Valve is pulling the ripcord: physical Steam credit cards will soon disappear from the shelves of supermarkets and electronics stores. The reason for the end is ongoing fraud. However, digital alternatives still exist.
Out of retail cards
The US company Valve is completely ceasing the production and delivery of physical prepaid cards for its PC gaming platform Steam. Retailers worldwide will no longer be supplied with new cards. The sale will only continue until the current stocks in stores are completely used up. This ends a chapter that began in 2012 with the introduction of the cards in supermarkets and electronics stores. Customers probably have until the end of this year to purchase the printed vouchers in local stores. Copies that have already been purchased remain fully valid and can still be easily redeemed on the platform. Redemption is only subject to local laws; Valve guarantees that no credit will be lost.
Scams force a stop
The main reason for the end of physical cards is considered to be ongoing cases of fraud, such as Valve’s Support page explained (via SteamDB) reports, criminals are increasingly using vouchers to con unsuspecting people around the world out of their money. Perpetrators often ask their victims to purchase Steam cards and submit the corresponding codes as payment for alleged debts, fees or services.
Valve has tried several times in the past to specifically contain the problem with various measures. This included working closely with retailers and law enforcement agencies and printing very clear warnings on the cards. In addition, redemption was strictly limited to the currency of the respective account. An automatic sales stop when unusual activity was detected also did not help in the long term. Overall, the comprehensive steps did not bring the desired long-term success, as the criminal networks constantly adapted and found new ways. The final stop on sales of physical cards is now the direct consequence of ongoing development.
Digital gifts are here to stay
Despite the end of physical media in stores, Valve continues to offer digital gift cards. Users can send the desired credit to their friends or family members directly via the platform. A big advantage of the digital route is the significantly higher security, as all transactions can be tracked better and fraud is made much more difficult. One disadvantage of the purely online solution, however, is that it is now much more difficult for people without their own Steam account to purchase a gift for PC gamers. In the future, you will have to switch to other payment methods or ask third parties for help.
