Valve Ends Physical Steam Gift Card Sales Worldwide Due to Fraud
The move signals that even a platform as dominant as Steam cannot fully prevent gift card scams through technical and retail partnerships alone, forcing a retreat from a decade-old physical product.
Reporting from 5 sources: 4Gamer.net, Denfaminicogamer, Automaton, GameBusiness.jp, and 1 more.
Valve has announced it will stop restocking physical Steam Gift Cards at retail stores worldwide, citing persistent fraud as the reason. The company expects all retail inventory to be depleted by the end of 2026. Physical gift cards, introduced in 2012, have been a target for scammers who coerce victims into purchasing them as payment for fake debts, taxes, or prize money. Valve says it implemented multiple countermeasures over the years, including collaboration with retailers and law enforcement, redesigning cards with fraud warnings, limiting redemption to Steam Wallet currency, and suspending sales when suspicious activity was detected. However, scammers adapted to each restriction, and losses continued. Valve described the decision to end the retail program as difficult. Already purchased physical gift cards can still be redeemed on Steam. Digital gift cards, introduced in 2017, will continue to be sold and improved. The update to Valve's support page was first noticed by the unofficial Steam database SteamDB on June 10, 2026, drawing community attention.
Valve's decision, announced via a support page update on June 10, 2026, was first flagged by the unofficial Steam database SteamDB on its X account, drawing community attention. The company cited the global prevalence of gift card fraud as the reason for ending the retail program.
Valve introduced physical gift cards in 2012 and digital gift cards in 2017. The company said it implemented multiple countermeasures over the years, including collaboration with retailers and law enforcement, redesigning cards to prominently display fraud warnings, limiting redemption to Steam Wallet currency, and implementing inventory limits with the ability to suspend sales when suspicious activity was detected. However, scammers adapted to each restriction, and losses continued.
Valve described the decision as difficult. Already purchased physical gift cards can still be redeemed on Steam at any time under local laws. Digital gift cards, which can be sent directly to friends or via email, will continue to be sold and improved.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 5 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- 4Gamer.net Steamギフトカード，新規在庫の補充を停止。2026年末までにすべての小売店からなくなる見込み
- Denfaminicogamer 「Steamギフトカード」物理版が販売終了へ。“ギフトカード詐欺”が横行しているため。デジタルギフトカードの提供は継続
- Automaton Valveが「物理Steamギフトカード」を販売終了へ、全世界で在庫限りに。“詐欺横行”を受けた決断、デジタルカードは販売継続
- GameBusiness.jp Valve、小売店でのSteamギフトカードの販売を終了へ。世界的に詐欺が横行のため
- GIGAZINE Valveが2026年末までにSteamギフトカードの販売を終了、詐欺での悪用を防ぐため