In-game currencies The Division Guide
Last update: 03 June 2016
There are three types of currencies used in the Tom Clancy's The Division game:
- Credits
- DZ Funds
- Phoenix Credits
Credits
Credits are the most basic currency used in the game. During most of the time (until you reach the 30th level with your character) they will be used to purchase weapons, armors and upgrades.
Your main source of Credits will be selling items. During your journey through the game world the enemies you encounter will drop enormous amount of items, most of which will be completely useless. And here you have two choices - you can either dismantle such an item for rafting materials, or sell it to one of the vendors. If you aren't planning on focusing on crafting, you should sell them to a merchant - you will always be short on Credits, but later on in the game one of the shopkeepers will have items of Superior rank. They are extremely expensive, but almost always worth their price.
Another, almost equality important source of Credits are missions. Every single one of them, even the smallest and easiest ones will reward you with a specific amount of credits once you complete them, and the amount of money gained can be increased by playing on a higher difficulty level. Not only that the enemies will drop better loot, you will be given a bigger reward at the end of the mission.
DZ Funds
Dark Zone Funds (DZ Funds) is the "middle" currency - more valuable than the Credits, but not as elite as the Phoenix ones. DZ Funds are also one of the most unique elements of the game - they can be gained only when inside of the Dark Zone, and are the only Currency that can be lost upon dying from the hands of another player.
This currency can be gained by eliminating the NPC enemies scattered around the Dark Zone, as well as by killing other players. It can be used only inside of the Dark Zone (aside from a single vendor in the Base of Operations) - special vendors can be found in safe zones. Those will offer powerful elements of equipment, as well as various crafting blueprints, which can be purchased by using your DZ Funds.
You must be careful, as the Dark Zone funds can easily be lost. Each time you die from the hands of another player, the amount of DZ currency you have will decrease by several percent. Additionally, while you are marked as a Rogue, which will happen when you attack an innocent player, the penalty for a death will be even more severe - you will lose couple times more DZ Funds than normally. This is precisely the reason why you shouldn't run around the Dark Zone with a huge amount of DZ Funds in your pocket - the more you have it in your inventory, the more you will lose upon death.
Phoenix Credits
Phoenix Credits is the most valuable currency in the game, which can be used to purchase the most powerful armors and weapons, elements of attire or even the Dark Zone Keys. It is also an alternative to those who are unwilling to cope with the toxic players in the Dark Zone - acquiring them is a difficult and time-consuming process, but you won't get shot in the back by a now-former ally.
There are two sources of Phoenix Credits - Daily Missions and completing story-related missions on the Challenge difficulty. Daily Missions appear once a day, stay for 24 hours and there are 3 of them each time. When you complete them, you have to wait for them to get replaced by a set of new ones. The Challenge difficulty level can be set on some of the story-related missions, but only after you've reached the 30th level. Those are extremely difficult to complete, but they are the best source of Phoenix Credits.
Phoenix Credits can be spent at two different locations - at the special vendor in the Base of Operation (located in the Tech Wing), as well as in one of the safe houses located in the Dark Zone. You shouldn't hurry, as you will need to get the 30th level of experience, as well as a high Dark Zone rank in order to purchase anything in the Dark Zone (the vendor in the BoO has items that have only experience level restrictions).