Valve will stop selling Steam gift cards at retailers over scam concerns

Valve has updated its Steam store help page with a notice that it is phasing out physical gift cards, a change first spotted by D0ntevenknowme on the PC gaming subreddit. Under the heading "Can I purchase Steam gift cards at retailers," Valve has updated its language to say, "Yes, but only for a limited time." Valve linked to an FTC page about gift card scams as a reason for the change.

Valve wrote, "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 that physical cards will continue to be honored and that digital gift cards tied directly to Steam accounts will remain available through the Steam storefront.

Valve listed a number of anti-scam measures it has previously taken with its gift cards, but lamented that "scammers have adapted.

United States

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