News: 0183740732

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Valve Discontinues Physical Steam Gift Cards Due To Scammers (pcguide.com)

(Wednesday June 10, 2026 @05:00PM (BeauHD) from the scammers-gonna-scam dept.)


Valve is [1]discontinuing physical Steam Gift Cards and says it will stop restocking them as retailers sell through remaining inventory. In a [2]blog post , the company blamed persistent gift card scams as the reason, though Steam Digital Gift Cards will remain available and existing physical cards can still be redeemed. PC Guide reports:

> Valve says it has "responded to gift card scams over the years" -- but this doesn't stop scammers from adapting. The Steam creator has actively worked with retailers and law enforcement, among other precautions, to counteract scams, but says the issue can never be fully resolved. Steam Digital Gift Cards will continue to operate as normal.



[1] https://www.pcguide.com/news/valve-discontinues-physical-steam-gift-cards-blames-gift-card-scams-as-scammers-adapt-to-protections/

[2] https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/78E3-7431-1E88-AD59



Christmas (Score:2)

by BadCoding ( 3385247 )

This has been my only gift from my mother for many many years now. She can't navigate online well to purchase them there. Guess I will have to think of another thing for her to get me. Was a good run and I get the reasoning. Just gonna miss them.

Re: (Score:2)

by dohzer ( 867770 )

> I will have to think of another thing for her to get me.

How about just straight up cash? No tackier than a gift card. More flexible (literally and figuratively), though.

Re: (Score:2)

by Himmy32 ( 650060 )

Gift cards for a specific purpose feel better as gift because the intention of giving someone a luxury beyond what they normally spend on.

So a card or note with directed intention of how to spend the money could be a fix to any tacky feeling.

Re: (Score:2)

by RitchCraft ( 6454710 )

Perhaps now is a good time to tell your mother you have outgrown birthday/xmas gifts and thank her for all those you have received in the past. I know, mothers are sometimes persistent though. I finally got my mother to stop buying me holiday gifts when I was around 35 (I'm 58 now), but I'll be damned, every year I still get a birthday card with $20 in it. LOL

And other Mom's get hurt ... (Score:2)

by drnb ( 2434720 )

> This has been my only gift from my mother for many many years now. She can't navigate online well to purchase them there. Guess I will have to think of another thing for her to get me. Was a good run and I get the reasoning. Just gonna miss them.

And other Mom's are getting calls from kids saying the card is already registered and I can't use it. I need your receipt to prove I am the legitimate owner, please send it. And Mom never saved the receipt because she didn't know that once she bought the card it became a race between the thief that NFC'd the card on the store kiosk and their daily blind registration attempts, and her kid. And now Mom feel like crap because she not only lost the money but ruined he kid's Christmas.

FYI, I always saved such

Scams (Score:2)

by SumDog ( 466607 )

There are some people who don't want credit card or debit cards and gift cards allowed them to budget and avoid uncontrolled spending. For people concerned about privacy, it let them pay for games in cash.

I know scammers are a problem. I see the signs on the gift card rack at Publix. I haven't bought one in years for anybody. But I still feel like this is the wrong direction. It's another step in eliminating cash and moving us towards digital only currency. You will one day not be allowed to selling anyt

Oh noz (Score:2)

by CEC-P ( 10248912 )

Now how am I supposed to pay my IRS debt that I knew nothing about? They keep calling me!

Big Mistake (Score:2)

by SmaryJerry ( 2759091 )

There is no way this can be good for their business, physical cards everywhere gets eyes on their product and makes it easier to buy. There must be something they are doing wrong with their gift cards if scammers are hurting them or their customers that badly while other companies are still using gift cards.

God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant
and the cat. He has no real style, He just goes on trying other things.
-- Pablo Picasso