Valve has announced that it will cease production of new physical Steam gift cards for retail stores. The gaming company cited ongoing misuse of the digital distribution platform's cards by scammers, despite years of anti-fraud efforts. In a recent update, the company stated it decided to phase out the retail gift card program after discovering that scammers continued to exploit the cards as a payment method.
Existing Cards Remain Valid
Valve assured that existing gift cards will remain valid, and retailers can continue selling their remaining inventory. However, the company does not plan to manufacture new stock. Explaining the move in a Steam blog post, Valve said, "We introduced Steam Gift Cards to retail stores back in 2012, and added the digital program in 2017. Unfortunately, scammers use gift cards from major brands like Steam to take advantage of people all over the world."
How Scammers Operate
According to the company, fraudsters often convince victims to buy gift cards and share the card details and PINs, allowing them to transfer the funds and resell them through third-party marketplaces. Valve has taken several steps over the years to combat these scams, including:
- Working with retailers
- Working with law enforcement
- Adding prominent scam warnings to the cards
- Limiting redemption to the currency of the Steam wallet
- Limiting availability of cards
- Removing cards from sale when abnormal activity was observed
Why Valve is Ending the Program
Despite introducing restrictions and warnings, Valve said scammers continued to adapt. The company wrote, "As we have continued to put more and more restrictions in place, scammers have adapted. They continue to have an impact on Steam customers and other unsuspecting individuals. So we've made the difficult decision to end the Steam Gift Card program at retail stores."
Timeline and Digital Alternatives
Valve expects physical Steam gift cards currently on store shelves to gradually sell out, estimating that retailers will run out of stock by the end of 2026. "As Steam Gift Cards run out of stock at retail locations, we will not be restocking them. We expect all retailers to be out of stock by the end of 2026. Though we will no longer be selling physical gift cards, you will still have the ability to use your existing gift cards on Steam whenever you choose, subject to local laws," the company added.
While physical gift cards are being phased out, Valve said users will still be able to purchase and send digital Steam gift cards. The company added that it plans to continue improving its digital gifting options. "We also continue to offer Steam Digital Gift Cards, and are working to make this an even better experience. Guest checkout, which we added last year, is another way for family members and friends to gift Steam users with a digital card anytime," Valve noted.
End of an Era
The decision marks the gradual end of one of Steam's last remaining ties to traditional retail stores. Physical Steam gift cards were introduced in 2012 as a way for users to add funds using cash and purchase games through the digital storefront. Despite their popularity, Valve previously acknowledged that physical cards were among the more expensive payment methods it supported due to production, distribution, and fraud-related costs.
