Money Metals Exchange review: is it a good place to buy gold?

See Money Metals' current prices

How Money Metals scores on our checks

We apply the same published criteria to every dealer. This is not a star rating and it is not based on testimonials. It reflects what we could verify from the dealer's own documents and independent sources. Read how we review gold dealers.

How much does Money Metals Exchange charge?

Every dealer sells at the spot price (the live market price of gold) plus a premium (its markup over that price). Money Metals' site does not allow automated price checks, so we do not publish a premium for it. To give you a yardstick, here is what two large competitors charged for the most popular US gold coin in our latest check:

GoldVetted price check, 10 October 2026, captured while the gold market was closed. Spot from gold-api.com. Premium = price / spot - 1. See the premium tracker for all dealers we check.

Before you buy, open the same coin at Money Metals and at one or two of the dealers above, choose the same payment method, and compare the final total. The premium calculator turns any price into a percentage over spot.

Payment, shipping and insurance

Money Metals lists a wide range of payment methods, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, bank wire, BitPay and Western Union. Paying by card costs more. Its current Monthly Program agreement applies a 3.9% processing charge to credit card payments, and a 2020 article on its own site described a 4% surcharge on regular orders, shown as a separate line at checkout. On a $4,400 gold coin, 3.9% is about $172. The same article suggests bank wire for orders over $3,000 and notes that checks take about 5 business days to clear.

Shipping is free on orders of $199 or more. Its Monthly Program terms say smaller monthly shipments cost $12.97 and that orders are fully insured with tracking. We could not access a separate shipping policy page, and we found no mention of international delivery.

One term deserves attention: Money Metals says you may not cancel an order once placed, and that if you fail to pay on time you may be responsible for losses such as market moves and collection costs. Lock a price only when your payment is ready to go.

Storage at the Money Metals Depository

Storage is where Money Metals differs most from typical online dealers. In 2024 it opened a 37,000 square foot depository in Eagle, Idaho, which Canadian Mining Journal reported cost about $28 million to build. The company says metal is stored fully segregated (your bars and coins are kept apart from everyone else's), insured by Lloyd's of London, audited internally each week and by a third party once a year. It also says storage at other vetted facilities, including in the Cayman Islands, can be arranged.

Fees are billed quarterly in advance on the value of your metal at Money Metals' "Sell to Us" price, with a $24 minimum per quarter. Other charges: $25 per package shipped out plus postage and insurance, a $100 fee for withdrawals within 30 days of deposit (not for sales to Money Metals), and a possible $10 fee where you make two or more transactions under $1,000 in a month.

For small holdings the flat $96 is a large share of the value: on a single 1 oz coin it works out at roughly 2% a year. The percentage rates become more competitive as holdings grow. Compare this with home storage and other vaults in our US gold storage guide.

Selling gold back to Money Metals

Money Metals shows a "Sell to Us" price on its product pages, so you can see what it would pay before you buy. It notes that larger lots may be discounted. If your metal is already in its depository, selling to Money Metals carries no release charge and no shipping or insurance cost. Dealers always buy for less than they sell, so compare its bid with at least one other buyer. Read how to sell gold for the best price.

If you sell at a profit, the IRS generally treats gold as a collectible, with long-term gains taxed at up to 28% (IRS Topic 409). Money Metals says most gold coins and bars under one kilo do not trigger a Form 1099-B report when sold, but you are still responsible for reporting gains. See our US gold tax guide.

Legal and regulatory matters

We searched court records and news coverage for enforcement actions against Money Metals Exchange and did not find any regulator actions against it. Two legal matters have been reported:

• Kentucky sales tax suit (2025). In March 2025 Money Metals and three Kentucky residents sued Governor Andy Beshear, the Commonwealth and the Department of Revenue, arguing that sales tax was still being collected on gold and silver after the state legislature exempted it from August 1, 2024. Money Metals is the plaintiff, not the defendant. We did not find a final outcome reported for this case.
• Employment benefits appeal (2024). The Idaho Supreme Court ruled in November 2024 in an unemployment benefits appeal brought by a former employee against Money Metals and the Idaho Department of Labor, upholding the denial of benefits. It did not involve customers.

Stefan Gleason is also known for campaigning to remove state taxes on precious metals. That is advocacy, not a regulatory issue, but it explains why the company appears in tax news.

What customers say

We do not publish testimonials or invent ratings. These are the scores shown on independent sites when we checked on October 12, 2026:

For a company of its size, Money Metals says it has served 750,000 customers, so a few dozen complaints over three years is a small share. Read recent complaints yourself before ordering, especially any about delivery times and payment terms.

Who Money Metals suits, and who should look elsewhere

Good fit: US buyers who want the option of storing metal in a segregated vault run by the same company they buy from, people who like to buy a fixed amount each month, and anyone paying by wire.

Look elsewhere if: you want to pay by card without a surcharge, you only plan to store one or two coins (the flat storage fee bites), or you live outside the US. See our guide to the best places to buy gold in the US for every dealer we cover.

Alternatives to Money Metals Exchange

• JM Bullion review: Dallas dealer owned by Gold.com, Inc., with a 4% discount for check or wire. Compare in JM Bullion vs Money Metals.
• APMEX review: one of the largest US dealers with a very wide range. See APMEX vs Money Metals.
• SD Bullion review: the lowest wire price in our October 2026 Gold Eagle check. See SD Bullion vs Money Metals.

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.