WoW Tokens Explained – Restrictions, Uses, and Cost

Need some details on how WoW Tokens Work? We’ve got all the information you need in this guide.

Image by Gamepur

What are WoW Tokens?

WoW Tokens are a purchasable item introduced in 2015 as a way to curb the third-party gold trading that existed in the game and provide players a way to get their hands on gold quickly and get game time without having to spend real money.

How Do Wow Tokens Work?

Players can purchase a WoW Token in-game from the shop, costing $20/£17. Once purchased, players can put this item in the auction house for sale, with the price changing depending on the game’s environment, such as a new expansion or season beginning that will affect their value. It’s all about supply and demand.

Once sold, the player who bought the Token can redeem it for either 30 days of game time or $15/£10 Battle.net credit that can be used on the Blizzard storefront.

Essentially, it allows players to make a lot of gold quickly or effectively play the game for free by purchasing Tokens. Thanks to this item, those who choose to get Battle.net credit can also theoretically purchase other games or expansions from Blizzard.

Are There Any Restrictions To Wow Tokens?

WoW_Token_Details — Screenshot by Gamepur

There are a few rules and restrictions that come with these items to help maintain a healthy market and curb potential abuse by bots.

First, you cannot trade, mail, bank, destroy, or sell this item to a vendor; these items can only be sold in the Auction House. In that same vein, Tokens bought from the Auction House can only be redeemed, not resold or any previously mentioned methods. You also cannot delete, transfer, faction/race change, or boost a character with a Token; you need to sell or redeem it first. You also cannot purchase a WoW Token from a region other than your Battle.net account. So, there’s no grabbing a US token for your EU account.

As for the amount you can purchase, you can buy 20 Tokens with money 20 times per week, and your account can only hold that same amount. As for the ones you buy with gold, you can only have 10 of these at a time.

Lastly, there is a restriction involving the purchase of this item that came into effect as of November 21, 2023. This reads, “Players will no longer be allowed to purchase a WoW Token from the Auction House or the in-game Shop for gold if they have not spent real money to purchase and consume at least 30 days of game time (a “Time Limited License”) since 2017.” Put simply, you will need to play for at least one month of game time with money in order to get WoW Tokens. This doesn’t apply to the consumption of currently owned tokens; it only applies to buying new ones.

This might sting a bit for some players, but ultimately, if it helps reduce bots or make it easier for Blizzard to find them, it should be a worthwhile sacrifice, along with all the other restrictions that aim to help make WoW Tokens viable and fair for all players.

About the author

Matthew Fuller

Matt is a freelance writer based in the UK and has spent over three years covering and writing about video games. He discovered his love of games journalism while attending Canterbury Christchurch University, where he earned a bachelor's and master's degree in Game Design and has been writing ever since. He will find any excuse to play and write about games. When he isn't fighting dragons or exploring far-off galaxies, he spends his free time playing D&D, listening to music, or reading a good book. His primary game bests are Diablo IV, the Final Fantasy series, D&D, and anything new releasing that tickles his fancy.