using a Gift Wrap (to trade non-tradeable items).
  
  
• Communication: You need to be tf2-premium and have an unlimited steam account to write in chat, speak in voicechat, participate in votes and use voice commands. (e.g. call a medic)
  TF2 Premium itself will not unlock a limited steam account.
  "You will need to spend at least $5.00 USD within the Steam store" for that (support info)

1. Purchase something in the Store
   
2. Use an "Upgrade to Premium Gift" ↓
   
3. Buy "The Orange Box" ↓

The cheapest and most common way.
Once you buy anything from the Mann Co. (not community!) Store, you'll be premium.

· Where to buy?

You can use the ingame - or online Mann Co. Store*.
* website is closed, but you can purchase from it through links from the tf2 wiki or this guide.

• If you buy form the ingame store you'll get the #1 hat for the first purchase.
  
• If you buy from the online store you'll get the #1 AND #2 hat for the first puchase.

...so you better buy from the online store.
(the tf2wiki or the '¤'-links in this guide)

The steam community market
might be cheaper but won't work!

Those $0.03+ items from the community market
WILL NOT upgrade your account!

Make sure that you're not redirected to it from the ingame store.
If you don't see hat #1 (& #2) at the checkout of your first purchase, you're at the wrong store.

· Test Run Discount

You can get a 25% price discount on items that are not cosmetics, tools, actions or new-tagged.
Go to the ingame store, click on the desired item and press the "try out" button to recieve this item (non-craftable, non-tradeable) free for a week.
You'll recieve a 25% price discount at the ingame and online store for it during this week,
even if you delete this item. You can only have one discount active at once.

· What to buy?

Buy whatever you like, but note that most items are cheaper to trade for.

Weapons can start at $0.99, but the price can be reduced by 25% by using a Test Run Discount.
The resulting $0.74 is the lowest price available for an upgrade. (example: ¤)

The Tour of Duty Ticket ¤ also costs $0.99. While the Test Run Discount can't be applied here, it might me tempting to spend the $0.25 extra for its trading or gaming value.
Other useful tools include: Backpack Expander ¤, Name Tag ¤, Description Tag ¤ & Paint Can.

The tools can be sold again to the community market after 7 days, giving you steam wallet back!
You'll only pay the price difference between the Mann Co. Store and the community market,
plus the 15% selling fee. It's the cheapest way if you're planning to spend more money on steam.
Make sure to check if you're able to use the community market at all. More on part 1.3).

If you want to get into trading you could buy a Supply Crate Key ($2.49,¤)
or Tour of Duty Ticket ($0.99,¤). (both tradable after 7 days)
Use this site[backpack.tf] to see the current trading prices. Both items are constantly raising in value as the metal value decreases and are often valued more than shown already.

Go to the 'maps' section of the ingame store and choose a map you play a lot or like.
It will give you the following benefits (the stamp is symbolic, you'll not get a stamp as an item):

• Special hat #3 (plus special hat #1, but not #2 since you can't purchase it from the online store)

• A special greeting and a special particle effect for the map you bought the stamp for.

• The money goes to 100% to the community map makers.

After sussecfully upgrading your account this way you'll have the possibility to thank someone who 'helped you the most'. This person must be at the current server you're playing on or in your friendslist and will recive the 'professor speks' shown above.


You need to have 'Steam Wallet' to buy anything from the store!

You can buy Steam Wallet directly from Steam here. The minimum walllet you can buy is $5/5€.
Try option 1.3), 2) or 3) first if you only need steam wallet to upgrade tf2.

If you are unable to get steam wallet online,
you can buy a 'Gift Card' at various retailers.
Once you bought a card you can activate it here.
(not available in all countries)

It's also possible to gift "Digital Gift Cards" through the Steam Store itself. Anyone in your friendslist can go to this page and select you to buy some steam wallet for you (5$/€ minimum).

Might be the cheapest way if you only need walled for the upgrade.

Precondition 1: You must be eligible to participate in the Community Market:

The account must have a successful purchase older than 7 days, but not older than a year. Additionally, Steam Guard must be enabled for 15 days.

You also need an unlimited steam account (least $5 must be spend on it).
Redeeming a Steam gift or key does not grant access to the market.
For more informations read the Community Market FAQ.

If you don't have the mobile authenticator active for 7 days, you have to wait 15 days
until the item is listed on the market. Click here and here for more information.


Precondition 2: You need marketable items:

You might receive trading cards from a game
you paid for. Each card will give you a few cents.
Once you have $0,74 wallet you can buy the cheapest weapon while using the test run discount. Every marketable item will work. Trade if you don't have one.









In order to sell an item go to your inventory, select the markable item and click the 'Sell' button. I recommend to sell it for it's current value (/1 cent lower if you don't have the mobile authenticator).

A completely diffrent way
... is using an 'Upgrade to Premium Gift'.

When you have it in your backpack
you can use it tp upgrade youself.

There are 3 ways to acquire this gift:

• Trading: Use trading sites and check the current prices[backpack.tf] before trading.
  Weapons and metal will become tradable after upgrading to premium unless it's crafted with achievement weapons. Beware the time and effort it takes to trade up to an Upgrade Gift without a propper capital to start off. You can also try to trade for the Orange Box instead.
  
  
• Purchase: Is actually nonsense, because if you buy it you'll have a premium account already.
  
  
• Someone else buys and trades this gift to you.

Upgrade gifts can be purchased for $4.99 here.
The usage will not count towards the $5 for an unlimited steam account. The purchase does.

The Orange Box unlocks a TF2 Premium account including the #4 hat and the following games: Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One,
Half-Life 2: Episode Two and Portal.

Some retail stores are still selling it as well.
The Valve Complete Pack won't upgrade TF2.

Once the Orange Box is redeemed you'll get instant access to the games and the hat.
The premium account takes 1-3 days to be activated. Valve has a seperate server for tf2 services, which has to synchronize with the steam servers in order to acknowledge tf2 premium.

Thanks for reading my guide. I hope it was helpful to you.
If you still have questions: feel free to write them in the comments.

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Here's another guide. Once again: The community market WILL NOT upgrade your account.
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=143430756