Some are and some aren't. A game key can be sold with no regional limit, or it can be made for one country or a group of countries, and that depends on the product, not on Steam as a whole. To know before you pay, compare two things: the country of your account on the platform, and the country list on the key's product page.
How to check a key's region before you buy
- Find the country of your platform account. On Steam it is called your store country and is shown under Account Details. The sections below cover Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo.
- Open the game's product page and find the details list. Read the Platform line first: the key only works on the platform named there.
- Read the Region line. It shows the area the key is made for, or Worldwide when the catalogue lists no regional limit.
- In the purchase panel, read Can be activated in. If there is a line under it that says Cannot be activated in or Can only be activated in a number of countries, select View list.
- Look for your account's country in that list. Excluded, or missing from an allowed list, means the key is not for your account.
- Open the Activation details tab when the product has one, and read any extra condition.
- If the label is one you don't recognise, ask support before you buy.
Where each platform shows your account's country
Steam
Steam Support says your store country is set from the location of your first Steam purchase, and that the current one is shown under Account Details. It can be changed when you move, by completing a purchase with a payment method from the new country, and only once every 3 months. Steam adds a note that matters here: CD keys and Steam Wallet codes cannot be used to change your store country.
Xbox
Xbox Support says some codes are meant for a specific country or region that might not match the regional settings on your account, and tells you to make sure the region on your Microsoft account matches your physical location. On a console, the device's own setting is under Profile & system > Settings > System > Language & location.
PlayStation
PlayStation Support puts it in one line: the voucher code needs to be for the same region as your account. Steps and details are in how to redeem a PlayStation game code.
Nintendo
Nintendo Support says a download code can only be redeemed on a Nintendo Account set to the same region as the code, and that a European code will not work with a North American account. A mismatch can show error 2813-0054, "This activation code cannot be used with your country/region setting."
| Platform | What the platform compares | Where it says so |
|---|---|---|
| Steam | Your store country | Steam Store Country page |
| Xbox | The region on your Microsoft account | Redeem page, "Before you redeem" |
| PlayStation | The region of your account | Voucher restrictions |
| Nintendo | The country of your Nintendo Account | Error 2813-0054 and 2813-0055 pages |
What the platforms say about VPNs
We don't advise using a VPN to activate a key. This is what the platforms' own terms say.
- Steam. In the Steam Subscriber Agreement you agree not to use IP proxying or other methods to disguise your place of residence, including to get around geographical restrictions on game content. It adds that Valve may terminate your access to your account if you do.
- Xbox. Xbox Support says a VPN is allowed for privacy while browsing or gaming, but that you may be required to turn it off for certain purchases and redemptions, including some region-locked codes. Its advice for VPN errors is to set your region to your physical location and turn the VPN off.
A key that needs your location hidden to activate is the wrong key. Buy the one whose list includes your country.
If the key turns out to be the wrong region
The platforms send you back to the seller. Xbox Support says to contact the retailer if a code doesn't match your account's region. Nintendo's page for a region error suggests checking the account's country and the country printed for the code.
On KryptoMate the rule is short. A product bought for the wrong region by your own selection can't be refunded: our Refund Policy excludes purchases of region-locked products made despite the warning on the product page. Activated keys are final. If the region matches and the key is still rejected, see Game key not working; an invalid key reported within 48 hours of delivery is reviewed under the Refund Policy.
Our help article I bought the wrong product or region explains what support can and can't do.
Bought the key with crypto?
Paying with crypto changes nothing about a key's region: the list on the page applies whichever coin you use. Browse Games, and see How to pay On-Chain for the payment step.
Frequently asked questions
Some are. A key can be sold without limits or made for certain countries only. Steam Support publishes no list per label, so check the product: the Region line, and the country list behind View list.
Ready? Open a game under Games and read its Region line and country list first.
Get startedLast checked: 11 Oct 2026. Prices, products and payment options change; the checkout shows what applies to your order.
Official pages this guide was checked against
- help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/2B3F-DAEF-846B-A0E8
- store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/
- support.xbox.com/en-US/help/subscriptions-billing/redeem-codes-gifting/redeem-prepaid-codes
- support.xbox.com/en-US/help/subscriptions-billing/redeem-codes-gifting/digital-code-solution
- support.xbox.com/en-US/help/subscriptions-billing/buy-games-apps/payment-errors
- www.playstation.com/en-us/support/store/redeem-ps-store-voucher-code/
- en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/27056
- en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/48420