Valve to discontinue physical Steam gift cards amid ongoing scam concerns

Valve is ending sales of physical Steam gift cards, citing continued misuse by scammers

Valve has announced that it will discontinue the manufacture and sale of physical Steam gift cards, citing ongoing issues with scams and fraudulent activity involving the products.

The decision marks the end of a long-running retail offering associated with Steam, the company's digital distribution platform for PC games.

According to information shared this week, physical gift cards will no longer be produced or sold in retail stores.

Valve said the move follows continued efforts to limit abuse of the cards by scammers. The company explained that despite introducing additional safeguards and restrictions over time, fraudulent actors have continued to adapt their methods.

“As we have continued to put more and more restrictions in place, scammers have adapted,” Valve said. “They continue to have an impact on Steam customers and other unsuspecting individuals.”

The company indicated that it had been unable to identify a fully effective solution that would prevent misuse while allowing physical gift card sales to continue. As a result, discontinuing the product was viewed as the most practical option.

While physical gift cards are being removed from sale, digital alternatives will remain available. Steam users will still be able to purchase and send digital gift cards directly through the platform.

Valve also noted that a guest checkout feature introduced last year allows individuals to purchase digital gift cards without requiring their own Steam account.

The announcement follows other recent changes affecting Steam users, including reported price increases for Steam Deck devices. However, Valve's latest decision is specifically linked to concerns surrounding fraud and consumer protection.