Best Place to Buy Gold: Top 3 Dealers in 2024

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There are many reasons people choose to buy gold. Most see it as a “safe haven” asset, a way to hedge against inflation or economic uncertainty, while others just buy it for the prestige. Whatever your motivation, it's essential to ensure you're getting the best deal possible.

To help you find the best place to buy gold, we've compiled a list of the top eight operators that trade this commodity.

Why Buy Gold?

There are many types of investments with different returns. With the latest craze around NFTs and cryptocurrency, and the emergence of crypto-friendly banks, it can be easy to forget about more traditional investments, like gold.

While the current market conditions and crypto volatility have been challenging for many investors, gold has held its value remarkably well. Silver and gold dealers have been getting a lot of business lately because people are seeking safe commodities to hold their money. But what makes gold so valuable?

Gold has been used for centuries as currency, jewelry, and other decorative items. It is paramount to many cultures and religions across the globe. Gold is abundant enough to be used in coin production, but also rare enough to only be used selectively. In addition, gold does not corrode, which means it can be stored indefinitely.

In today's economy, some people view buying gold coins as a way to protect themselves against inflation or economic turmoil. As central banks print more money, the value of each currency unit decreases. This decrease in value has caused many people to turn to gold to preserve their wealth.

Gold is also seen as a diversification tool. When stocks go down, gold often goes up (and vice versa). By buying gold, investors can help protect their portfolios from volatility.

How to Buy Gold

There are a few things you should know before you start buying gold. First, you need to decide what form of gold you want: Gold can most commonly be bought in the form of coins (​​like the American Gold Eagle or Canadian Maple Leaf), rounds, or bars.

Then, you need to decide where to buy your gold. You can buy it from various places, including online gold sellers, precious-metals dealers, pawnshops, and auction houses. Once you've decided on the form and location of your purchase, check for the purity, manufacturer, insurance, and storage, and you can start shopping around for the best price.

When buying gold, it's important to remember that you're buying a physical asset. You'll need to take possession of the gold once you've made your purchase, and therefore have a secure place to store it; don't forget to insure it against loss or theft, either. As you can see, trading commodities like gold can be expensive, but with the proper research and precautions, it’s a safe and profitable endeavor.

Best Spots for Buying Gold

We’ve compiled a list of the best online gold dealers to help you get started.

Money Metals Exchange

Money Metals Exchange was founded in 2010 and has become one of the most trusted places to buy gold online. It has a stellar A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and promises fast and insured shipping. The dealer offers a variety of precious metals, such as gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, and copper, in the form of coins, rounds, bars, and much more. It also offers precious metals IRAs to help customers secure their retirement savings.

At Money Metals, you can purchase gold coins from all over the world, including Chinese Golden Pandas and Australian, British, and Canadian coins. You can also buy rounds and bars from various mints at competitive prices.

Money Metals Exchange might be one of the best gold coin dealers that lets you purchase 1/10 oz. gold to be kept vaults securely stored in the company’s Massachusets depository, without the hassle and costs of shipping. Another specialty is rare pre-1933 coins, including $20 Liberty Gold Coins and St. Gaudens. All precious metals may be purchased via physical delivery, secure storage, or savings plan.

With this dealer, you can enroll in gold/silver plans, set a monthly investment of at least $100, and secure lower metal prices.

MMX accepts bank wire transfers, bitcoin, credit or debit cards, money orders, PayPal, or paper checks as payment methods. This might be the best place to buy gold fee-wise, considering its lack of minimum purchase requirements. Shipping is free for orders over $500, whereas you’ll have to pay $7.97 if you buy products for less.

Storage fees start at $96 per year, depending on the value of your order. If you’re unsatisfied with what you get, you can return it within three days, but you might be charged a 5% restocking fee. Finally, MMX boasts the lowest buyback fees on the market, should you decide to sell your gold in the future.

APMEX

Yet another reputable dealer of gold coins, bars, and rounds is APMEX (American Precious Metals Exchange). With more than 20 years in business, an extensive inventory, and competitive pricing, APMEX is the best place to buy gold bullion, along with other precious metals such as silver, palladium, and platinum. The dealer also boasts an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a base of more than 1.3 million customers.

APMEX offers newly minted coins along with pre-1933 ones, including ancient and medieval ones, as well as a wide variety of bars and rounds from various mints you can filter by weight or brand. APMEX offers jewelry and IRA-approved gold and has a “Deals” section for those looking for a bargain. Keep in mind that there is no minimum on domestic orders, which is a significant advantage.

If you’re wondering how to buy gold bars from APMEX, one of the options is to purchase storage, which starts at $180 annually for storing products of up to $250,000. You can have your gold delivered for free for orders above $199, while orders with lower prices will be charged a flat $9.95 shipping fee. If you decide to cancel your order, you’ll have to pay a $35 cancellation fee.

APMEX offers the most diverse payment methods, including a bunch of cryptocurrencies (BTC, BCH, ETH, WBTC, DOGE,  as well as five USD-pegged stablecoins (GUSD, USDC, PAX, DAI, and BUSD)). You can also pay using credit and debit cards, checks and e-checks, bank wire, and PayPal.

JM Bullion

JM Bullion is a newer precious metals dealer, but has quickly become one of the best places to buy gold online. At JM Bullion, you'll be able to purchase a wide range of precious metals aside from gold, such as silver, platinum, palladium, and copper. This platform deals exclusively with physical bullion and delivers gold and silver bars and coins directly to customer doors.

Even though it might sound like its resources are a bit limited, JM Bullion offers a variety of gold coins, both from the US and from foreign mints, such as American Gold Eagles, Canadian Gold Maple Leafs, South African Gold Krugerrands, and more. You can also find a lot of gold bars, including popular Credit Suisse and PAMP Suisse bars. If you decide to protect and grow your wealth with physical gold, you can go for one of its IRAs.

If you’ve been wondering how to buy physical gold but don’t want it externally stored, JM Bullion is the right place. You can count on shipping fees, though. Shipping is free for orders over $199, whereas lower-valued purchases will cost $7.99. All shipments are insured.

You can also use a third-party storage service, and JM Bullion cooperates with TDS Vaults to provide storage for its US customers' precious metals. All new JM Bullion customers will get six months of free storage for orders over $3,000.

JM Bullion accepts the following payment methods: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, PayPal, PayPal Credit, bank wires, checks, ACH, BTC, BCH, DOGE, ETH, and four USD-pegged stablecoins (GUSD, USDC, PAX, and BUSD).

SD Bullion

Founded in 2011, SD Bullion is one of the fastest-growing gold dealers found online. It offers competitive prices on gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and copper. It also provides a collection of gold coins, including pre-1933 ones and bars, with some IRA-eligible products.

To purchase gold with SD Bullion, you can either go for physical delivery or storage. Depending on the monthly closing spot price of gold and total weight, the storage will cost you as little as $9.99 per month.

As the dealer guarantees the lowest prices on the market and promises to match lower if you find them, it is the best place to buy gold and silver bars and coins, especially if you are looking for a bargain. If you go for physical delivery, you can expect free shipping on orders over $199 and a flat fee of $9.95 for those under.

Payment methods that SD Bullion accepts are bank wire, personal and cashier check (personal, cashier), e-check, postal money order, credit/debit card, PayPal, and BTC.

BGASC

As its name suggests, BGASC (Buying Gold and Silver Coins) is a dealer of precious metals with a focus on coins. It is based in California and has been in business since 2012. This reputable company offers a variety of gold, silver, and platinum coins, bars, rounds, and other products, including precious metals IRA.

Other than US-made coins, it has a vast selection of foreign mints from China, Mexico, Canada, etc.

BGASC is the best place to buy gold and silver online due to its excellent customer service and fast and insured shipping within one business day. The shipping is free for orders over $5,000, which is a high bar, while it is $9.95 for those under.

The main downside of dealing with BGASC is that it doesn't offer storage services, so you will need to find a third-party storage solution if you want to keep your gold in a safe place.

Also, payment methods are pretty limited: You can purchase products using a bank wire, credit/debit cards, PayPal, or check. If you wish to return your order, BGASC has a three-day return policy with a 5% restocking fee on PayPal and credit card orders, as well as a possible market-loss fee.

Golden Eagle Coins

Golden Eagle Coins is the best place to buy gold if you’re looking for a tried-and-true company without a blemish that has been in business for almost 50 years. The dealer offers a variety of precious metals: Gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, and copper.

The dealer is well known for its vast selection of coins, including popular ones like American Eagles, South African Krugerrands, and Canadian Maple Leafs. Besides that, it offers collectible and numismatic coins, pre-1933 coins, commemoratives, mint sets, foreign coins, and much more.

Its gold bar offer is a bit limited compared to other top gold dealers, but it does offer a decent selection of bars from Perth Mint and PAMP Suisse, ranging from 1 gram to 10 oz.

Golden Eagle Coins is one of the rare online gold dealers that offer free shipping via USPS on orders higher than $99. If your order is less than that, you’ll have to pay a $9.95 shipping fee. You can upgrade to Priority Mail for $14.95 or Express Mail for $24.95.

Golden Eagle Coins’ primary drawback is that it has no storage services and requires third-party storage if you want to keep your gold in a safe place outside your house.

The dealer offers standard payment methods: bank wire transfer, cashier's check, personal check, money order, credit cards, and PayPal. You’ll find a $1,000 maximum purchase requirement for credit cards, $2,500 for bank wire transfers, etc. Also, paying by PayPal or credit cards will add 4% on top of the product's price.

Birch Gold Group

Serving over 13,000 customers since 2003, Birch Gold Group is best-known for its personalized customer care. Aside from a wide range of gold and silver products, it offers competitive prices, various payment options, and extensive educational resources.

Birch Gold Group might be the best company to buy gold from, considering its products: Bullion coins and bars, IRA-approved precious metals, numismatic and proof coins, and even Valcambi CombiBars that can be broken down into small increments and thus have more flexible resale options. The dealer also works with silver, palladium, and platinum and offers its customers to invest in a self-directed precious-metals IRA.

Birch Gold Group has a minimum purchase amount of $10,000, and the payment methods are pretty limited; you can only use bank wire and personal checks. Once you buy the product, Birch Gold Group will ship it to you, or you can choose to store it in depositories that Birch Gold Group works with. Your commodities will be insured even in transit, with a $100,000 transit insurance per package.

Bottom Line

Finding a proper gold dealer online isn’t easy, with so many companies to choose from. Our list of the top eight platforms should help you narrow down your options and find the one that fits you. When buying gold, compare prices and fees, check for storage and shipping costs, and consider insurance options before making a purchase.