FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What's dLcompare?

DLCompare is a price comparison website that lets you find the lowest offers on the market for video games, DLCs, prepaid cards, software, hardware, consoles, and accessories. Active since 2011, it helps players discover the best online deals.

The way it works is simple:

• Search for the product you’re interested in
• Compare the prices from our affiliated retailers
• Buy from the most convenient store
   

The service is free and does not add any extra fees to the price of the game – DLCompare earns through commissions from partners, so there are no additional costs for the user.

In addition to price comparison, DLCompare offers useful features such as:

• Notifications for price drops
• A rewards program to reward the most active users
   

What are the best practices for online shopping? 

When buying games online through DLCompare and its partners, we recommend following some good practices for a safe and smooth experience:

• Use consistent data: Create an account on the chosen retailer’s website and, if possible, use the same email you use for PayPal (if you’re buying with PayPal). Keeping your data consistent helps with security checks.
   
• Fill in your details accurately: Enter all personal information correctly in the retailer’s account, exactly as it appears on your payment method. Accurate data reduces the risk of checks or delays.
   
• Prefer credit card: Purchases made with a credit card generally involve fewer identity checks than PayPal. Some stores may require additional verification for PayPal payments for security reasons.
   
• Read store reviews: Take a look at the comments and ratings for retailers listed on DLCompare. This can help you choose reliable sellers. Remember though that dissatisfied customers often leave reviews more frequently than satisfied ones, so evaluate them with balance.
   
• Check product availability: Make sure the game is actually available. If it is in preorder or out of stock, you may have to wait. Check the status indicated (preorder, “out of stock”, etc.) before paying.
   

Activate the key as soon as possible: After purchasing, activate your CD key/code as soon as you receive it to immediately verify its validity. In case of issues (non-working key), you’ll be able to contact the store’s support right away.

Why do prices in the comparator sometimes differ so much from each other?

It is normal to see significant price differences for the same game depending on the retailer. There are several reasons:

• Promotions and special offers
  Many stores offer temporary discounts, flash sales, or regional promotions. DLCompare continuously updates prices and often also displays these promotions, which can make a game’s cost vary greatly at any given time.
   
• Currencies and exchange rates
  Prices can be expressed in different currencies (euro, dollar, etc.). Fluctuations in exchange rates or adjustments of prices to local purchasing power mean that the same game can have different costs from one market to another. For example, 40$ is not exactly equivalent to 40€, and some stores may not update prices in real time according to the exchange rate.
   
• Business strategies and “grey” market
   
  • Some official retailers have agreements with publishers and must comply with certain minimum prices.
     
  • Others operate as marketplaces or “grey” resellers without direct agreements and can set whatever price they want, even much lower, perhaps taking advantage of stock from other countries or local promotions.
     
  • Price drops in some countries (as an anti-piracy measure) allow certain stores to resell keys at lower prices in Europe.
     
• Competition and store policies
  The key market is highly competitive. Some stores:
   
  • Focus on volume with extremely tight margins to attract customers (rock-bottom prices but perhaps extra paid services)
     
  • Others offer more curated service but slightly higher prices
    In addition, some may include payment fees or additional services in their prices, while others do not.
     

In short, DLCompare reflects this landscape by showing offers from both official retailers and trustworthy marketplaces, always highlighting the lowest final price. If you see a huge price difference, the lowest offer may come from a marketplace (keys from other regions, flash sales, vatetc.). Always weigh the seller’s reputation as well as the price, and remember that very low prices may involve higher risks (out-of-stock keys, longer delivery times, etc.), so choose wisely.

 

Uhm, is it all legal?

Of course, it is!!

When activating your games through major downloading platforms, you respect the DRM standards and assure that the publisher gets his due, as those platforms guarantee that your game is valid.

Some retailers offer you the chance to get your game's official retail box through delayed shipping, so you can rest assured that your game is not counterfeit.

Check the Steam list of games that can be activated with a CD-Key.

If you still have doubts about the offers available, pick one of our "Official retailers" and rest assured. 

We guarantee 100% the use of those merchants as they have an operating agreement with the publishers.

To ensure maximum safety and reliability, the dLcompare team regularly and anonymously buys games among its partners to check delivery times and the ability of customer support to respond and solve the most common problems.

What do you guys mean by "Top Retailer"?  

The “Top Retailer” highlighted on some stores is a badge that DLCompare assigns to the most reliable and appreciated partners, who are granted access to a special paid agreement with us. In practice, DLCompare periodically evaluates its affiliated retailers – particularly those that have been collaborating for at least six months – in an anonymous and impartial way.

 

This evaluation takes into account factors such as:

• Punctuality in key delivery
• Customer support quality
• Percentage of issues resolved
• User feedback
   

Stores that excel in these categories receive the “Top Retailer” logo next to their name in price lists.

The goal is to help users instantly identify the stores with the best performance in terms of safety and quality of service. Naturally, this doesn’t mean that other partners aren’t valid, but “Top Retailer” marks that elite of online shops that offer the most reliable and complete experience according to DLCompare’s checks.

By choosing a Top Retailer, you can expect:

• Keys delivered quickly
• Efficient support if needed
• Clear policies
• High customer satisfaction
   

It is an additional level of trust that DLCompare provides based on its experience monitoring the market.

 

How will I get my game?

The delivery method depends on the type of product you buy and on the retailer, but in general:

• Digital format
   
  • You will receive a CD key (digital code).
     
  • This key will be available in your account on the store’s website immediately after payment (sometimes it may take a few minutes or hours, depending on the retailer).
     
  • With that key, you can activate and download the game on the relevant platform (for example Steam, Epic Games, etc.).
     
  • Delivery of digital keys is usually instantaneous or very fast.
     
• Physical version (boxed)
   
  • The retailer will ship the DVD/Blu-ray copy or cartridge (for consoles) to the address you provided.
     
  • Delivery times are those of a standard shipment: the store will often provide tracking, and you may receive the package within a few days (depending on shipping method and location).
     
  • Some boxed games may still require online activation using a code included in the package.
     
  • Many modern titles download updates, so even with a disc you’ll probably need to connect to the internet to finish installation.
     

DLCompare lets you choose easily: on each game page you can select the “Digital download” tab or the “Box” tab (if available). This way you’ll see only offers corresponding to the desired delivery type:

• Choose “Digital download” if you want to get the activation code immediately
   
• Choose “Box” if you prefer to have the game physically (maybe for collection or as a gift)
   

Some products, such as gift cards or subscriptions, are exclusively digital (you receive a code), while hardware and accessories will obviously be shipped as physical goods.

 

How can I be sure that I will be able to play the game I’ll buy?

DLCompare shows only offers compatible with your geographic region. This means that if you see a price for a game on the site, that code will be activatable in your country. The system detects your area (for example through the local version of the site or your IP address) and automatically filters out any offers you could not use.

In this way, you can buy with confidence knowing that the key will work. DLCompare’s policy is to show only the prices of products that you can download and activate in your region; they would never show a game that you cannot activate in your geographic area. This is an important strength because it prevents players from running into unwanted region locks.

That said, it is still good practice to:

• Check the indicated activation platform
• Check any region mentioned in the offer
   

Some offers display labels such as “EU”, “GLOBAL”, “NA”, “RU”, etc. next to the product name, which indicate the code’s area of validity. If you realize that you have purchased a region-restricted key that is not compatible:

• Do not activate it
• Contact the store immediately to request a replacement or refund
   

Such cases should be rare thanks to DLCompare’s filters.

 

Why have I seen a store proposing lower prices?

Our price-comparison tool can't reference all the online cd-key retailers.

Furthermore, we strive to ensure the quality and the seriousness of our partners. It is nearly impossible to keep tabs on ALL the online shops available on the Internet. Therefore, we would not be able to guarantee our users a safe and reliable offer.

Thus, beware of overly attractive offers and do not hesitate to contact us for any questions on these matters. Most of the websites providing the same service as us are not managed by PLAYERS and, therefore, give little-to-no importance to the service quality of their partners.

What about the compatibility of a game with an online platform?

When you visit a game's page, there are always different platform icons indicating its compatibility.

Here follows a legend of the most common downloading platforms icons:

Steam
Epic Games
EA App
Battle.net
GoG
Ubisoft Store
Playstation Network
Xbox Live
Nintendo Eshop
Publisher or merchant download

I have been expecting my CD-Key for a few hours and still have not received anything. What can I do?

First of all, don’t panic! There are several reasons why the delivery of a key might be a bit delayed, and in most cases the situation resolves itself shortly. Here are some steps to follow:

• Check your email carefully
   
  • The shop where you made your purchase may have sent an email with the link to the product you just purchased. 
  • Check your inbox and the “Spam” or junk mail folder, as it may happen that the store’s automatic email ends up there.
     
• Be patient (especially at night)
   
  • If you placed the order at night or on the weekend, you might have to wait a few extra hours.
     
  • Some retailers may process orders manually in certain cases or have reduced staff at night.
     
  • A slight delay in these situations is quite common.
     
• Check the store’s delivery times
   
  • Each store has different policies. Some guarantee immediate delivery, others indicate that it may take up to X hours.
     
  • Some retailers can take up to 24 hours to deliver a digital key, especially if they are verifying payment or sourcing stock.
     
  • Don’t worry right away if only a few hours have passed; it is normal, especially for a first purchase.
     
• Contact the store’s support
   
  • If a significant amount of time has gone by (e.g., more than 24 hours) and you still haven’t received anything, contact the retailer’s customer support.
     
  • Provide them with your order details (order number, email used, etc.) and ask for an update.
     
  • Often, support resolves the issue quickly by sending the key again or explaining the reason for the delay.
     
• Contact DLCompare
   
  • If none of the above solutions works and you still haven’t received your key, DLCompare can help as an intermediary.
     
  • You can contact them through the contact form on their website (in the “Support” section) providing the details of your purchase, or join their Discord server where staff and the community can help.
     
  • Explain the situation and indicate which store is involved; they often have direct contacts with partners and can prompt them to respond.
     

In short, a delay of a few hours (or even a day) in receiving the key, although annoying, falls within the range of possible situations. In the meantime:

• Avoid making a second purchase elsewhere for the same game (you risk ending up with two keys and double the cost).
   
• Give the store time to respond.
   

If in the end something has gone wrong, DLCompare will support you in trying to obtain the product or a refund.

 

Rewards Program? What's that?

The DLCompare Rewards Program is an initiative designed to reward the most active members of the community. Essentially, it is a “game” integrated into the website that lets you win free CD keys and prepaid cards (e.g., gift cards for stores or digital wallets) by performing simple activities on the site.

Here’s how it works in brief:

• Earn DLCoins with activities
  Every registered user can accumulate points (called DLCoins, DLCompare’s virtual “currency”) by completing certain actions. For example:
   
  • Leaving a comment on a game
     
  • Rating a product with stars
     
  • Visiting the site daily
     
  • Taking part in discussions
    There are also special missions or events that can grant bonus coins.
     
• Take part in draws and events
  The coins you accumulate help you climb the leaderboard and gain chances to win. DLCompare periodically organizes prize draws:
   
  • Monthly (and sometimes weekly during promotional periods)
     
  • Prizes include free games or prepaid cards for various services (Steam, PSN, Amazon, etc.)
    Participants automatically compete: the more DLCoins you’ve collected during the period, the greater your chances of being drawn (think of DLCoins as “lottery tickets”).
     
• Have fun and stay active
  The program is designed to encourage active and fun use of the site. You can:
   
  • Check the Rewards section to see the leaderboard of the top players (those with the most DLCoins)
     
  • See the prizes currently up for grabs
     

No purchase is required to take part: it’s a way to thank the community. Obviously, any fraudulent activity (such as spamming nonsense comments just to get points) is forbidden; the game must remain fair and enjoyable for everyone.

For more details, you can visit the page dedicated to the Rewards Program, where you’ll find the full rules and an up-to-date list of prizes. In short, if you are a regular DLCompare user, it’s worth taking part: with a bit of luck you could get free games or credit simply by using the site and contributing to the community!

 

 

I am an online store manager. I LOVE your service and would like to add my website to your price-comparison tool. What do I have to do?

We’re glad you want to join the DLCompare platform! To add your store to the price comparison, you need to provide some information and technical resources. In particular, DLCompare will need:

• Details about your site
   
• A product feed (XML/CSV) so they can automatically integrate your prices
   
• Confirmation of payment methods
   
• Average delivery times
   
• Any affiliate programs and related commissions
   
• Supported languages
   
• Number of products you sell
   

The easiest way to apply your store is to fill in the dedicated form on the DLCompare contact page (in the “partnership” section). Here’s how to proceed:

• Go to the DLCompare Contact/Support page (from the site menu).
   
• Look for the section titled “Do you want to integrate your website on DLCompare?” with a dedicated form.
   
• Fill in all the required fields, including:
   
  • Name of your site
     
  • How many years it has been active
     
  • Whether you have a product feed available (XML/CSV)
     
  • Number of products
     
  • Whether you have an affiliate program and commissions
     
  • Typical delivery times, supported regions, etc.
     
• Submit your request and wait to be contacted by the DLCompare team, who will review your application and may ask for more details.
   

Please note:

• DLCompare carefully selects its partners and places great emphasis on service quality and user satisfaction.
   
• If your store is still new or not very well known, they may monitor it for a trial period.
   

Once they verify that everything works (updated feed, competitive prices, no major issues with deliveries or customer support), they can include your offers in the comparator.

Joining DLCompare will give you access to a large audience of gamers looking for deals, so it is in both parties’ interest to build a solid collaboration. Fill in the form and highlight what makes your store unique – DLCompare is always open to new partnerships with serious and competitive stores!

To add your website to our price-comparison tool, we will need some tools & information. To provide it, you will have to fill in the proper form on our contact page.

Is DLCompare free? Do I have to register to use it?

Yes, DLCompare is completely free to use. You do not need to create an account to search and compare prices: you can visit the site and immediately see the offers without any registration.

Creating an account is optional, but it offers additional benefits. For example, only registered users can:

• Track game prices (receive price change notifications)
• Take part in the Rewards Program
• Leave comments or reviews about games and stores
   

In any case, the basic use of DLCompare (searching for games and clicking on offers) does not require an account and is 100% free.