Gold Trades Between Realms, Factions or Games Now Prohibited

Gold Trades Between Realms, Factions or Games Now Prohibited
Blizzard has quietly updated the support article regarding gold trading rules, introducing a major policy change that affects players across all versions of World of Warcraft.

Swapping gold cross-realm, cross-faction, and cross-games (for example, from Modern to Classic) was previously labeled as unsupported. These exchanges are now explicitly prohibited in WoW Classic, with violations potentially resulting in account penalties or even permanent closure. See the official clarifications at the end of this post.
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Trading Gold Between Realms, Factions, or Classic and Modern - April 12, 2025

Common Problems

  • Can I trade gold with another player between WoW Classic and Modern?
  • Can I trade gold with a friend on another WoW Classic realm?
  • Made a deal with another player to exchange gold between factions on WoW Classic but he didn't hold up his end
  • I'm trying to trade gold to another realm in WoW Classic

Trading gold across WoW Classic realms or factions, or different versions of WoW (Modern to Classic), is prohibited. Such trades, particularly with those you do not know or trust, are often linked with gold selling activities, which contribute to realm economy issues, botting, and account compromises. Engaging in trades of this nature can result in account penalties, up to and including, account closure.

However, trades within the game's systems, such as cross-faction or cross-realm trades in Modern WoW, are allowed.

Here is the April 11 version of the article, which sparked questions from the community.
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Trading Gold Between Realms, Factions, or Classic and Modern - April 11, 2025

Common Problems

  • Can I trade gold with another player between WoW Classic and Modern?
  • Can I trade gold with a friend on another realm?
  • Made a deal with another player to exchange gold between factions but he didn't hold up his end
  • I'm trying to trade gold to another Faction in WoW Classic

Trading gold across WoW realms or factions, or different versions of WoW (Modern to Classic), is prohibited. Involvement in a trade of this nature can result in account penalties, up to and including, account closure.

Here is the original version of the article, before Blizzard made the change on April 11, 2025.
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Trading Gold Between Realms or Factions

Common Problems

  • Can I trade gold with another player between WoW Classic and Shadowlands?
  • Can I trade gold with a friend on another realm?
  • Want to report a player for offering cross realm gold exchanges in the general chat
  • Made a deal with another player to exchange gold between factions but he didn't hold up his end

The exchange of gold or items with another player on a different realm or faction is entirely at your own risk and is unsupported. These types of trades are often associated with the trade of real money for in-game items or currency, which is against our policy. Accounts found associated to these services will have gold removed as well as other possible account actions including up to account closure.

While we will review reports of scams between legitimate players and take action against scammers to remove them from our game, losses will not be restored.

We advise to avoid these types of trades unless you know the other player well and absolutely trust them.

Support Article Clarifications
Vrakthris has responded in the Customer Support Forums, clarifying which types of transactions are supported and which are not.
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Are we going to get banned for helping out new guild members/new player friends by giving them gold?

No. It isn’t against policy to give gold to another player, or to receive it. Nothing has changed there. There are “gifts” that aren’t so legitimate though, which has always been against policy.

Are we going to get banned for selling items in raid groups?

Assuming it isn’t GDKP on versions where that practice is prohibited, there shouldn’t be an issue.

Is this only for Classic? Is Retail affected?

Both, where applicable.

Is this only to other people or can people trade gold to themselves on different licenses or Bnet accounts if they multibox?

See the first question response.

If you use the “Common Problems” as a reference you’ll notice that all of samples are trades that can’t be facilitated by normal in-game systems. As I understand it, that is what is prohibited.


Since our friends can pretty much be on any server now and we can be in same groups, same guilds, etc… that’s the concern.

As far as I am aware if our systems allow for it (i.e. the trade window), then there shouldn’t be an issue. I’ll seek further clarification, but likely won’t see it until next week. We may be seeing further clarification soon in a Community post.


Does this mean that cross realm guilds should not be helping guildies with their gold needs for repair and consumes by giving them gold? The way it is worded makes it unclear if it’s full ban on all cross realm gold trading regardless of reason.

There shouldn’t be any issues as far as I am aware. Modern WoW Guilds are cross realm/cross faction, so normal systems are used. This tends to apply to swapping gold between realms, factions, game types that don’t otherwise allow it from inside the game.


Basically, if it’s a supported transaction (i.e. using the in-game systems to trade) it is still a supported transaction.

If it was an unsupported transaction (i.e. swapping gold between versions of the game or other realms/factions, etc…) it is prohibited now.
This article was originally published in forum thread: Gold Trades Between Realms, Factions or Games Now Prohibited started by Lumy View original post
Published on 2025-04-12 06:04 PM
74 Comments
Comments 74 Comments
  1. Skymercy's Avatar
    Last week, we were in M+ doing a weekly for a friend and he died prolly like 20 times +. He forgot to send gold to repair, so I traded him 10k. Is this prohibited now?
    Also, I am doing boosts for 10s and 11s and getting gold mailed weekly. Is this also prohibited?
  1. Cynical Asshole's Avatar
    And it only took them 20 years to realize they can fuck gold sellers over with this simple measure.

    See you guys in another 20 years when they will finally do something about 3rd party sync premades in epic battlegrounds.
  1. Lumy's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Skymercy View Post
    Last week, we were in M+ doing a weekly for a friend and he died prolly like 20 times +. He forgot to send gold to repair, so I traded him 10k. Is this prohibited now?
    Also, I am doing boosts for 10s and 11s and getting gold mailed weekly. Is this also prohibited?
    Trading gold to your friend so they can repair is totally fine, that's not a gold swap.

    Participating in boosts and getting paid by a boosting community is also not a gold swap; but that's not allowed according to the Policy Update for Organized In-Game Services from 2022.
  1. Unlimited Power's Avatar
    Trading gold between factions or cross realm on retail is literally pointless when you can just deposit gold into the warbank on any character and withdraw it on any other character at will.

    I'm gonna have to assume those stipulations were primarily aimed at the crowd playing classic.
  1. Kyanion's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Lumy View Post
    Trading gold to your friend so they can repair is totally fine, that's not a gold swap.
    You need to look at both blue posts again. The one from before this change that would be fine. But if you read the new blue post this type of thing would actually be against the new rules. They'll need to clarify this because it is really stupid if indeed I cannot hand someone gold for a repair or them buying a potion from me in the raid if we're on diff realms.

    To clarify the new blue post does not care about it being a swap of gold for gold. All it cares about is that it is a trade of gold for SOMETHING on a different realm or even the opposite faction of your own realm.
  1. DarkspearNeverDie's Avatar
    This is most lilely poor wording. If not though, and all gold trading cross faction/realm is prohibited? The game just got so much better, cleaner, safer, and scrubs can no longer buy boosts? Incredible, really, really hope this is true.
  1. Ealyssa's Avatar
    It’s gold swaping that is targeted here. Aka "I give you gold here, you give me gold there (different wow game, or faction, or server)

    You can still give gold to whoever you want ingame for whatever reason, and the trading windows is still there for this to happen.
  1. EntertainmentNihilist's Avatar
    ...this...doesn't make sense though? Warbank already makes gold cross-realm and cross-faction.
  1. Lumy's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kyanion View Post
    You need to look at both blue posts again. The one from before this change that would be fine. But if you read the new blue post this type of thing would actually be against the new rules. They'll need to clarify this because it is really stupid if indeed I cannot hand someone gold for a repair or them buying a potion from me in the raid if we're on diff realms.

    To clarify the new blue post does not care about it being a swap of gold for gold. All it cares about is that it is a trade of gold for SOMETHING on a different realm or even the opposite faction of your own realm.
    The support article is about gold swapping: trading gold on Realm A in exchange for receiving gold on Realm B. Helping someone with a repair bill or trading gold for items (mounts, pets, toys, etc.) is not a gold swap.

    The wording could indeed be clearer, but that specific article has always been about gold swaps.
  1. Kyanion's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Lumy View Post
    The support article is about gold swapping: trading gold on Realm A in exchange for receiving gold on Realm B. Helping someone with a repair bill or trading gold for items (mounts, pets, toys, etc.) is not a gold swap.

    The wording could indeed be clearer, but that specific article has always been about gold swaps.
    So if you go to the support article one of the questions is this:
    Q: Can I trade gold with a friend on another realm?
    A: Trading gold across WoW realms or factions, or different versions of WoW (Modern to Classic), is prohibited. Involvement in a trade of this nature can result in account penalties, up to and including, account closure.

    (This would mean me trading gold from say Area 52 to someone I'm playing with on Thrall. If we're both in a raid and I hand them 1000 gold for a couple potions this by the letter of the new update would be against the rules)

    Yes it is LIKELY targeting gold swaps but the way it is written this could apply to a lot more things than it used to. This is poorly worded and needs a clarification from Blizz.
  1. Megarichkid's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Cynical Asshole View Post
    And it only took them 20 years to realize they can fuck gold sellers over with this simple measure.

    See you guys in another 20 years when they will finally do something about 3rd party sync premades in epic battlegrounds.
    It’s okay bro, you don’t need conquest equipment or gold for the 1100 bracket
  1. Ereb's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Cynical Asshole View Post
    And it only took them 20 years to realize they can fuck gold sellers over with this simple measure.

    See you guys in another 20 years when they will finally do something about 3rd party sync premades in epic battlegrounds.
    I don't doubt you will still be here in 20 years bitching about this game lol. You don't seem to have much else going on
  1. Daedius's Avatar
    Seems stupid considering the Warbank is account wide, and the AH is regionwide...

    I'd just give gold to a player on my own realm, they put the gold into their warbank and withdraw it on their alt on another realm/faction.

    This is seriously so poorly thought out...

    I can understand the potential to scam between versions, but between retail characters is just beyond stupid.
  1. Maginai's Avatar
    War banks are account wide.... You can just trade to a person on the same realm and they can send the gold to their warbank for ANY of their characters to withdraw.
  1. casecase89's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Cynical Asshole View Post
    And it only took them 20 years to realize they can fuck gold sellers over with this simple measure.

    See you guys in another 20 years when they will finally do something about 3rd party sync premades in epic battlegrounds.
    bro this solves nor prevents nothing.
  1. skakruk's Avatar
    So they forgot about war banks - not a big deal. I tend to forget where I work from time to time.
  1. Tech614's Avatar
    I get the wording is confusing the people relating this to warbanks or in game direct gold trades for gear but guys you could literally use common sense and realize if blizzard wanted to turn those off they simply could in game, they wouldn't need to police it with suspensions and shit rofl. Not what this is about.

    Basically, if it’s a supported transaction (i.e. using the in-game systems to trade) it is still a supported transaction.

    If it was an unsupported transaction (i.e. swapping gold between versions of the game or other realms/factions, etc…) it is prohibited now.
    As far as I am aware if our systems allow for it (i.e. the trade window), then there shouldn’t be an issue. I’ll seek further clarification, but likely won’t see it until next week. We may be seeing further clarification soon in a Community post.
    It's hilarious the blue even had to clarify this but I guess that's the average gamer IQ at this point. "Blizzard is gonna ban me for using a supported in game feature!" rofl, please rub 2 brain cells together before giving brain dead takes.
  1. deenman's Avatar
    regarding realm to realm on retail what exactly is the point of this when warbank exists?
  1. Tech614's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by deenman View Post
    regarding realm to realm on retail what exactly is the point of this when warbank exists?
    You can literally trade gold in a trade window realm to realm on retail if it's same region. Once again using your brain could answer this question for you- that is not an unsupported transaction.

    Exchanging gold on NA realms to get the same on EU realms would be an unsupported transaction.

    Exchanging gold on retail for some amount of gold on a classic realm would be an unsupported transaction.
  1. iindigo's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Tech614 View Post
    I get the wording is confusing the people relating this to warbanks or in game direct gold trades for gear but guys you could literally use common sense and realize if blizzard wanted to turn those off they simply could in game, they wouldn't need to police it with suspensions and shit rofl. Not what this is about.

    It's hilarious the blue even had to clarify this but I guess that's the average gamer IQ at this point. "Blizzard is gonna ban me for using a supported in game feature!" rofl, please rub 2 brain cells together before giving brain dead takes.
    Yeah, as I read this it has two purposes: to take a hardline stance against gold movements outside the system and to ensure that all large transactions have a paper trail. Anything without a clean paper trail can then be grounds for a reprimand or ban with an acceptably low rate of false positives.
Page 1 of 4
1
2
3
... LastLast

Site Navigation

Social Media

Services

My Account

Support

Advertise

Resources

Terms of Service

Privacy Policy

Our Communities

© 2023 Magic Find, Inc. All rights reserved.