If you've ever looked up a game price online, you've probably noticed that sites like Kinguin, G2A and Eneba are consistently cheaper than standard storefronts. Sometimes they undercut Steam, the PlayStation Store or the Microsoft Store by massive margins.
But can you actually trust them? Or are you risking your hard-earned cash?
The short answer is yes, they're generally safe, but they work very differently from official stores. Here's how these marketplaces work, where the catches are, and how you can use Zemly to get the best deals with far less risk.
Heads up: we compare prices across all of these platforms to find you the best deal. If you buy a game through one of our links, we might earn a small commission. It doesn't cost you a single penny extra, and as you'll see below, it doesn't stop us being completely honest with you.
How do these sites get games so cheap?
Think of Steam, GOG or the Epic Games Store as high-street retailers. They get their stock straight from the publishers.
Sellers on Kinguin, G2A and Eneba don't. These websites are marketplaces, closer to eBay or an online car boot sale. They don't actually sell anything themselves; they provide the platform for thousands of independent sellers to list their own stock.
Those sellers usually get their keys in a few ways:
- Regional price flipping: buying games in countries where publishers lower prices to match the local economy, then selling them to gamers in places like the UK.
- Bulk wholesale: snapping up codes at a big discount during retail clearances or distributor sales.
- Bundle leftovers: selling off unwanted keys that came with graphics cards, gaming laptops or promotional packages.
So the keys themselves are real. You're just buying stock that someone else managed to get at a heavy discount.
The real risks (let's be honest)
We aren't going to pretend the grey market is perfect. The vast majority of purchases go through without a hiccup, but things can occasionally go sideways. If you browse these marketplaces blindly, here's what to watch out for:
- The region trap: this is the biggest issue for UK buyers. If you accidentally buy a code meant for Argentina, Turkey or India, it won't activate on a standard UK account unless you start messing around with sketchy VPNs.
- Account selling vs key selling: some of the cheapest listings aren't keys at all. They're selling a username and password for an account that already owns the game. It works, but it breaks the terms of platforms like Steam and Xbox, and the account can be banned.
- Revoked keys: once in a blue moon, a dodgy seller uses stolen card details to buy keys in bulk. If the real card owner reports the fraud, the publisher can cancel those keys, and the game vanishes from your library weeks later.
How to buy safely (and how we help)
You don't need to avoid these savings; you just need to shop smart. We've built tools into Zemly to take most of the gamble out of it. Follow these five rules:
- Stick to UK, Europe or Global keys. Double-check the region before you buy. European keys almost always work in the UK. To make it easier, Zemly hides keys that won't work on a UK account by default, and labels every offer "Works in the UK" or "Usually works in the UK".
- Avoid "Account" listings. If you want to own the game for good on your own profile, make sure you're buying a key, not an account. Our Keys only switch removes account sellers from the list in one tap.
- Check the seller's reputation. Don't just click the lowest price on the marketplace. Take a second to look at the individual seller's rating: look for a score above 98% and thousands of completed sales.
- Pay with protection. If you can, pay with PayPal or a credit card. If a key turns out to be a dud and the marketplace's support is slow, they give you another way to get your money back.
- Redeem the code immediately. Don't leave the key sitting in your inbox for three weeks. Activate it on your console or PC the moment you get it, so if there's a problem you catch it while the seller can still sort it out.
Are official stores ever cheaper?
Believe it or not, yes. During big events like the Steam Summer Sale, the Epic Mega Sale or PlayStation's holiday sales, official stores frequently beat the grey market.
That's exactly why you should always compare before you buy. Zemly lists official stores right alongside marketplace sellers, cheapest first, so you can see at a glance when it's cheaper (and safer) to buy direct.
The verdict
You don't need to fear Kinguin, G2A or Eneba. They're huge platforms used by millions of gamers every day. The keys are real and the savings are big. Pick the right region with our filters, stick to well-rated sellers and redeem straight away, and you'll get your games cheap without the headaches.
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