Redemption

Redemption in Magic is the official act by Wizards of the Coast of exchanging cards on a one to one basis for other cards.

Paper to paper

The first three Magic expansions (Arabian Nights, Antiquities, and Legends) all had redemption programs due to printing and collating issues.

Digital to paper

The Magic Online Redemption Program is a feature on Magic Online that allows a player with a complete collection of a Standard-legal set on Magic Online to have those cards converted to paper Magic. The cards are deleted from the player's account and a the player is sent a corresponding full set of physical cards.

Premium and standard cards must be redeemed separately and don't count together towards the same collection. Appropriate basic lands must be included if the set's English Version's booster pack had them. Card from respective set's Masterpiece Series, and exclusive cards outside booster pack of that set are excluded and don't count a part of the collection (they cannot be redeemed, either)

Special sets, including Magic Online-only sets, cannot be redeemed.

A Redemption Request costs $25, plus shipping costs of $7.99 plus sales tax (for US residents) or $34.99 plus VAT and duties or import fees (for those living outside the US). Sets released prior to February 1, 2013 (Return to Ravnica and previous sets) cost only $5 to redeem, with shipping fees of $2.99 (to the US) or $29.99 (outside the US).

Sets become available for redemption roughly one month after release on Magic Online. Prior to Eldritch Moon, each set has a Redemption Guarantee Date which set in the last day the respect set is legal in Standard. After that the set can only be redeemed if Wizards of the Coast has remaining complete sets in stock until the cutoff date, which is roughly half years after the Redemption Guarantee Date. Starting with Kaladesh, redemption for a given set is only be available until the first redemption set for the next block is available.