Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Jagex introduced RuneScape Bonds in September 2013 as an official, tradable way for players to exchange real money for an in-game item that others could buy with game wealth and redeem for account benefits. The idea was to give demand for gold an official outlet, reducing the opportunity for illicit sellers—not to prove that Bonds eliminated gold farming.
How Bonds were meant to redirect demand
At launch, players bought Bonds through Jagex’s website, then could trade or gift them in-game. A recipient could redeem a Bond for membership, spins or RuneCoins, according to Jagex’s 25 September 2013 announcement and FAQ. Because players set the in-game value, a player with gold could obtain an official account benefit by buying a Bond from another player.
That arrangement was the core of Jagex’s anti-farming rationale: a player seeking game wealth or account benefits would have an official player-to-player route instead of relying on a third-party gold seller. Jagex said this would meet demand without the company or an outside party injecting new gold into the game. CEO Mark Gerhard called Bonds “a critical part of our war against gold farmers and of fixing the damage they have caused to the game economy” in 2013 (Jagex announcement).
The launch-era trading tax
The 2013 announcement also described a 10% Grand Exchange value tax when a player wanted to trade a Bond again after it had been traded or gifted. Jagex presented that launch-era mechanic as a gold sink and a way to discourage excessive Bond merchanting. It should not be read as a statement of the current tax or all current Bond mechanics.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
What Jagex said about gold farming in 2013
In a developer post published alongside the launch, Mod Jacmob argued that Bonds could let the community meet demand without introducing gold into the game. The same post presented the following figures as Jagex’s own enforcement data and estimates at the time (Jagex developer post, 25 September 2013):
- Jagex said it had permanently removed more than 90% of bots during the preceding three months.
- It reported that daily incoming macro reports had fallen from 20,000 to barely over 1,000.
- It said it had recorded 1.1 million ban offences against accounts known to be gold farmers since 1 January 2013.
- It reported removing more than 3 trillion GP worth of gold and items from gold-farmer accounts that year.
- It estimated that illicit accounts it could link to gold farming sold around 170 billion GP in-game each day.
- It estimated that well over 40% of active players had bought gold from third-party real-world trading vendors.
These are dated company claims, not present-day RuneScape 3 statistics or independent measurements. They explain the problem Jagex said it was addressing; they do not establish that Bonds caused illicit trading to decline. The sources cited here do not show whether Bonds eliminated or measurably reduced gold farming.
How Bonds and illicit gold selling differ
The distinction is not simply that both routes involve game wealth. Bonds are an official Jagex item exchanged through in-game trading systems, while buying or selling game gold or items for money outside those systems is prohibited under Jagex’s rules.
| Route | How it works | Jagex’s stated position |
|---|---|---|
| Bond | An official in-game item redeemable for membership or RuneCoins; it can be traded player-to-player or through the Grand Exchange, and securely gifted. | Jagex describes Bonds on its official Bonds page. |
| Third-party real-world trading | Buying or selling in-game items, gold or account names for money or anything of value outside Jagex’s official Bond system. | Prohibited by the Rules of RuneScape; Jagex warns of fraud and personal-information risks. |
Jagex’s current Bonds page says Bonds can be traded between players or through the Grand Exchange and securely gifted, and can be redeemed for membership or RuneCoins. The page cited here does not establish a current conversion rate, so launch-era prices or redemption details should not be assumed to apply unchanged.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Rank #3
- Featuring Original Artwork from OSRS Community Artists
- Machine Washable
- Smooth, Easy-Glide surface
- Printed at 300 Dots Per Inch
What the current rules prohibit
Jagex defines real-world trading broadly: it includes buying or selling, for money or anything of value, in-game items, gold and account names associated with Jagex accounts. The rules also prohibit paying someone else to play an account. Jagex warns that illicit sellers may obtain goods through cheating or hijacked accounts, putting buyers at risk of fraud and exposure of personal information (Rules of RuneScape).
Botting or macroing is separately prohibited and can result in an account ban, according to Jagex’s current rules. Bonds offer an official route for exchanging value; they do not make botting or third-party gold purchases permissible.
Rank #4
- Dimensions: Our standard size 11 oz mug measures 3.75" tall x 3" in diameter
- Color Coordinate: Mix and match your hot cocoa mugs with your decor by choosing from the following interior and handle colors: Black, Pink, Navy, Blue, Red and White
- Superior Quality: Constructed by our manufacturing partners from high-performing ceramic, UV protected and FDA compliant, rest assured that your mug is dishwasher (top shelf) and microwave safe.
- Professionally Printed: Our cozy mugs are printed in the USA with vivid, vibrant, crisp, long-lasting images.
- A Special Gift for any occasion. Perfect to give your friends and family for a birthday, as a Christmas gift, or retirement.
What Bonds do—and do not—show about the fight
Bonds demonstrate Jagex’s chosen economic response: create an official player-mediated market for an item bought with real money and redeemable for account benefits, in the hope that it would capture some demand otherwise served by illicit sellers. Jagex’s 2013 statements and statistics document that rationale and the enforcement context it presented.
They are not evidence of the system’s present-day effectiveness. The launch figures are historical company reports, while the current rules and Bonds page establish the broad policy and product description—not current gold-farming prevalence, a causal effect on illicit trading, or a current Bond conversion rate.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
