Valve ends retail sales of physical Steam gift cards

Valve Corporation is discontinuing the sale of physical Steam gift cards at retail stores, a program it launched in 2012, citing persistent fraud and scams as the primary reason. The company announced it will no longer restock the cards and expects existing inventory to be sold out by the end of 2026. Customers who already own physical gift cards will continue to be able to redeem them indefinitely, subject to local laws. The option to purchase and send digital Steam gift cards directly through the Steam platform remains unchanged.

In an update to its official support page, Valve explained that despite implementing numerous anti-fraud measures over the years, scammers have consistently adapted. The company stated that these criminals use gift cards from major brands to take advantage of people globally. Valve listed several past actions it had taken to combat the issue, including working with retailers and law enforcement, adding prominent scam warnings to the cards, restricting redemption to a user's Steam Wallet currency, limiting card availability, and removing cards from sale in regions with suspicious activity.

The company characterized the decision to end the retail...