Do I need to use the Gem Store?
Gem Store: What It Is and How It Works
The Gem Store mainly sells cosmetics and convenience items. You can also use in-game gold to buy gems instead of paying cash.
What is the Gem Store?
The Gem Store is part of the Black Lion Trading Company (BLTC) panel. Press O to open the panel, then select the Gem Store tab.
Its main products fall into two groups.
- Cosmetics: skins, outfits, gliders, mount skins, and more
- Convenience items: inventory expansions, unlimited salvage kits, unlimited gathering tools, and more
Gem Store: buy items / Currency Exchange: exchange gold and gems / Trading Post: trade items with other players
Most purchased items arrive through in-game mail. Some upgrades, such as character slots, apply to your account immediately.
Do I have to keep spending money?
You do not need to spend extra money in the Gem Store. After buying the expansions you want, you can play with ordinary salvage kits and basic storage. Buying gems with cash and exchanging them for gold can, however, help you obtain equipment and materials sooner.
Why you can play without extra spending
- You can obtain equipment through play. Exotic gear comes from the Trading Post, vendors, and other sources. Ascended gear also has reward and vendor routes alongside crafting. Legendary equipment has the same stats as ascended equipment with the same attribute combination; its advantages are stat switching and account sharing.
- Structured PvP uses its own equipment system. PvP amulets, runes, and other build choices determine your attributes instead of your PvE gear's rarity and level.
- Paid accounts can exchange gold for gems. Accounts that own the paid core game or an expansion can buy Gem Store products with gold earned in-game. Free accounts cannot exchange gold for gems.
- Buy convenience items when you feel the need. Copper-Fed saves you from repeatedly buying basic salvage kits. Shared slots make it easier to use the same item on several characters. You do not need everything at the start.
Yes: that gold can buy exotic (orange) equipment and some tradable legendary weapons on the Trading Post. Ascended equipment cannot be bought there directly, but comes from crafting, rewards, and vendors. Legendary and ascended equipment have the same stats, so beginners can start with inexpensive exotics and obtain ascended pieces as needed.
Gems: three ways to obtain them
Gems are the currency used in the Gem Store. There are three ways to obtain them.
Buy them in-game or through the official shop.
USD prices have six packages, from 400 gems for $5 to 8,000 gems for $100. Check the checkout screen for your payment currency, taxes, and final price.
These packages have no bulk discount: the price per gem is the same for 400 and 8,000 gems.
Exchange gold earned in-game for gems.
Gold-to-gem exchange requires a paid account. Newly created accounts have a 72-hour currency-exchange waiting period.
Exchange rates change with supply and demand.
Achievement rewards at 5,000 AP intervals include 400 gems.
The in-game Achievements panel shows the next reward and the AP you need to reach it.
These rewards accumulate through long-term play.
Cash prices: USD, before sales tax
ArenaNet payment options include credit/debit cards, PayPal, and Paysafecard. Available methods depend on your region and platform. Steam accounts purchase through the Steam Wallet.
ArenaNet advises that order volume and payment reviews can delay gem delivery by up to 12 hours. This can happen even if earlier purchases arrived immediately. Check your order-completion email and payment history. Do not repeat the order while waiting for delivery. If the stated period passes without resolution, contact the seller's support team.
In the Gem Store, look for the Free label and a price of zero gems. Free offers may have a claim deadline or an account purchase limit.
Exchanging gold and gems
Use Currency Exchange, the second tab in the Black Lion Trading Company panel (O), to exchange gold and gems.
How it works
- Gold → gems: paid accounts only
- Gems → gold: free accounts can use this too
- Exchange rate: changes with supply and demand. Popular new Gem Store products can move the rate quickly.
Exchange costs: selling back loses value
Buying and selling gems use different rates. Calculate using the amount you will pay and receive shown on screen. Rounding and minimum units can make very small transactions worse value.
Converting gold to gems and then back to gold loses the difference between the rates. Choose your purchase first, then exchange only for the gems you need.
Why beginners should keep their gold
Gold is scarce while leveling. Converting it to gems can leave you short for equipment and crafting materials. Consider exchanging after level 80, once you have a steady gold income.
Restrictions
- Free accounts: no gold-to-gem exchange; gems-to-gold is available
- New accounts: 72-hour exchange waiting period after account creation
- Rounding can make small transactions comparatively expensive
Before exchanging
Rates change with supply and demand. No particular weekday or year-end period is guaranteed to be cheaper.
- Gems needed: subtract the gems you already own from the current price of your chosen product.
- Gold to keep: set aside what you need for equipment, waypoints, crafting, and other immediate expenses.
Exchange steps
- Check the product: confirm its price, discount or availability deadline, and bundle contents.
- Enter the amount: use Custom Exchange in Currency Exchange to see the gems you need and the total gold cost.
- Review the total before confirming: buy at a price you can afford. A discount alone is no reason to turn all your gold into gems.
- Check past rates: GW2Efficiency (gw2efficiency.com/currencies/gems) and GW2TP (gw2tp.com/gems) show trends. The final in-game quote determines what you pay.
Convenience products and skins can also be bought by exchanging gold for gems. If you want to spend cash, set a budget first and choose products that solve a recurring inconvenience or that you actually want to use.
Gem Store categories
The store is divided into the following categories.
Varies by item and bundle
Varies by item and bundle
Some return for limited periods; others are permanently available. If an item is missing, check its availability, account requirements, and how many you already own.
Beginner purchases by priority
These convenience items help with travel and inventory management. Listed prices are before discounts; check current offers and bundle contents when buying.
Reusable version: 800 gems Teleport to a party or squad member in an open-world PvE map. It is especially useful for joining a group before you have unlocked nearby waypoints. Highly recommended as a first purchase after level 80. For frequent use, choose Recharging Teleport to Friend, which can be reused every ten minutes. You need access to the destination expansion or episode.
(Shared Inventory Slot) 700 gems for 1
1,890 gems for 3
2,800 gems for 5 Slots shared by all your characters. The HoT+PoF bundle grants one; EoD, SotO, JW, and VoE each grant one. With 26 purchasable slots, the usual maximum is 31. Accounts that received a separate slot from an old standalone HoT purchase can reach 32.
(Character Slot Expansion) 800 gems Paid accounts start with five slots. Add slots to try other professions or use an alternate character’s inventory as temporary storage.
(Bank Tab Expansion) 600 gems Starts with one 30-slot tab. Add tabs when non-material storage runs short. Maximum: 19 tabs.
(Bag Slot Expansion) 400 gems Expands one character's inventory. This upgrade is character-specific, so prioritize your main character. Slots cannot be recovered when that character is deleted. The Wizard's Vault also offers one per season for 500 Astral Acclaim.
(Unbreakable Gathering Tools) 2,400 gems The basic Unbreakable set contains a pick, axe, and sickle. To share it, transfer the tools through shared slots or another method, then equip them in the gathering slots of the character using them.
Comparing storage and account upgrades
Which is more useful: character slots, bank tabs, bag slots, or shared inventory?
| Upgrade | Price | Scope | Included initially | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared Inventory Slot | 700 gems for 1 | Account-wide | One from HoT+PoF together; one each from EoD, SotO, JW, and VoE | Usually 31; 32 for accounts with the separate old HoT slot |
| Character Slot | 800 gems | Account-wide | 5 paid / 2 free | Normal cap 69; up to 75 with qualifying expansion editions |
| Bank Tab | 600 gems | Account-wide | One tab, 30 slots | 19 tabs |
| Bag Slot | 400 gems | Per character | 5 paid / 3 free | 16 per character |
Convenience items in detail
Copper-Fed Salvage-o-Matic
Unlimited uses in one inventory slot, with no need to replenish kits. Put it in shared inventory so all your characters can use it.
Silver-Fed Salvage-o-Matic
A common split is Copper-Fed for white, blue, and green gear, and Silver-Fed for level 68+ rares. Compare the sale and salvage values of expensive gear first. This kit cannot salvage ascended equipment.
Unbreakable Gathering Tools
These tools have unlimited uses. You can transfer them using three shared slots, but you must equip them on the character that will gather.
Black Lion Chests: what to expect
A Black Lion Chest requires a key to open. You may collect plenty of chests while playing, but you still need keys.
Black Lion Chests are random loot boxes.
Each gives four guaranteed items, including one Black Lion Statuette, with a 10% chance of an additional fifth item.
Official disclosed odds: ordinary keys
Super Rare rewards include permanent crafting station, Trading Post, and hair stylist contracts. These are disclosed chances per chest opened with an ordinary key.
Key prices
Keys earned through play
You can earn keys through play.
- Map completion: reward research suggests about a 30% key chance. Cities and Southsun Cove are excluded. Level 80 maps award keys only to level 80 characters.
- Wizard's Vault: 450 Astral Acclaim each, limited to three per season
- Personal Story: rewards from completing Chapters 1, 4, and 6
- PvP/WvW: some reward-track Loot Boxes have a very low key drop chance.
A more certain alternative: buy on the Trading Post
Many skins from Black Lion Chests can be bought directly for gold on the Trading Post. Buying the skin you want is more certain than spending gems on random rolls.
Sell them on the Trading Post, or discard unwanted copies. Prices vary. Having a pile of chests is no reason to buy keys.
When are the sales?
Look for major sales in March, around the anniversary, on Black Friday, and over the year-end holidays. Check each announcement for the items and discounts.
- March Sale: major spring discounts
- Anniversary Sale, around August: launch anniversary offers
- Black Friday, late November: Black Friday offers
- Wintersday and year-end holidays, December–January: holiday discounts
- Game updates may also bring promotions.
Items worth considering during a sale
- Teleport to Friend: choose Recharging Teleport to Friend for frequent use
- Material Storage Expanders: expand the base 250 capacity to 1,000
- Unlimited gathering tools: check for Glyph of Volatility or glyph selection containers
- Copper-Fed and Silver-Fed: buy the salvage tools you use regularly
- Bag slots, character slots, bank tabs, and shared slots: buy the space your account needs
Deciding whether to wait
- Shared slots: use empty expansion-granted slots first, then add more during a sale if needed.
- Outfits: preview the appearance you want and wait for a discount if there is no rush.
Outfits and skins
An outfit is a cosmetic item that replaces your character's entire clothing appearance.
- The helmet can be hidden
- Cannot be mixed with other armor skins; an outfit is a full-body appearance
Outfits are useful early on when you own few skins. Their fixed full-body appearance offers less room for individual style, so as your collection grows, you may use them less and combine individual armor skins instead.
Lounges
Lounges gather banks, the Trading Post, crafting stations, and vendors in one convenient area. Double-click the pass to teleport there.
Convenient hubs without a lounge pass
| Location | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eye of the North | Waypoint unlocks when the account has a level 80 character | Basic services; additional vendors and crafting stations require PoF and separate unlock costs |
| Arborstone | End of Dragons and story progress | Arborstone Revitalization masteries add vendors and crafting facilities |
| The Wizard's Tower | Secrets of the Obscure and story progress | Basic convenience services |
| Obsidian Sanctum | Enter through the WvW menu (B). Free accounts need one character to reach level 60 to unlock WvW. | Bank and Trading Post in the safe starting area; no crafting stations |
Try the hubs you can already use before buying a lounge pass. Arborstone and the Wizard's Tower require their expansion and access conditions; extra facilities at the Eye of the North have separate unlock costs.
Paid lounges: recommendations
- Armistice Bastion is this guide's first recommendation. It has the usual services, WvW facilities, and a dueling arena.
- Mistlock Sanctuary is recommended for frequent fractal players, with low gravity and direct fractal access.
Repeated purchases are needed every two weeks, so a permanent pass is much better value for long-term use.
Steam account differences
Gem purchases work differently if you created your Guild Wars 2 account through Steam.
- Steam accounts cannot redeem gem card codes. Buy gems in-game through the Steam Wallet. A gem card from an outside retailer cannot be redeemed on that account.
- If payment fails, check the error code, message, and Steam purchase history. Causes vary, including billing details, connectivity, and security restrictions. Contact Steam for Wallet payment issues and ArenaNet for issues with items bought using gems in-game.
- Use the appropriate refund channel. Steam handles games and gems paid for through Steam. ArenaNet handles items bought using gems in-game. Have your receipt and a description of the issue ready.
Refunds
If you bought the wrong item with gems, contact ArenaNet support. Refund procedures for gems purchased with cash depend on the seller and whether the gems have been used.
- Contact support as soon as possible after the purchase
- Ask before spending the gems or using the item. Used gems may be ineligible for a refund.
- Submit a support request at help.guildwars2.com
Direct ArenaNet purchases generally allow refund requests within 30 days, subject to conditions. Contact Steam, Epic, or the relevant retailer for purchases made there. ArenaNet cannot refund Paysafecard payments.