Compare
Pawnbroker vs Gold Dealer vs Online Buyer: Who Pays the Most in the UK?
There are four main ways to sell gold in the UK, and they don't pay anywhere near the same. Here's the honest comparison, with the realistic payout each tends to offer as a percentage of your gold's melt value.
The four routes at a glance
| Route | Typical payout | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Pawnbroker | ~50–65% | Instant cash today; short-term loans against gold |
| High-street "cash for gold" / jeweller | ~60–70% | Convenience, face-to-face |
| Online mail-in refiner | ~85–90% | Best mainstream price for scrap |
| Specialist bullion dealer | ~90%+ | Coins, bars, large or high-carat lots |
Pawnbrokers
Fast and everywhere, but they price for quick resale and pay the least. Useful if you need cash the same hour — or want a loan against the item rather than an outright sale. Treat the offer as the floor.
High-street jewellers & "we buy gold"
A little better than pawnbrokers and reassuringly face-to-face, but the shop overhead comes out of your payout. Good for a quick sale of odd bits; rarely the best price for anything substantial.
Online mail-in refiners
Counter-intuitively, posting your gold usually pays more. These buyers work at refinery scale with low overheads and publish per-gram rates you can compare. Reputable ones offer insured freepost, photograph your parcel on arrival, and let you reject the offer and get the gold back. This is the sweet spot for most scrap sellers.
Specialist bullion dealers
For Sovereigns, Britannias, bars or large high-carat lots, a bullion dealer pays closest to spot — often 90%+ — because the metal is easy to verify and resell. If you're selling investment gold, start here.
How to actually compare offers
- Get your melt value and a realistic payout band on the calculator first.
- Convert every quote to a % of melt so you're comparing like with like.
- Get at least two online refiners' published per-gram rates.
- Anything under ~60% of melt is a walk-away for ordinary scrap.
See also: what dealers actually pay and why spot isn't your payout.
All figures are estimates of melt value, never offers. Not financial or tax advice.