Valve kills its retail gift card program due to scammers

Valve discontinued its physical Steam gift card retail program, with all retailers expected to be fully out of stock by the end of 2026. The company cited persistent scammer abuse of the cards; despite implementing multiple anti-fraud measures including work with retailers and law enforcement, scammers continued to adapt to these protections. Digital Steam gift cards will continue to operate normally.

Source: Ars Technica | 2026-06-10