Valve stops selling physical Steam gift cards amid rising scam issues.

In a significant setback for those “parents searching for a gift and only vaguely aware that their kid enjoys PC games,” Valve has announced it will cease the sale of physical gift cards for Steam. This decision was shared on a Steam support page, revealing that the cards are being phased out due to their frequent exploitation by scammers.

Scammers typically reach out via phone calls, emails, texts, or social media, impersonating government officials or claiming to be friends of family members in urgent need of payment. They often pose as IRS agents demanding taxes, instructing victims to buy a gift card and share its number and PIN. While this type of scam might seem obvious to some, it often targets vulnerable groups, including the elderly. The prevalence of these scams has prompted a response from government authorities.

Valve has made efforts to safeguard consumers by collaborating with retailers and law enforcement, modifying the cards, limiting their availability, and removing them when suspicious activity is detected. However, scammers have adapted to these measures. Consequently, Valve has decided to stop restocking these cards at retailers, meaning that once stores run out in 2026, they will no longer be available.

The company first introduced physical gift cards in 2012.

Valve will continue to provide Steam Digital Gift Cards and is working on enhancing this feature with options like guest checkout, aimed at simplifying the process for those less familiar with the platform.

For those who have struggled to come up with thoughtful gift ideas or have tried to explain to relatives that most PC gamers no longer use physical media, this news is likely disappointing. Even with improvements to the Steam Digital Gift Card functionality, the requirement for the giver to know the recipient’s email or Steam account may pose a challenge. It looks like family and friends of PC gamers will need to get a bit more inventive when it comes to birthdays and holidays.

Valve’s portable console is now a lot less affordable.