What is the Difference Between Trade and Barter in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

You need to know how to sell and purchase items in Baldur’s Gate 3 if you want the best equipment in the game. The RPG features an intricate vendor system that lets you acquire goods using two different store mechanics. However, what is the difference between trade and barter in Baldur’s Gate 3? Here is what you need to know to get the most out of your coin.

What is the difference between trade and barter in Baldur’s Gate 3

In Baldur’s Gate 3, you can purchase items from vendors using the trade menu. In contrast, bartering allows you to obtain items from a store in exchange for items from your inventory. If you were confused about this system, you are not alone. Throughout my initial playthrough, I found shopping frustrating when I would toggle on the barter menu by accident. However, once you understand the store mechanic, it’s actually really simple to use!

The easiest way to look at the mechanic is that the Baldur’s Gate 3 trade option is your standard shopping menu. A vendor lists an item’s price, and you can purchase it if you have enough coins. But with bartering, the price is being paid with the items in your inventory that you are willing to give up instead. The barter mechanic is useful in certain situations, as it allows you to buy an item from a vendor you normally couldn’t afford. It’s also a great way to offload extra items from your backpack.

How do I barter?

To successfully barter in Baldur’s Gate 3, you need to trade enough items in your inventory equal to the value of the item’s listed price in the store. So, let’s say a vendor is selling a sword for 500 coins. You will need to find enough items in your backpack that add up to 500 to make the trade successfully. If your items don’t match the item’s price listing, the vendor will refuse the offer due to being unhappy with the deal.

A really helpful tip is to look for the listed value, which can be found next to the gold symbol in the lower right corner of each item’s summary. If you know the listed price of an item you are trying to purchase, go through your inventory and try to find items with enough value to match the price. Once you have enough, submit the trade. You will know you’ve done it correctly, as a message on the screen will say that the “vendor will be happy with this deal.”

If you just want to purchase items with your coin, you can do that. The barter system is completely optional in Baldur’s Gate 3 and can be toggled off using the LB and RB buttons on controller. That said, it really is a useful tool when you want to obtain an item that is too expensive. Plus, you will find your character absolutely bogged down with extra armor, weapons, and potions as you progress through the campaign.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is available on the PlayStation 5 and PC. It will launch on Xbox consoles sometime in 2023.