Two kinds of bond redemptions
Bonds get paid back in two different ways. The most common is when a bond matures naturally. Every bond has a specified maturity date on which the bond issuer must repay the face value of the bond. On the date, bondholders have their bonds redeemed and receive a final cash payment.
The other type of bond redemption occurs before the stated maturity date. Some bonds have specific call provisions that allow the issuer to redeem the bond at specified dates prior to maturity at a stated price, which can be the same as or different from the bond's face value. In addition, companies sometimes do tender offers to buy back bonds on the open market, and when that happens, selling bondholders have their bonds redeemed in exchange for the agreed-upon payment.