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Where to Buy Cheapest Legit Keys? [5 Safest Sites on the Web]
The gaming market is expanding now more than ever, so there’s no doubt that other platforms besides the well-known ones like Steam are starting to sell game keys to make profits. The thing is that if you only buy game keys in those, you will be missing killer deals from other online stores that are selling game keys for cheap.
Right now, the best sites offer great game deals in a vast range of prices, from AAA to indie. They have competitive prices and even provide bundles that game publishers do.
Before you buy cheap Steam keys, you need to understand the difference between authorized retailers and unofficial ones. We have researched a list of platforms that you can use to find cheap game keys. Use it to find games at a great price.
Table of contents:
Authorized vs. Unofficial Retailers
Are Grey Market Game Keys Safe?
You Might Be Buying a Stolen Game
Grey Markets Encourage Region Locking
Which Game Key Resellers Are Safe?
What Are Game Keys?
A game key, or CD key, is an activation code that you use to download and play a video game. Each key code is unique and composed of numbers and letters sent to your email after purchasing it from any CDkeys website.
This is a significant change compared to the old days when you needed to use a physical CD and put it into your disk drive or console to install the game. Now, you receive an online key that does the same thing. The code is unique and cannot be shared amongst friends once it is used. When looking for great deals when you buy games, you need to find a reliable third-party seller.
They will have lists of all the available titles, from the cheapest to the most expensive.
Authorized vs. Unofficial Retailers
If you are out there buying cheap game keys, you have to know that you can land on a website of authorized and unofficial retailers. But what are those?
Authorized Retailers
Authorized retailers are official distributors who directly get their CD keys from publishers and game developers. This means that you eliminate any possibility of fraudulent keys. They are the safest places to buy game codes. Sometimes, you can get deep discounts and bundle stars. Additionally, your money is guaranteed to get to the developer or publisher.
Their prices are similar to those of Steam games so that you won’t get much cheaper games there. However, you can also find different ways to save money that Steam won’t offer you.
Unofficial Retailers
The unofficial retailer is also called a grey market site. It’s a third-party store that doesn't get CD keys from publishers or developers. Sometimes, they acquire CD keys cheaply and then resell them on their website. They also have an online marketplace where users can turn into sellers and list their games.
These sellers can offer legit keys and cheap prices because most of them get the CDkeys completely legally, e.g., from wholesale purchases. That enables them to boast the lowest prices, which explains why many people don’t buy on Steam anymore.
However, you can also find shady sellers that use dubious methods like stolen credit cards and Steam Gift to sell their Steam keys. The marketplace tries to process all their transactions transparently so customers can maintain the quality of the service.
Are Grey Market Game Keys Safe?
The thing about this kind of marketplace is that even though most people consider them safe and cheap, you could hear voices saying that they are risky. The latter opinion comes from the fact that it’s just a regular business. And when there is money involved, there are also some shady people and websites whose questionable practices negatively affect the opinion of safe platforms. That said, if you are buying from verified sources with positive reviews, there’s nothing to worry about.
Nevertheless, below you can find a list of potential risks you should watch out for. However, if you want to be sure you stay completely safe, have a look at our list of safe resellers with tons of positive reviews and happy clients. They allow you to buy Steam keys without any risk.
You Might Be Buying a Stolen Game
As a buyer, you can’t always know if the game of your choice was obtained legally. So, you may find a lot of discounts that may seem shady. Maybe it’s a duplicate that the seller doesn’t need, or it could be worse, and a game key was bought with a stolen credit card.
Tons of developers lose money due to these practices. This happens because they don’t get the money from the purchased game keys but have to refund the money with chargeback fees.
In 2020, individual sellers sold numerous stolen game keys through the marketplace G2A. As a result, the platform had to pay $39,400 to the game’s original developers. Here you can read the whole news.
Your Game Key Might Not Work
When buying game keys from resellers, you can’t verify if a digital game code works. To check if a key of a new game from a third-party seller is OK, you have to redeem and use it.
However, tens of thousands of resellers offer insurance on digital game codes to counter this. That said, they will refund non-working keys. Still, to be eligible for this feature, you need to pay extra money for your purchase. Anyway, if it is still cheap price, it could be worth it.
Grey Markets Encourage Region Locking
The best deal these markets used to have was buying game keys in a region where prices were low. Later, they could resell them and profit due to regional price differences. Soon enough, developers noticed that, launching region-locking systems for every purchase.
This way, you won’t buy a popular game for a low price in Argentina if you are in Russia, even if there is a higher price in that region.
Which Game Key Resellers Are Safe?
To avoid any inconveniences, we have prepared a list of legit sites to buy steam key codes. The platforms mentioned below are the best places to get your games without risk.
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Royal CD Keys
Royal CD Keys is a third-party game keys seller getting a lot of attention due to the great discounts on their products. Don’t get it wrong and confuse them with CD keys. They are a Hong Kong-based business. Their website offers a variety of games from different platforms such as:
- Playstation network cards.
- Nintendo Switch games.
- PC Steam gift cards.
- Xbox Live gift cards.
RoyalCDKeys boasts of new games with the ultimate edition format. You can get everything you buy on the same day and with low prices that most gamers will appreciate. In case of any second thoughts regarding purchasing here, RoyalCDKeys’ legit terms & conditions, along with their positive feedback on Trustpilot, will erase all the doubts.
G2A
G2A is one of the largest marketplaces to buy CD keys globally, and the vast majority of gamers know this. You can rest assured that you will receive your products. As the official partner of different brands like Razer, Microsoft, and Paypal, they offer a personal experience for all those who buy in the marketplace.
You can access G2A from other countries without restrictions and even make pre-orders for the newest titles.
In comparison with other stores, you can also purchase more than just buying Steam keys like:
- Google Play gift cards.
- Physical Products like hardware, earphones, consoles.
Green Man Gaming
Green Man Gaming is not a marketplace but an authorized seller with vast experience in the niche. It has an extensive network of partners around the world and tons of satisfied customers. The European Union is one of their markets as well.
For customers, this is a safe place on the Internet to buy their products or make a pre-order. What’s important, a refund policy guards each sale. Thus, if you’ve asked for a refund and you comply with the requirements, you’ll get your money in a short period of time.
Humble Bundle
Humble Bundle is a seller with a different vision than the others. The humble Store is filled with bundles that expire after a certain period. You don’t pay a fixed price for them. You only pay what you can afford, from $1 to $1,000. Even though it is one of the smallest authorized retailers, its bundles have a lot of digital downloads and positive reviews.
The advantage of the Humble Bundle is that you may not get the new releases, but the games will have the best price. For example, the company has the “Choose Wisely” Bundle, including different platform games like Beyond: Two Souls.
Eneba
Eneba is one of the third-party sellers that offer a wide variety of games at the same time. It’s well-known by the gaming community thanks to its refund system, and the quick answer when it comes to purchases since users comment that they receive the products within seconds.
It is also the best place to get coins in bulk for different games, such as Apex Legends, which would be much cheaper, in the most part, than buying them one by one.
Key Decision
The best places to buy CD keys, whether they are Steam keys for video games or software licenses, can be both authorized stores and third-party sellers. The thing is that you may find yourself in a moral dilemma while shopping.
A discount for a gamer could be a deciding factor when looking for pricing, which is what unofficial stores offer. But you should consider the risk of buying there and that it could cost a fortune, literally, to game developers.
If you are more of a fan and care about that more than saving a bunch of dollars, you should stick to the authorized stores past the benefit of prices. On the other hand, if you don’t consider it important and you decide to buy cheap games, the third-party stores we recommend are the most solid options for you.
