Trade limit



The Trade limit is a mechanism in the trade system that prevents players from making trades considered to be too "unbalanced", that is, where one of the two players involved in the trade is giving much more than they are receiving. Jagex introduced it as part of measures to curb real world trading. As a side benefit, the trade limit also discourages scamming and "hacking" other players' accounts.

For free players, the imbalance can be no more than 3,000 coins every fifteen minutes; for members, the limit increases with quest points up to a maximum of 30,000 coins in the same time. This limit also affects stakes made when duelling, any charge made for lending items, and the Rat Pits.

Jagex's intention to add the limit was announced in the Trade and Drop Changes update on 10 December 2007, as part of several other updates, to allow players to prepare for the limit. In fact, the trade limit was already applied to new players who signed up after 10 December 2007, as well as various other "high risk" players. The limit was instituted for all players in the Unbalanced Trade Removal update on 2 January 2008.

Limit amount
As initially planned, the trade cap would have been 3,000 coins for all players. After considering suggestions from players, Jagex decided to increase this limit, depending on quest points, although free players are still unable to gain or lose more than 3,000 coins every fifteen minutes. Below is a table with approximate trade limits for given numbers of quest points, as provided by Jagex.

Criticism


The announcement of the limit resulted in much criticism from players, and was a factor in the well-known Pay to Pk Riot (though that was primarily in protest at the changes to the Wilderness, which coincided with the trade limit announcement). Many players disliked the update, as it prevents larger gifts from being given to others, and reduces the amount of help that can be provided to fellow players. On 3 January 2008, shortly after the implementation of the limit, the Unbalanced Trade Riot occurred as a result.

On 25 June 2008, Mod Stevew was on Arcanists 9, speaking about the trade limit. One player asked him about it, and Mod Stevew did not know whether or not it would be removed.

Workarounds
Since the update, players have tried various ways to bypass the trade limit, such as using Bounty Hunter, despite the high risk that it carries. Some players have also used the Party Room, in very non-busy worlds and having totals of just enough value that it is not advertised throughout RuneScape.

A recent method is to look for items that have a large discrepancy the Grand Exchange value and the player market value. For example, various items have a relatively high Grand Exchange compared to their street value. Players often use these items to "balance" a trade. This practice is known as junk trading, and the junk is sometimes called "trade fodder".