APMEX review: is it a good place to buy gold?

If you ask an AI assistant where to buy gold online in the US, APMEX is usually one of the first names it gives. That is earned: few dealers have its history or catalog. But being big is not the same as being cheapest, so this review puts its prices, fees and policies next to real numbers.

See today's APMEX prices

Who owns APMEX, and how long has it been around?

APMEX's own timeline says it opened a single store in Edmond, Oklahoma in 2000, put its catalog online in 2004 (one of the first bullion dealers to do so) and passed $1 billion in sales in 2010. It set up its storage arm, Citadel Global Depository Services, in 2012, and says it became an Authorized Purchaser of the U.S. Mint in 2014. Authorized Purchasers are the large firms allowed to buy bullion coins directly from the Mint.

In September 2023, MKS PAMP Group, a Swiss-based precious metals refiner and trader best known for PAMP bars, made what its lawyers called a "strategic investment" in APMEX. The size of the stake was not made public. APMEX now describes itself as part of Bullion International Group, which it calls the parent company of APMEX, OneGold, MTB and Gold Avenue. APMEX is privately held, so it does not publish accounts the way a listed company such as JM Bullion's owner does.

Why ownership matters to you: a dealer backed by a big refiner is less likely to run short of stock in a buying rush, and a long record with the BBB (file opened in 2003) gives you a public trail of how it handles complaints.

How APMEX scores on our checks

We score every dealer against the same published criteria, not star ratings or testimonials. Read how we review gold dealers for the method.

How much does APMEX charge?

Every dealer sells at the spot price (the live market price of one ounce of gold) plus a premium, which covers minting, handling and the dealer's margin. Our automated price check captured the same coin, the 1 oz American Gold Eagle (random year), at APMEX and SD Bullion on the same evening.

GoldVetted price check, 10 October 2026, 21:17 BST (4:17 p.m. ET), market closed. Spot from gold-api.com. Premium = price ÷ (fine gold ounces × spot) − 1. See the premium tracker for later checks.

On one coin, APMEX was $88.90 dearer than SD Bullion by wire. On ten coins that is close to $900, which is why it pays to compare before you order.

Are small gold coins good value at APMEX?

Fractional coins (1/2, 1/4 and 1/10 oz) always carry higher premiums, because the cost of minting and packing a small coin is spread over less gold. At APMEX the jump was steep. We captured these prices on October 11, 2026, with spot unchanged at $4,195.60 because the market was closed for the weekend.

Card prices at APMEX on the same day: 1/2 oz $2,388.17 (13.84%), 1/4 oz $1,240.96 (18.31%), 1/10 oz $531.17 (26.60%). A 1/2 oz Eagle contains 0.5 troy oz of fine gold, a 1/4 oz contains 0.25 and a 1/10 oz contains 0.1.

Put simply, at APMEX ten 1/10 oz Eagles cost $5,099.20 by wire for one ounce of gold, against $4,424.29 for a single 1 oz coin. Small coins are easier to sell in small amounts, but you pay heavily for that. Our American Gold Eagle guide covers the coin itself.

How do you pay APMEX, and what does a card cost?

APMEX's payment FAQ says it gives a 4% discount off list price for paper check, eCheck, bank wire and trade. Card, PayPal and crypto pay the full list price. In practice the card price works out about 4.17% higher than the wire price, because the 4% comes off the larger figure. On the 1 oz Eagle above that was $184.35.

• Bank wire: treated as cleared on receipt, so orders ship fastest. Orders over $500,000 need extra verification.
• Paper check and eCheck: paper checks accepted up to $100,000. APMEX holds check payments for 4 to 5 business days before shipping.
• Card: reviewed order by order; no stated limit.
• PayPal: US dollar orders shipped to a US address only.
• Crypto: Bitcoin, Ether, several stablecoins and others, capped at $400,000 a week, with 15 minutes to send payment.

Prices lock when you place the order. If you cancel or fail to pay, APMEX's user agreement includes a market loss policy, meaning you can be charged if the price has moved against the company. Read it before you click buy.

Shipping, insurance and delivery

APMEX ships free on domestic orders over $199 and charges $9.95 below that, with no minimum order. Parcels go by U.S. Mail or UPS, and P.O. box orders must go by registered, insured mail. Card, wire, PayPal and crypto orders usually ship within 3 business days of confirmed payment; eligible items in its QuickShip program get next-day processing. Delivery dates are not guaranteed.

Every shipment is fully insured until it is signed for or delivered. One detail many buyers miss: APMEX says packages may not require a signature unless you add one at checkout. For a parcel worth thousands of dollars, adding a signature is worth it. If a box arrives damaged or tampered with, refuse it or report it within 48 hours.

Sales tax on bullion depends on your state. APMEX keeps a state-by-state guide, and our US gold tax guide explains the federal side.

Can you buy from APMEX outside the US?

Yes, which sets it apart from many US dealers. Its international page lists 33 countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Germany and Singapore. Orders are paid in US dollars by wire and go by FedEx or UPS. The buyer pays all duties and import taxes on delivery, and returns cost the buyer. Add currency conversion on the wire and possible carrier handling fees, and a local dealer is usually simpler. See our UK, Canada and Australia pages.

Does APMEX store gold for you?

Yes. Citadel Global Depository Services, a wholly owned APMEX subsidiary, stores metal in Brink's secure facilities. Its page says holdings are fully allocated and segregated, meaning specific bars and coins are recorded as yours and kept apart from other customers' metal. The fee is 55 basis points (0.55%) a year, so roughly $275 a year on $50,000 of gold. You can take delivery at any time.

APMEX also runs OneGold, a digital gold account launched in 2018 where you own vaulted metal in smaller amounts. That is a different product from coins in your hand, with its own terms. Our US gold storage guide compares home safes, bank boxes and vaults.

Selling gold back to APMEX

APMEX buys bullion, rare coins and old gold jewelry. For bullion you request a quote online, lock the price online or by phone, and ship using a prepaid, insured APMEX Logistics label. For jewelry and scrap it sends a free appraisal kit and then makes an offer.

What it does not do is publish buy prices or a payout timeframe on its overview page, so you only see the number once you ask. Get a quote from at least one other buyer at the same time. Our guide to selling gold for the best price explains how. If you sell at a profit, the IRS generally taxes gold held over a year as a collectible, at up to 28% (IRS Topic 409).

What do customers say about APMEX?

We do not publish testimonials or make up ratings. These were the scores shown when we checked on October 11, 2026:

Trustpilot's own summary says reviewers praise the website, the range and discreet packaging, while opinions on delivery are split. The low-rated reviews we read on BBB and Trustpilot mostly concern shipping delays and slow handling of lost-parcel claims. That fits the advice above: add a signature, pay by wire if you want the fastest dispatch, and keep records.

Who APMEX suits, and who should look elsewhere

Good fit: buyers who want one trusted dealer for almost anything (US Mint coins, PAMP bars, rare coins), people who want storage and buying in one account, and buyers outside the US who are happy to handle import duties.

Look elsewhere if: price is your main concern, especially on fractional coins, or you want to pay by card. On our check, SD Bullion was cheaper on every Gold Eagle size.

APMEX vs the alternatives

• SD Bullion review: cheapest wire price on all four Gold Eagle sizes in our October 2026 check. See APMEX vs SD Bullion.
• JM Bullion review: similar 4% check and wire discount and $199 free shipping. See APMEX vs JM Bullion.
• Money Metals Exchange review: also offers storage. See APMEX vs Money Metals.
• Kitco vs APMEX: another long-standing name with its own buyback.
• Best places to buy gold in the US: every US dealer we cover.

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.