Last reviewed October 2026 · How we research · Sellers and scores on the Pax Dei page.
What Mainframe Says
Mainframe Industries’ Terms of Use, last updated December 15, 2023, do not use the phrase real-money trading, but the clauses that cover gold are broad. Section 2 defines Virtual Currency as currency used within the Service that a player may purchase with real money or earn in game, and section 3 says a user may not transfer or sell any information, products, software or services obtained from the Service. Section 8 adds that players have no ownership or other property rights in their account or its content, and no right or title in Virtual Currency or Virtual Items, whether earned or purchased.
Section 4 gives Mainframe the right to limit, suspend, terminate, modify or delete accounts, or deny access, if it reasonably suspects use contrary to the Terms, and warns that a player may permanently lose their username and Virtual Items as a result. Mainframe’s support page for Error 104 puts the top penalty plainly: that error means access has been permanently removed, very likely for not respecting the Terms of Use. The supplemental Code of Conduct, last updated March 25, 2024, also bans cheats, exploits, automation software and bots, and says Mainframe may restrict or remove privileges or access for breaches.
How Gold and Grace Actually Work
Gold coins are Pax Dei’s trade currency, and Mainframe does not sell them. Its Markets and Economy spotlight says gold coins are acquired as loot from NPCs, and its Markets, Gold & Grace FAQ says, until further notice, all gold coins will come in the form of PvE loot, and gold bars cannot be turned into coins. Gold is the backbone of player trade: you browse other players’ market stalls, which hold up to 120 orders at first, carry a listing fee of 5% of the sale price with a minimum of 1 gold, and can be placed on your own plot to sell gear, materials and consumables.
Gold also buys Grace, a separate, non-transferable resource. Per the same FAQ, you earn some Grace free each day, then gain more by sacrificing gold at an altar at a cost that rises through the day and resets daily. Grace powers Miracles such as crafting and gathering blessings and fast travel, and support says 400 Grace claims a Grace Plot for one month, one per server region. Mainframe’s official shop sells Premium Membership and Plot Tokens, and Premium Status boosts Grace from logins and Gold Offerings by 50% — it does not sell gold coins.
What Can Go Wrong
- Permanent loss of access. Section 4 allows termination for suspected Terms breaches, and Error 104 is a permanent removal, so a flagged gold trade can cost the account, its plots and its items, not just the coins.
- Bot and exploit supply. The Code of Conduct bans bots, automation and exploiting glitches, and Mainframe’s May 2025 subscription FAQ says it will continue to take action against accounts breaking its Terms of Use and Code of Conduct over bots and gold farming, whatever their subscription status. Gold farmed that way can be traced to its buyers.
- No ownership to fall back on. Because section 8 says Mainframe owns all rights in the account and its Virtual Currency, support has no duty to restore bought gold that is removed or an account that is closed.
- Login-based delivery. Section 3 bars granting a third party access to use the Service, and the Code of Conduct says accounts have a one-person limit and not to let friends play on your account. Any farming or boosting service that logs in as you breaches both.
Red Flags to Avoid
- Sellers who ask for your Pax Dei, Steam or email login to deliver or farm gold.
- A seller or delivery character who asks you to return the gold or items after delivery — PlayerAuctions specifically warns buyers never to do this and to report it.
- Prices far below the few live listings, Discord-only sellers with no buyer protection, and payment only by crypto, gift cards or bank transfer.
- Promises that a trade is undetectable or “can’t be banned”: Mainframe publishes a permanent-ban error for Terms breaches.
- Listings that do not name your shard or region — delivery is server-specific, and stalls and characters live on a particular shard.
If You Decide to Go Ahead
We can’t make a purchase allowed by Mainframe’s Terms. If you still buy, use a marketplace with buyer protection that holds payment until delivery is confirmed, confirm your shard, character name and the face-to-face meeting place in writing, never share your login, pay with a method you can dispute, and keep records. Our Pax Dei page lists the sellers we review with their scores.
Lower-Risk Alternatives
Earn gold the way the economy is designed for: loot gold coins from PvE, especially NPC encampments, and sell crafted gear, materials and consumables from your own market stall or a clan stall. Convert spare gold into Grace through daily Gold Offerings instead of buying gold to do it, use the free daily Grace login amount, and claim a Grace Plot for 400 Grace if you need land without a subscription. If you want to spend real money, spend it officially on Premium Membership or Plot Tokens in Mainframe’s shop, which boost Grace and XP and keep a plot active, rather than on coins from a third party.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is buying Pax Dei gold allowed?
No, not under a plain reading of Mainframe’s Terms of Use: section 3 bars transferring or selling anything obtained from the Service, and section 8 says players own no Virtual Currency. Suspected breaches can lead to termination under section 4.
Can I buy gold coins officially from Mainframe?
No. Mainframe says all gold coins come from PvE loot until further notice. Its shop sells Premium Membership and Plot Tokens, and Grace is non-transferable and earned in game, partly by sacrificing gold.
How is third-party Pax Dei gold usually delivered?
Marketplaces such as PlayerAuctions list face-to-face in-game delivery, where the seller meets your character at an agreed time and place on your shard, and in-game mailbox delivery for some orders. Never return gold to the delivery character if asked.
Sources
- Mainframe Industries: Terms of Use (last updated Dec 15, 2023) (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Mainframe Industries: Pax Dei Code of Conduct (last updated Mar 25, 2024) (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Pax Dei: Spotlight - Markets and Economy System (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Pax Dei: Markets, Gold & Grace - FAQ (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Pax Dei: Playing Pax Dei without a subscription (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Pax Dei Support: Error 104 - Account Banned (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Pax Dei Support: What is a Grace Plot? (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Pax Dei Shop: Premium Membership and Plot Tokens (read Oct 16, 2026)
- PlayerAuctions: Buy Pax Dei Gold (read Oct 16, 2026)
