-
Commitment to our readers
18 years
Helping you save money
Reviewed
by experts
Cited by
major publications
Finder maintains full editorial independence to ensure for our readers a fair assessment of the products, brands, and services we write about. That independence helps us maintain our reader's trust, which is what keeps you coming back to our site. We uphold a rigorous editorial process that ensures what we write and publish is fair, accurate, and trustworthy — and not influenced by how we make money.
We're committed to empowering our readers to make sound and often unfamiliar financial decisions.
We break down and digest information information about a topic, product, brand or service to help our readers find what they're looking for — whether that's saving money, getting better rewards or simply learning something new — and cover any questions you might not have even thought of yet. We do this by leading with empathy, leaning on plain and conversational language that speaks directly, without speaking down.
How to buy gold: choosing the asset type
- Invest in gold stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or futures
- Buy and store physical gold
How to buy physical gold
The process of purchasing physical gold is fairly straightforward:
- Find a retailer. Whether you plan to purchase online or in person, explore customer reviews on the Better Business Bureau, Trustpilot and the Ripoff Report to verify the retailer’s reputation and legitimacy.
- Arrange for storage. Before you assemble an order, consider your storage options. Do you have a secure place to store your gold? If not, some retailers, like Money Metals and SD Bullion, offer direct storage options.
- Choose your gold. Search for gold bars and coins by weight, purity, size and price.
- Select your shipping method. Indicate your preferred shipping speed and method.
- Enter your order. Enter the quantity of gold you’d like to purchase and submit your order.
- Pay for the transaction. Most online gold retailers let you pay by credit and debit card, money order, wire transfer and e-check.
What kinds of gold can I buy?
There are several forms of gold available to investors ready to buy gold:
![Image: Getty Stack of gold bars Image: Getty](https://www.finder.com/finder-au/wp-uploads/2019/04/goldBar_Getty_150x150.jpg)
Cast bars
These bars are produced by pouring molten gold into an ingot mold and stamped with the refiner, format and bar number. Cast bars are typically cheaper to produce but the molding process is imprecise and typically yields bars with imperfections.
![Image: Getty Close up of minted gold Bars Image: Getty](https://www.finder.com/finder-us/wp-uploads/2020/11/CloseUpOfGoldBars_gettyimages_150x150.png)
Minted bars
These bars are manufactured through a minting or stamping process that emphasizes clean, straight lines and allow for intricate design details. Minted bars typically cost more than cast bars and come prepackaged to protect them from damage.
![Image: Getty Stacks of gold coins Image: Getty](https://www.finder.com/finder-au/wp-uploads/2019/04/goldCoins_Getty_150x150.jpg)
Gold coins
Gold bullion coins are produced by mints around the world and typically contain between 1/10 of an ounce and 1 ounce of pure gold. These coins also have a nominal monetary value and can be accepted as legal tender in the country where they’re made. Some popular varieties include American Eagles, Maple Leafs, Chinese Pandas and Mexican Libertads.
Compare bullion dealers
Explore bullion dealers by product selection, fees and storage options to find the dealer that fits your budget and investment goals.
Paid non-client promotion. Finder does not invest money with providers on this page. If a brand is a referral partner, we're paid when you click or tap through to, open an account with or provide your contact information to the provider. Partnerships are not a recommendation for you to invest with any one company. Learn more about how we make money.
Finder is not an advisor or brokerage service. Information on this page is for educational purposes only and not a recommendation to invest with any one company, trade specific stocks or fund specific investments. All editorial opinions are our own.
Factors that affect gold pricing
There are numerous pricing factors to consider and compare before selecting your gold.
- Spot price. This is the industry standard that represents the up-to-date rate for one ounce of gold. The spot price of gold fluctuates constantly and is determined by the forward month’s futures contract with the most volume.
- Markup. Gold markups help retailers cover costs and can range from 2% to 30% on top of the gold’s spot price. This cost may be expressed as a commission or service fee by the retailer.
- Premium. Some gold has additional collector’s value, and some issuers of gold — like the US Mint — command a higher premium than others.
- Market factors. The price of gold can be affected by a variety of market factors, including economic conditions, geopolitical events and more.
Ask a question
More guides on Finder
-
How to Buy DeepSeek Shares
DeepSeek is not a publicly traded company, but you can invest in similar companies or swoop on stocks impacted by “the DeepSeek effect.”
-
The Future of Private Investments: How Arta Is Changing the Game
Learn how Arta’s digital investing platform is making private investments more accessible to the masses and how you get can started.
-
Investing After Retirement
Bonds, treasury securities, blue chip stocks, ETFs, REITs, CDs and annuities are some of the best investments for retirees.
-
Robinhood Roth IRA Review 2025: IRA Match and $0 Commission Trading
Robinhood’s Roth IRAs are some of the best and stand out for their low trading costs, access to options trading and a 3% IRA match.
-
Is Robinhood Gold Worth It?
Robinhood Gold costs $5/month. The cost is worth it if you take advantage of the IRA match, margin interest savings and bonus on taxable deposits.
-
Best financial advisors of 2025 for help investing, planning and more
See our picks of the best financial advisors for financial planning and investment management.
-
Avoid these four costly mistakes as inflation edges higher
Tips for investing during inflationary times.
-
Save Market+ account review
A hybrid savings and investment account with potentially very high yields and FDIC insurance.
-
Best Fixed-Income Investments
Some of the best low-risk, fixed-income investments include treasury bonds, municipal bonds, corporate bonds, CDs, ETFs and more.
-
9 Types of Investment Accounts
Different investment accounts can help you reach your investment goals. Find out about the types and risks of investment accounts and which option is the best for you.