If you’re selling gold anywhere in the world, the buyer who pays the most is usually not a specific company—it’s the buyer offering the highest percentage of the gold’s current market (spot) value.
In general, here’s how buyers compare:
- Local bullion dealers – Often pay 95–99% of spot for investment-grade gold bars and popular bullion coins. These are usually among the highest-paying options.
- Professional gold refiners – If you have larger quantities of scrap gold, refiners may pay 96–99% of the gold value, though there may be minimum quantity requirements.
- Jewelry stores – Typically pay 70–90% of the gold value, depending on whether they intend to resell or melt the item.
- Pawn shops – Usually offer 50–80% of the gold value because they need a larger profit margin.
- Mail-in gold buyers – Offers vary widely, from 60–95% of spot, so it’s important to compare quotes before sending anything.
To get the highest price
- Know the current spot price of gold before selling.
- Find out your gold’s purity (e.g., 24K, 22K, 18K, 14K).
- Weigh it accurately.
- Get multiple offers from reputable buyers.
- If you’re selling bullion (bars or coins), use a bullion dealer rather than a jewelry buyer whenever possible.
