Is this a real thing, or another cold-email outfit?
GoldPaid is a UK-based postal gold and silver buying service that works directly with charity shops. When you WhatsApp 07375 071158, a real person in the UK answers. When you call 07763 741067, a real person picks up. Every parcel is XRF-tested, every offer is written and itemised, and payment is made by Faster Payments direct to the charity's registered bank account once the offer is accepted. Nothing happens until the shop has had a free WhatsApp valuation and decided to post.
Is it really free, or is there a catch somewhere?
The WhatsApp valuation is free. The prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label is free. The insured return, if the charity declines the offer, is free. The shop never pays for anything. GoldPaid's margin is on the onward sale to refiners, auction houses and specialist buyers, shown as a percentage on every report. If you don't like the offer, say no. The items come back, tracked and insured, at our cost.
Does head office need to approve this first?
For a single WhatsApp photo valuation, no. You can send a photo and get an estimate in minutes without committing anything. For an actual sale, head office or a trustee usually approves the bank account the payment goes into, because we only ever pay the charity's registered account, never a personal account, never a shop till. That is a one-time setup. After that, most shops run the process themselves.
If you would like GoldPaid to approach your head office directly first, send the name of your retail director or head of trading on WhatsApp and we will do the outreach so you don't have to. The trustee briefing is a forward-ready two-page document written for a lay trustee.
What paperwork do I actually need?
Very little. For the first parcel: the charity's registered name, the charity number (we verify it against the Charity Commission register, or OSCR for Scottish charities, or CCNI for Northern Irish charities), the charity's bank sort code and account number, and a named contact at the shop or head office. That is it. For repeat parcels, we already have the account details on file, so the shop WhatsApps us, we send a label, the shop posts.
Who do I message if I'm not sure about something?
WhatsApp 07375 071158 or call 07763 741067. They are different numbers, so pick whichever suits how you like to work. A real person answers both. If you have a watch you are not sure about, a piece of costume jewellery that might be silver, or a box of mixed items and you don't know what is worth sending. That is exactly the conversation GoldPaid is set up for. Five minutes on WhatsApp saves an afternoon of triage in the stockroom.
What should I send, and what shouldn't I?
Send gold of any carat (including broken chains and single earrings), silver (hallmarked or clearly marked), costume jewellery in bulk by the kilo (tangled and unsorted is fine), watches of any kind (running, not running, pocket, parts), coins, medals, antiques and lightweight antiques, silverware, pottery and porcelain by named maker, vintage cameras, and anything unusual you are not sure about. Don't send things that clearly belong on the shop floor, ordinary clothing, books, modern bric-a-brac, or items without obvious specialist value. If you are uncertain, WhatsApp a photo first. The full list is on what we buy.
How long does the whole thing take?
WhatsApp valuation: about five minutes. Label: arrives digitally on WhatsApp within half an hour of the request, or as a printed paper label by post if the shop prefers. Posting: one trip to any Post Office counter. Valuation on arrival: usually within two hours of the parcel being opened. Payment: by Faster Payments, on the same business day where the offer is accepted before 3pm UK time. From the first WhatsApp message to money in the charity's account, most parcels are done inside 48 hours.
What do I tell my area manager or trustee about GoldPaid?
Short version: GoldPaid is a UK postal gold and silver buying service for charity shops. Free WhatsApp valuation before posting. Prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, tracked and insured up to £2,500 as standard. XRF-tested precious metals priced against the live LBMA rate. Watches and antiques priced against auction comparables. Faster Payment direct to the charity's registered bank account once the offer is accepted, with a written itemised report and trustee-friendly PDF summary. If the offer isn't accepted, items return free of charge. The full governance answers are on the trustee briefing.
What happens if the offer isn't enough?
You say no. The parcel comes back the same way it arrived, tracked, insured, at our cost. There is no follow-up chasing, no pressure calls, no we can go a bit higher if you commit today. The offer is the offer. If it doesn't work for the charity, the items come home and the shop tries another route. Full process on what happens if I decline the offer.
Can I see a sample valuation before I commit anything?
Yes. WhatsApp a photo of a single item, a ring, a watch, a coin, and you get a free indicative figure and an estimate of what GoldPaid would pay. No label is sent, nothing is stored beyond the conversation, nothing happens until you ask. That is the point of the WhatsApp-first model: try the service on one item before trusting it with a parcel.
Built to be trusted, not just believed
- Owner-run, with a named founder accountable for the service
- Every item XRF-assayed, the result shown to you in writing
- Free insured postage both ways, so a valuation is genuinely no-obligation
- Honest about its limits, including when a specialist would suit you better
- No fabricated reviews and no invented numbers, anywhere on the site
Common questions
Do I need head-office approval to send the first parcel?
For a WhatsApp valuation, no. For an actual sale, head office or a trustee usually approves the charity bank account the payment goes into, because GoldPaid only ever pays the charity's registered account. After the one-time setup, repeat parcels are run by the shop without further head-office involvement.
What do I send and what do I leave on the shop floor?
Send anything you are not sure about: gold (any carat, broken or whole), silver, costume jewellery in bulk, watches of any kind, coins, medals, lightweight antiques, silverware, named-maker pottery and porcelain. Leave ordinary clothing, books and modern bric-a-brac on the floor. If in doubt, WhatsApp a photo first.
How quickly does the charity get paid?
Parcels are usually valued within two hours of arrival. Once the offer is accepted, payment is made by Faster Payments direct to the charity's registered bank account, on the same business day where the offer is accepted before 3pm UK time. Weekend posts and bank cut-offs can push payment to the next working morning.
What if I send a parcel and the offer is rejected by my head office?
Decline the offer and the parcel comes back free of charge by tracked, insured post. No restocking fee, no follow-up calls. Your shop receives payment for any items the charity did accept from the same parcel and the rest is returned in the same condition.