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Guide

Premium, gold and spending in World of Tanks

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What you can buy, what it actually changes, and how to decide whether to spend anything at all.

By Lucas Ward, editorPublished Last reviewed 8 min read
Two panels comparing currencies earned by playing with optional real-money purchases
Figure 1. Earned currencies compared with optional purchases. Original illustration by celaris.online.

World of Tanks is free to play, and you can research every regular vehicle without paying. The game is funded by optional purchases. This guide explains what they are, in general terms. Names, prices and offers change often and differ by region, so always check the current details in the in-game store and Wargaming’s terms before you buy.

Gold

Gold is the premium currency. It is mainly bought with real money, though some missions and events award it. It can be used for premium vehicles, a Premium Account, garage slots and several conveniences, such as converting XP to free XP. Treat gold like real money, because that is what it costs.

Premium Account

A Premium Account is a time-limited subscription that increases the XP and credits you earn and may add other perks. It is most useful if you play regularly; days you do not play still count against it. If you only play occasionally, it is usually better value to buy it for short periods when you know you will play.

Premium vehicles

Premium vehicles cannot be researched. You buy them with gold or money, or get them from events. They typically earn more credits per battle and some can be used to train crews for related vehicles. They are not designed to be stronger than regular vehicles of the same tier. A premium vehicle will not make you win more; it mainly makes progress cheaper.

Tip: do not buy a premium vehicle until you have played its class at lower tiers and know you enjoy it.

Randomised rewards

Some seasonal events have sold boxes whose contents are random, such as gold, vehicles or cosmetics. Rules on paid random rewards differ between countries. Before buying, check whether drop rates are published for your region, decide on a fixed budget in advance, and remember that you may not get the item you want.

How to keep spending under control

  • Set a monthly budget before you start, and stick to it.
  • Do not store a payment card on the account if you are prone to impulse purchases, or if a child uses the device.
  • Use platform spending limits and parental controls offered by your operating system, store or payment provider.
  • Ignore countdown timers. Limited-time offers come back in various forms; a deadline is not a reason to buy.
  • Read the terms, including refund and cancellation rules, in Wargaming’s official documents.

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Scams to avoid

Sites and messages offering “free gold”, gold “generators” or cheap accounts are common. Generators do not exist; they are designed to steal your login or payment details. Buying and selling accounts is against Wargaming’s terms, and such accounts are often taken back by the original owner. Only buy through the official in-game store or official websites.

Sources

Official information prevails

Games like World of Tanks change with every update. We check our pages against official sources at the date shown above, but prices, platforms, rules, events and vehicle statistics can change without notice. If anything here differs from information published by Wargaming (on its websites, in the game client or in its legal terms), Wargaming’s information prevails. Spotted a mistake? See our corrections procedure.

About the visuals: every illustration and diagram on this page is an original work drawn for celaris.online. None of them is a screenshot, official artwork or a reproduction of an in-game model.

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About the author

Lucas Ward is the editor of celaris.online and is responsible for its content on behalf of Chrupinvest s.r.o.. Read how we research and fund this site in our editorial policy.