How to use the WoW Token to trade gametime for gold

Though it remains against WoW‘s terms of service to buy gold for cash through third-party sales sites, you can now buy gold directly from Blizzard via the WoW Token. In a system similar to what you can find in other MMOs like EVE Online and WildStar, the WoW Token is an item that can be bought in Blizzard’s in-game shop for $20 USD/$25 AUD and then traded on the in-game auction house for gold. The person who sells the token winds up with completely legitimate gold lining their pockets, while the person who buys the token gets an extra 30 days of gametime without having to pay a dime for their subscription.

The end result is a good deal for those who love to play (and have plenty of spare coin) but no cash to spare for a monthly subscription as well as those who are short on playtime but have cash to throw at buying gold to meet their in-game goals. Plus, with Blizzard playing middleman in these transactions, you’re not dealing with goldsellers who make their coin with frustrating farming bots or by stealing and stripping accounts — and fewer of those are something all players are likely to appreciate, whether they’re buying WoW Tokens or not.

But just how does the system work? Whether you’re interested in buying or selling, we’ll walk you through it.

What’s a WoW Token worth?

Though the WoW Token has a fixed price in cash, its price in gold — like anything else on the auction house — will fluctuate.  Unlike other items on the auction house, however, sellers don’t set the price themselves: instead, Blizzard sets token prices based on current supply and demand. Are there lots of tokens on the auction house? The price will be lower because supply is high. Are there few tokens on the auction house? The price will rise because supply is low.

The marketplace for tokens isn’t limited to your realm and faction, like the rest of the auction house, though: instead, it spans the entire region. This means players on all realms are going to pay about the same for a token — and even if you’re on a low population server without a bustling economy, you’ll have the opportunity to buy and sell tokens of your own.

Because the pricing is automatic, sellers don’t have to fiddle with picking the right price and buyers don’t have to sort through pages of listings — you just click and you’ll buy or sell at the current market price. When the token launched, Blizzard set the price at 30,o00 gold. Since then, it’s gone up and down — but to see the current price, you’ll want to check the auction house (click the “Game Time” section at the bottom of the list on the left-hand side of the auction house interface) or you can check online at WoW Token Info, which compiles price data.

How can I buy gold with a WoW Token?

You can’t directly buy gold from Blizzard: instead, you must purchase a WoW Token which you then list on the auction house. When another player buys it, you receive the gold they paid. To buy a WoW Token, you’ll want to open the in-game shop: just hit escape and select it from the menu.

From the shop, select “WoW Token” from the list on the left, which will then show you the current gold value of tokens. If the current gold price is acceptable click “Buy Now” to buy — you’ll have to confirm your payment information, but when you’re done, the token will immediately appear in your inventory.

The next step is listing the token on the auction house. To do so just head to your nearest auction house and talk to an auctioneer. Click on the “Auctions” tab and then drag the token in your inventory to the auction house menu to set up the listing. Again, the current market price will be shown, but this time with an estimate of how long it will take the token to sell. Click “Create Auction” to list it.

Once you’ve created the auction, you’re guaranteed to get the amount of gold initially promised, even if the price drops later, so you don’t have to worry about price fluctuations after you’ve listed. However, on the flip side, if the price goes up after you list your token, you don’t get extra gold — you’ll always get exactly what was quoted when list the token.

The next step? Wait. When your token sells does, your gold will show up in your mailbox just as with any other successfully auctioned item.

How can I buy gametime with a WoW Token?

If you want to buy gametime, you also have to head to the auction house. Talk to an auctioneer and click on the “Game Time” section at the bottom of the list on the left-hand side of the auction house interface. This will bring up the current price of tokens with the option to buy. If the price is right, simply click “Buyout” to buy a token.

Like any auction, you’ll have to head to your mailbox to pick your token up. Once you have it, click on the token in your inventory and go through several confirmation screens in order to apply the gametime to your account. You’ll get a screen verifying your new account renewal date

If your account is currently inactive, you can still buy gametime in this way from the login screen. Simply log on to your account and you’ll have an option to buy 30 days of gametime for the current gold price of WoW Tokens, making it easy to restore your account.

Is the WoW Token worth it?

Though this is one of the most frequently asked questions about the WoW Token, it’s a difficult one to answer because we don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer. Since the token has only just been released and the price is fluctuating, it’s difficult to put a fixed value to it — but if we go with Blizzard’s original cost of $20 for 30,000 gold, that means that one dollar equals 1,500 gold. From there, you can do some mental math: how long would it take you to make that 1,500 gold by playing? And is that amount of your time worth $1?

For players who are short on time, paying for gold and instead spending their gametime on things they find more fun is a guaranteed win. But for players who don’t have the cash to pay for a regular subscription — but have the time to farm for gold — buying gametime makes perfect sense. Only you can decide what you feel your time and money is worth — and therefore whether picking up a WoW Token makes sense for you.