Short answer: a game code is genuine only when the official platform accepts it and adds the game or balance to your account. Steam, Microsoft (Xbox), PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop are the only places that can confirm a code, and no other website can check a code without redeeming it, Digidang included. Use the checks below before you pay, then confirm the code on the platform as soon as you receive it. Every platform rule on this page was checked against that platform's own help pages on 9 October 2026.

How do I check a game code before I buy it?

Before you pay, you can only check the listing and the seller, not the code itself, so these six steps make sure the product fits your account and the seller can be held to the order.

  1. Check that the listing names the exact platform you will redeem on, such as Steam, Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo eShop.
  2. Check that the region on the listing matches your account country, because Steam says region restrictions on CD keys vary by publisher.
  3. Open the seller profile and check its rating and number of completed sales before you pick an offer.
  4. Compare the price with the same edition and region in other stores, and treat a price far below all of them as a warning.
  5. Pay only on the store's own checkout page, never by direct transfer to a seller you met in a chat.
  6. Screenshot the listing and keep the order confirmation before you open or redeem the code.

How do I verify a game code after I receive it?

Redeem the code yourself on the official platform as soon as you receive it: a genuine code adds the game or balance to your account straight away, and that is the only real proof.

  1. Sign in to the account that should own the game, because PlayStation states that funds and content cannot be transferred between accounts.
  2. Check that the code has the official length for its platform: 12 digits for a PlayStation Store voucher, 25 characters for a Microsoft or Xbox code, and 16 characters for a Nintendo eShop download code.
  3. Enter the code only in the platform's own redeem menu or page, such as Activate a Product on Steam, redeem.microsoft.com, Redeem Code in PlayStation Store, or Enter Code in Nintendo eShop.
  4. Confirm that the game appears in your library or the balance appears in your account after the success message.
  5. Take a screenshot of any error message, with the date visible, before you try again.
  6. Contact the store where you bought the code, with the screenshot and order number, if the platform rejects it.

The full redeem steps for every platform, including Epic Games, Battle.net and Roblox, are in our Key Activation Guide.

What are the signs of a fake or bad game code?

The clearest sign is that the official platform rejects the code, but several warning signs can show up earlier, in the listing, in the code itself or in the way the seller talks to you.

  • Steam shows "Invalid Product Code". Steam does not recognise the key, so it is mistyped, made for another platform, or not a working Steam key (Steam Support: Retail CD Keys).
  • Steam shows a duplicate product code error. The key is already tied to a Steam account and cannot be registered again (Steam Support: Retail CD Keys).
  • Steam shows "Game not available in your territory". The key is locked to a region you do not live in (Steam Support: Region Restrictions).
  • The code has the wrong length or characters. A PlayStation Store voucher that is not 12 digits, or a Nintendo download code that contains O, I or Z, does not match the format the platform describes (PlayStation, Nintendo).
  • The key comes from a trade or a chat deal. Steam warns that CD keys offered in trades can be for a different game, fake, used or region restricted (Steam Scam FAQ).
  • Someone claiming to be Steam staff contacts you in a chat. Valve says its employees never discuss your account through Steam Chat, Discord or any other chat, and lists requests for your login, an authentication code or a Steam gift card code to "verify" your account as signs of a scam (Steam Support).
  • The seller only accepts payment outside the store. A direct transfer leaves you without the store's order record and dispute process, so you have little to claim with if the code fails.

What should I do if the code does not work?

Check for typing mistakes once, keep the evidence, and claim from the store where you bought the code, because the platform usually cannot refund a code bought elsewhere.

  1. Re-enter the code once and check look-alike characters such as 0 and O, 1 and I, B and 8, or G and 6, which Steam lists as common mix-ups.
  2. Confirm that the code is meant for this platform and region, since Steam shows a key made for another platform as invalid.
  3. Save the exact error message, the order number and the payment receipt in one place.
  4. Contact the seller or marketplace where you bought the code and ask for a replacement or a refund, as Steam advises for invalid and duplicate keys.
  5. Send the claim to the seller rather than the platform, because Valve states it cannot refund purchases made outside Steam, such as CD keys.
  6. Change your password from the official site if you typed your login on a page you reached through a seller's link.

Does buying through Digidang change these steps?

No. Digidang compares prices and does not sell keys. Its Buy Now buttons lead to G2A, a separate marketplace, so the order, the seller and any claim for a bad code are handled on G2A under G2A's own terms. Digidang has not verified G2A's current deadlines or conditions for key claims, so check the options shown on your G2A order and G2A's terms before you redeem. Digidang cannot check, replace or refund a code, but you can email admin@digidang.com and we will point you to the right help channel. More detail is on Is Digidang Safe?, and who stands behind keys from official stores, resellers and marketplaces is compared in our official store vs reseller vs marketplace guide.

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