Is there a way I can buy a token with gold in retail, then gift it to a friend of mine without them having to download retail to accept it in a trade? Friend is only interested in Classic and doesn’t want to download the retail version.
Is there a way I can do this?
Unfortunately not. Tokens are only available in retail, and must be purchased by the player with intent to use it. They’re account-bound.
You can buy a token with gold in retail, then turn it into Balance, then gift them game time with that Balance.
Be aware that sales taxes exist in a lot of states and the token may not cover that, but that’s the easiest way to go from your gold to their game time. Especially if they’re only on Classic.