Steam Trade Protection lets you reverse eligible CS2 trades from the previous 7 days. The feature is designed to help after account theft or a scam, but it has consequences for every protected trade in that window. This guide explains how reversal works and who receives the 30-day cooldown. For the background, see our Steam Trade Protection update.
What is CS2 trade reversal?
A CS2 trade reversal returns the items in eligible protected trades to their previous owners. It affects all trades containing Trade Protected items from the last 7 days, rather than a single trade you select. Currently, CS2 is the only game covered by Trade Protection.
How to reverse CS2 trades
- Secure your account first. If someone else may still control it, recover access and secure it before attempting a reversal.
- Open your Steam Trade History. Review the completed trades containing Trade Protected items.
- Check eligibility. Look for the yellow Trade Protected shield and trades still inside the 7-day protection period.
- Start reversal from the Trade History page. Review the full list of affected trades; it is not a single-trade cancellation.
- Read the warning before confirming. The account starting the reversal will be unable to trade or use the Community Market for 30 days.
- Review the result. Items in the reversed trades return to their previous owners. Check any affected sales and open offers afterwards.
Which CS2 trades cannot be reversed?
- Its 7-day Trade Protection period has expired.
- It does not contain Trade Protected items. Trades for games other than CS2 are currently outside this feature.
- It was not created as a protected trade, including trades made before Trade Protection became available.
Once protection expires, that trade can no longer be reversed through Trade Protection. Contact Steam Support if you need help securing or recovering an account; it cannot remove the cooldown associated with a reversal.
What happens to returned items and pending offers?
Items from the reversed trades return to their previous owners. On the account that initiates the reversal, Steam also cancels pending trade offers and returns items listed on the Community Market to the inventory.
Who gets the 30-day trade and Market cooldown?
Only the account that initiates reversal receives the 30-day trade and Community Market cooldown. Trading partners do not receive that cooldown merely because their trade was reversed. The restriction is on the initiating account, not a new 30-day lock attached to every returned item.
Can you reverse just one CS2 trade?
No. The reversal applies to the whole eligible group from the previous 7 days, so you cannot exclude an otherwise eligible trade. Check that list before confirming, including legitimate trades you may want to keep.
How to protect your Steam account before trading
Before accepting a trade, check the account and items against the transaction you intended. Use Steam Guard, avoid unexpected offers and never share your password, authentication codes or API key. If your account is compromised, secure it before starting a reversal.
How Trade Protection affects selling CS2 skins
A newly received CS2 item is delivered immediately and can be equipped in-game, but it cannot be transferred again during its 7-day protection period. It also cannot be consumed, modified or moved into a Storage Unit during that time.
On SellYourSkins, the payout for CS2 items follows the end of that protection period. The time shown in My transactions includes the hold; arrival also depends on the payout method. A trade reversed during protection cancels the sale and no payout is sent.
An instant quote therefore does not mean an immediate CS2 payout. Check the price and payout method before accepting the trade, then follow the expected payout date and status in My transactions.
For the current rules, see Steam’s Trade Protected Items FAQ and the SellYourSkins Trade Protection and payout FAQ.
