The Perth Mint review: is it a good place to buy gold?
The Perth Mint is a strong choice for its own cast bars, which were among the cheapest gold we found (2.98% over spot on 12 October 2026), and for unallocated storage with no fee. As a retailer it is less convenient: card payments stop at A$5,000, minted bars cost more than at dealers, and buyback is in person only.
Most reviews of the Perth Mint talk about the refinery, the coins or the tour. This one looks at it the way a buyer meets it: as an online shop, a storage provider and a buyer of gold. If you want the background on ownership, product ranges and the compliance history, our guide to buying from the Perth Mint covers that in depth.
| Operator | Gold Corporation (ABN 98 838 298 431), wholly owned by the Government of Western Australia |
|---|---|
| Ways to buy | Online shop, phone, the bullion trading room at 310 Hay Street, East Perth, and the Depository |
| Online order limit | A$70,000 per order; larger orders by phone or in person |
| Payment | Bank transfer (EFT), BPAY, telegraphic transfer, credit or debit card (bullion card limit A$5,000) |
| Payment deadline | Full payment within two business days of ordering |
| Delivery in Australia | A$17.50 per kg of packed weight (minimum A$17.50); cover optional at 1.1% of order value |
| Click and Collect | Free, East Perth, usually ready in 3 to 5 business days |
| Storage | Allocated gold 1% a year; unallocated gold 0% |
| Buyback | In person in East Perth; paid to your bank after at least 2 business days |
| Phone support | 1800 926 468, 8.30am to 5pm AWST on weekdays |
See today's Perth Mint bullion prices
How the Perth Mint scores on our checks
We assess every seller against the same published criteria, whether it is a government mint or a small dealer. This is not a star rating. It reflects what we could confirm from the Mint's own policy pages, our automated price checks and independent sources. Our method is explained in how we review gold dealers.
| Check | Result | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Premium we could verify | Meets | 1oz cast bar at 2.98% over spot on 12 October 2026, the lowest 1oz item in that check. |
| Competitive on resold products | Partly | Its own Swan minted bar cost more than at Ainslie Bullion and Jaggards on both 11 and 12 October. |
| Payment flexibility | Partly | Bank transfer and BPAY accepted, but card payments for bullion stop at A$5,000. |
| Insured delivery | Partly | Signature required, but transit cover costs an extra 1.1% on orders under A$70,000. |
| Storage | Meets | Government-guaranteed depository; unallocated gold stored free, allocated at 1% a year. |
| Buyback available | Partly | Buys a wide range of bullion, but only in person in East Perth. |
| Ownership and track record | Meets | State-owned; AUSTRAC released it from an enforceable undertaking after remediation was confirmed complete in May 2025. |
| Customer service record | Does not meet | Trustpilot shows 1.8 out of 5 from 27 reviews (October 2026), mostly about slow replies. |
How much does the Perth Mint charge?
Every bullion price is the spot price (the wholesale value of one troy ounce of pure gold) plus a premium for making, handling and margin. On Monday 12 October 2026 at 07:51 UTC, our automated check read single-unit prices from four product pages, with spot at A$5,987.36 from gold-api.com.
| Seller | Product | Price | Premium over spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Perth Mint | 1oz cast bar | A$6,165.72 | 2.98% |
| Ainslie Bullion | Swan 1oz minted bar | A$6,170.87 | 3.06% |
| Jaggards | Swan 1oz minted bar (bank transfer or cash) | A$6,182.34 | 3.26% |
| The Perth Mint | Swan 1oz minted bar | A$6,195.72 | 3.48% |
GoldVetted automated price check, 12 October 2026, 07:51 UTC. Each bar holds one troy ounce of 99.99% gold, so premium = price ÷ spot − 1. Prices exclude delivery. The day before (11 October, spot A$6,012.71) the pattern was the same: cast bar A$6,184.39 (2.86%), Swan bar A$6,214.39 (3.35%) direct against A$6,185.24 (2.87%) at Ainslie. ABC Bullion's site does not allow automated price checks, so we do not publish a premium for it.
What this means for you: buy cast bars direct, but shop around for minted bars. The identical Swan bar was A$24.85 cheaper at Ainslie and A$13.38 cheaper at Jaggards by bank transfer. Size matters even more than seller. Our checks on the Perth Mint's own Kangaroo minted bars that morning found premiums of 23.29% on a 1 g bar (A$237.63), 6.27% on 10 g and 2.56% on 100 g, while its 10oz cast bar came in at 2.07% (A$61,180.14 against spot of A$5,993.80). Small bars are convenient, but you pay heavily for the convenience. More results are in the Australia premium report.
Payment, delivery and Click and Collect
The Perth Mint's bullion terms say a binding contract forms when you press "Pay and Place Order", and you must pay in full within two business days. Payments have to come from a bank account in the same name as your bullion account. Bank transfer, BPAY and telegraphic transfer each take about two working days to clear, according to its FAQs.
Cards work differently from most dealers. The FAQs set a A$5,000 card limit for bullion, and card orders sit under a "Contract Completion Guarantee": if the order is not settled within two days, the Mint may charge a A$150 administration fee plus any market losses. Orders of A$5,000 or more also need ID uploaded through the Mint's secure file link. Orders over A$100,000 need a 15% deposit before the price is fixed.
Delivery within Australia costs A$17.50 per kilo of packed weight, so a single 1oz bar usually costs the A$17.50 minimum. Transit cover is optional at 1.1% of the order value (about A$68 on one 1oz bar at today's prices), and a signature is required. Domestic parcels usually arrive one to three working days after dispatch. Overseas, bullion only goes to a short list of countries, including New Zealand, Singapore and Japan.
Click and Collect is free. Orders are usually ready in three to five business days and are held for 14 days; the account holder must collect in person with photo ID. Uncollected bullion is shipped at your cost, and bullion orders cannot be cancelled or returned.
Is the Perth Mint Depository good value?
The Depository is where the Mint stands out from retail dealers. Unallocated gold (an amount of gold owed to you, rather than specific bars) has no storage fee and no fabrication charge. Allocated gold (named bars set aside for you) costs 1% a year plus a one-off fabrication fee, for example A$145 for a 1oz cast bar or A$3,000 for a kilo bar. Holdings are backed by a Western Australian Government guarantee, according to the Mint.
| Trade value | Fee |
|---|---|
| Under A$5,000 | Not accepted |
| A$5,000 to A$10,000 | 1.00% |
| A$10,001 to A$100,000 | 0.95% |
| A$100,001 to A$250,000 | 0.75% |
| A$250,001 to A$500,000 | 0.50% |
| A$500,001 to A$1,000,000 | 0.25% |
| Over A$1,000,000 | 0.20% |
Source: The Perth Mint storage account fees page. Storage on Depository Online is calculated daily and taken monthly from your cash account. Coins cannot be stored.
The catch is the A$5,000 minimum trade, which rules out small regular top-ups. Someone buying A$20,000 of unallocated gold pays A$190 to buy (0.95%) and another 0.95% to sell, but nothing in between. Compare that with paying a dealer premium of around 3% and then a buyback spread. Our guide to allocated vs unallocated gold explains the ownership difference, and SMSF trustees can read about gold in an SMSF. We describe these options for information only.
Selling gold back to the Perth Mint
The Perth Mint buys Perth Mint coins and medallions, current legal tender gold and silver coins, bars from most LBMA-accredited refiners (others at its discretion) and natural nuggets. It pays no premium on proof or numismatic coins. Selling is done in person at the bullion trading room in East Perth: you open an in-store account (online accounts cannot be used in store), bring photo ID, have the metal assessed, and are paid into your own Australian bank account after at least two business days. Its sell bullion page does not describe a postal service.
That is fine if you live in Perth, and awkward if you do not. Dealers on the east coast, such as Ainslie, accept posted bullion and publish live buyback estimates. Compare both in our guide to selling gold in Australia.
What customers say
We do not publish testimonials or invent scores. These are the figures shown on independent sites when we checked in October 2026:
| Site | Score shown | Based on | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 1.8 out of 5 | 27 reviews | Mint does not invite reviews |
| Google Maps (310 Hay St, East Perth) | 4.3 out of 5 | 1,705 ratings | Listed as a tourist attraction, so includes tour visitors |
| ProductReview.com.au | No listing found | ||
The small Trustpilot sample is dominated by complaints about unanswered emails, long phone holds and slow refunds or deliveries. Positive reviews mention careful packing and fast dispatch. Neither sample is large, so treat them as a signal to keep records of every order and to phone during AWST business hours if something goes wrong.
Pros
- Cast bars among the lowest premiums in our checks
- Government owned, with a government guarantee on stored metal
- Unallocated storage with no storage fee
- Free Click and Collect in East Perth
- Buys a wide range of coins, bars and nuggets
Cons
- Minted bars cost more than at Ainslie and Jaggards
- A$5,000 card limit and A$150 fee on unsettled card orders
- Transit cover is an extra 1.1%
- Buyback in person only
- Weak Trustpilot score for service
Who the Perth Mint suits, and who should look elsewhere
Good fit: buyers of 1oz or larger cast bars who can pay by bank transfer, Perth residents who can collect and sell in person, and people who want to hold A$5,000 or more in a government-backed depository.
Look elsewhere if: you want minted bars or coins at the lowest price, prefer to pay by card above A$5,000, or live outside Western Australia and want to sell by post. Our list of the best places to buy gold in Australia covers alternatives.
Alternatives to the Perth Mint
- Ainslie Bullion review: the cheapest Perth Mint Swan bar in both of our October checks, with postal buyback.
- ABC Bullion review: a Sydney dealer with its own refinery and vaults.
- Jaggards review: a lower price for bank transfer or cash.
- Perth Mint vs ABC Bullion: the two biggest Australian names side by side.
Gold prices go down as well as up. This review is general information, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Perth Mint a legitimate place to buy gold online?
Yes. The Perth Mint is operated by Gold Corporation, which is wholly owned by the Government of Western Australia, and it makes most of the Kangaroo coins and Perth Mint bars that Australian dealers resell. Its online shop sells bullion for delivery or free Click and Collect in East Perth. Its customer service ratings are weaker than its reputation as a refiner.
Can I pay the Perth Mint by credit card?
Yes, but its FAQs say the card limit for bullion is A$5,000, and card orders come under a Contract Completion Guarantee: you must settle within two days or the Mint may charge a A$150 administration fee plus any losses. Bank transfer, BPAY and telegraphic transfer take about two working days to clear.
How much does Perth Mint delivery cost?
For Australian bullion orders under A$70,000, the Perth Mint charges A$17.50 per kilo of packed weight (minimum A$17.50), and transit cover is optional at 1.1% of the order value. A signature is required on delivery. Click and Collect from its East Perth shop is free and usually ready in three to five business days.
Can I sell gold back to the Perth Mint by post?
Its sell bullion page describes in-person trading only, at the bullion trading room at 310 Hay Street, East Perth, with an in-store account, photo ID and payment to your own Australian bank account after at least two business days. If you live elsewhere, a dealer with postal buyback, such as Ainslie Bullion, may be easier. See our guide to selling gold in Australia.
Is the Perth Mint cheaper than ABC Bullion or Ainslie?
It depends on the product. In our 12 October 2026 check, the Perth Mint's own 1oz cast bar cost 2.98% over spot, but its 1oz Swan minted bar cost A$24.85 more than the same bar at Ainslie Bullion. ABC Bullion's site does not allow automated price checks, so we do not publish a premium for it. See Perth Mint vs ABC Bullion.
What are the Perth Mint's Trustpilot and Google ratings?
When we checked in October 2026, Trustpilot showed 1.8 out of 5 from 27 reviews, mostly about slow replies and delayed orders, and noted the Mint does not invite reviews. Google Maps showed 4.3 out of 5 from 1,705 ratings for the Perth Mint's East Perth site, which is listed as a tourist attraction, so many of those ratings cover the tour.
Sources
We checked these primary and official sources when writing and fact-checking this page.
- The Perth Mint: Terms and conditions for purchase of bullion (2-day payment, A$70,000 online limit, A$150 fee)
- The Perth Mint: FAQs (payment methods, A$5,000 card limit for bullion)
- The Perth Mint: Shipping and delivery (A$17.50 per kg, 1.1% cover, international bullion countries)
- The Perth Mint: Click and Collect (free, 3 to 5 business days, held 14 days)
- The Perth Mint: Storage account fees (checked 12 Oct 2026)
- The Perth Mint: Sell bullion in person (accepted items, settlement, licence 83230)
- The Perth Mint: Contact us (1800 926 468, 8.30am to 5pm AWST weekdays)
- AUSTRAC: AUSTRAC deems Perth Mint free of enforceable undertaking
- Trustpilot: The Perth Mint reviews (1.8 from 27 reviews, viewed Oct 2026)
- gold-api.com: XAU/AUD spot feed used for GoldVetted price checks
Not financial advice. GoldVetted provides general information to help you compare options. It is not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Gold prices go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you pay. Check tax rules with the official source or a qualified adviser before you act.