Why charity shops use a postal buyer
Charity shops regularly receive donated gold, silver and jewellery that is hard to price on the shop floor and easy to undersell. GoldPaid is a UK-wide postal gold and silver buying service. Your shop or head office posts the items, every piece is XRF-tested, and you receive a written, itemised valuation so the funds raised reflect the real metal content. There is no need to travel to a buyer and no counter pressure.
How it works for your shop
- Ask before you post. Message us on WhatsApp or call. Tell us roughly what has been donated, mixed jewellery, broken chains, coins, silver cutlery, and we will explain how it works for your charity.
- Send photos on WhatsApp. A few clear photos let us give a quick indicative figure before anything leaves the shop. No charge, no obligation.
- Request a prepaid Royal Mail label. We send a free Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed label, fully tracked and signed for. Your parcel travels on Royal Mail Special Delivery, and Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. No printer in the shop? We send a QR code for the Post Office counter.
- Receive a written, itemised valuation. Each item is weighed on calibrated scales and tested by XRF spectrometry. You get a breakdown showing every item, its purity, weight, the rate used and the offer.
- Accept or decline. Accept and the charity is paid by bank transfer. Decline and everything is returned free of charge by tracked, signed-for post. No fee, no questions.
Sorting donated jewellery
You do not need to sort or identify anything before posting. Hallmarked and unhallmarked items, costume pieces mixed in with real gold, single earrings, broken chains. Send it all. XRF testing identifies precious metal content for certain and separates out costume and plated pieces at no cost. You are only ever paid for confirmed gold, silver or platinum. For a full list of what is bought, see what we buy.
A transparent valuation your trustees can rely on
Every offer is built from three measurable facts: confirmed purity, accurate weight, and the live precious metal market rate on the day. The written breakdown is suitable for charity record-keeping, reconciliation and audit, see how we value gold for the full method and XRF testing explained for how purity is confirmed.
Postage, cover and how the parcel is handled
The label we send is Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, tracked end to end and signed for on delivery. Your parcel travels on Royal Mail Special Delivery, and Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. If a donation may be worth more than that, message us before posting and we will arrange the right approach. See postage and cover and how we handle your parcel for the full detail.
If you decide not to sell
There is never any obligation to accept. If the valuation is not right for the charity, decline and everything is returned free of charge by tracked, signed-for post, the full process is on what happens if I decline the offer.
Getting the charity paid
Once the written offer is accepted, payment is made by bank transfer using Faster Payments, directly to the charity's nominated account. You keep the itemised breakdown for your records.
Why sellers choose GoldPaid
GoldPaid is a small, owner-run UK business built on one promise: show the working. Every item is XRF-assayed and weighed on calibrated scales. Every offer is itemised in writing. Postage is free and tracked both ways, and there is never a countdown or a hard sell. If something is worth more to a specialist than to us, we say so.
Common questions
How is payment made to the charity?
By bank transfer using Faster Payments, directly to the charity's nominated account, once the written offer is accepted. You receive an itemised breakdown for your records and reconciliation.
Do you provide a record of what was bought?
Yes. Every assessment comes with a written, itemised breakdown showing each item, its confirmed purity and weight, the rate used and the offer, suitable for charity record-keeping and audit.
What if some items turn out not to be precious metal?
Costume and plated pieces are identified at no cost and simply returned with the rest of any declined items by tracked, signed-for post. You are only ever paid for confirmed precious metal content.
Request a free prepaid Royal Mail label
Tell us where to send it. The label arrives by email, usually within about 30 minutes during working hours. Requesting one commits you to nothing: you get a written offer after the XRF assay, and if you decline, your items come back to you free.
Would you rather ask a question first, or send a photo? Message us on WhatsApp . It is the fastest way to get a sense of what something is worth before you post anything.
Related pages
- Charity partners (hub)
- For charity shop managers
- For multi-shop charities
- Trustee briefing
- Spotting fake gold in donations
- Silver plate vs sterling silver
- Royal Mail Special Delivery for charity parcels
- House clearance jewellery buyer
- Probate & inheritance
- What we buy
- Gold price today, UK rates
- Silver price today, UK rates
- UK gold hallmark guide
- How we value gold
- Sell antique silver smalls
- Sell bullion
- Sell engagement rings