Forum: gaming.stackexchange.com
Tags: <world-of-warcraft>
Title: Do you have to buy and subscribe to World of Warcraft?
Question: I just started playing World of Warcraft, I am on the Starter Edition, which allows you to level up to level 20. After you reach level 20 I know you need to buy the actual game, but when you buy the game to you also have to subscribe to it?

Answers:
sents: text: Yes, you'll have to buy the game as well as subscribe if you want to keep playing past level 20.
text: However, when you buy the game (for $20), you get a free month (normally $15).
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/274/Brant
score: 11
sents: text: You can buy wow gamecards instead of subscribing if you don't want to (or can't) use a credit card to subscribe.
text: You do have to have a credit card though to activate your account, which won't be charged if you cancel the subscription right away.
text: Quote from http://us.battle.net/support/en/article/account-creation-faq : Keep in mind that you are not billed for the first month of the game.
text: Thus, if you want to set up your account immediately, you can use a credit card.
text: Then you can easily change your payment method at any time during your free month, before your paid subscription starts.
text: Also you can find online stores that sell wow gamecards with a discount which can be a real money saver.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/29868/Blaaznar
score: 1
sents: text: If you plan on continuing to play: Yes, You can pay online for 15$ per month or go to a store (eg.
text: Target) and buy a 60 day gametime card for around 30$. If you wish to stop playing If you do not pay, then the account will stay dormant until you pay for more time.
text: If you are talking about paying immediately after you buy the starter pack You get a free month of gametime with the pack, but after it runs out your account will go dormant until you pay for more time.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/64724/user64724
score: 1
sents: text: Hi When you have bought world of warcraft you can play until 1 month past then you dont need to buy another world of warcraft, you can just buy the subscription after you have bought world of wacraft
text: then you can play 1 month, if you want 3/6 months it means you need to pay 3/6 times more but with 3/6 less euro,dollar e.t.c.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/144900/Easy Answer
score: 1
sents: text: This is a buy and subscription based game, so yes, you need both if you want to play without trial restrictions.
text: Buying the base game
text: You can buy the game online or in a physical shop.
text: Any 'vanilla' version of the game will do.
text: That is: the original game, the original battle chest or the current battle chest, as any version will automatically be upgraded to the 'base game' which always* has all expansions besides the last one.
text: Buying the base game adds 30 days of game time to your account.
text: Buying the expansion
text: You will always* only have to buy the last expansion, as all previous automatically get added to the base game when a new one comes out.
text: Expansions add no game time to your account.
text: You need the expansion to access
text: it's exclusive content.
text: You can play the game without it, though.
text: Game time You can play the trail version of the game until you add game time for the first time.
text: Should your game time expire, your account will be playable under veteran conditions.
text: You can prepay your game time or set up a subscription, so you will never run out.
text: The first has the advantage that you won't forget to cancel
text: , the second will never have you run out of game time.
text: You can also pay for game time with ingame money.
text: The amount you need is rather high for a new player, though.
text: *
text: Since around 2012 till as of writing it has been this way and it will stay this way for the foreseeable future.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/135964/Belle
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
You'll have to buy the game as well if you want to keep playing. 
World of Warcraft has to be bought and then pay for a montly subscription, in order to keep using the service.