Valve Discontinuing Physical Steam Gift Cards Due to Scam Concerns

Valve has decided to discontinue physical Steam gift cards after more than a decade of availability, according to a support page announcement. The company cited persistent scams as the primary reason, explaining that fraudsters use various social engineering tactics—impersonating government officials, family members, or other authority figures—to convince victims to purchase gift cards and provide the codes. Scammers particularly target elderly individuals and other vulnerable populations. Despite implementing multiple countermeasures including warnings on cards, working with law enforcement, limiting retail availability, and removing suspicious cards, Valve determined these efforts were insufficient. The company will allow existing stock to sell through in 2026 before ceasing restocking entirely. Valve plans to continue offering Steam Digital Gift Cards and is working to improve the digital option with features like guest checkout, though current limitations include lack of scheduling and the requirement to know the recipient's email or Steam account.