Valve doesn't actually manufacture or distribute the cards. None of the companies that have gift cards do. Those big racks of gift cards at the stores are maintained by a 3rd party.

Note that one of a handful of companies makes these cards. They make them for basically every vendor so they're functionally the same.

Don't peel the tape. Scratch it! Preferably with a coin.

Escrito originalmente por William Shakesman:

Don't peel the tape. Scratch it! Preferably with a coin.

Like a lottery scratcher.

Escrito originalmente por Chestnut:

Imagine being funded by the biggest, AND greatest game platform of all time, racking in millions of dollars every year, and having absolutely ATROCIOUS gift cards. The tape hardly ever works and rips off parts of the code, I could personally etch a better gift card design. PLEASE for the love of whatever god you believe in go back to the old gift card design.

I just imagine someone telling a whole community how they are doing something incorrectly.

Hmm the tape also doesn't work on xbox cards, blizzard gift cards, etc, etc, etc .... So it sounds more like a you problem.

Escrito originalmente por Chestnut:

Imagine being funded by the biggest, AND greatest game platform of all time, racking in millions of dollars every year, and having absolutely ATROCIOUS gift cards. The tape hardly ever works and rips off parts of the code, I could personally etch a better gift card design. PLEASE for the love of whatever god you believe in go back to the old gift card design.

you don't peel off the tape, you scratch it with a coin.

Every now and then I am left literally mouth agape at the...deviations from normal encountered in this vast pool of humanity.

Escrito originalmente por AmsterdamHeavy:

Every now and then I am left literally mouth agape at the...deviations from normal encountered in this vast pool of humanity.

There are gift cards that peel. I have one non-Steam card at my desk right now that peels just fine. It's not THAT unusual, and the Steam gift cards indeed provide absolutely no hint that scratching is what you are meant to do, and the sticker does afford peeling, but if you TRY to peel it, you'll run into the problem OP had.

It really shouldn't be THAT shocking. Just as you haven't encountered peeling cards, OP hasn't encountered scratchers. Neither are too different cases

Escrito originalmente por rawWwRrr:

Those big racks of gift cards at the stores are maintained by a 3rd party.

and the adhesives, ink, stock, and even design, are all by 4th parties. :P