Method notes and reference guides
- How GoldPaid measures every item. How each purity is established by XRF instead of read off a stamp, how worn or absent hallmarks are handled, and how a written valuation is built.
- Before posting: how the free prepaid Royal Mail label and its cover level work, whether it is safe to post gold and how a declined offer comes back.
- XRF testing and the acid test: how the two methods compare on accuracy, and what each one does to the item.
- How we handle your parcel. What happens from the Post Office counter to payment or return.
Separate a method, an example and a measurement
| Material | What it supports | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Our written method | How GoldPaid describes its own inspection and offer process | Independent accreditation, laboratory certification or a result for your item |
| Worked examples | How purity, payable weight and item description affect the calculation | Actual customer transactions, typical payouts or a forecast |
| Official guidance | The published rules or technical explanation within the source’s scope | An endorsement of GoldPaid or a guarantee for every parcel |
Go to the original source
- British Hallmarking Council: hallmarking and consumer protection — use for the role of hallmarks and consumer guidance.
- Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office: assaying methods — use for XRF, sampling and other testing methods, rather than treating a surface reading as a whole-object guarantee.
- Royal Mail: Special Delivery service details — check acceptance times, working days, delivery exceptions and the cover option for the service being used.
These references were checked on 9 October 2026. If you quote a rule, check the original source again for updates and name that source. If you describe GoldPaid’s process, attribute it to GoldPaid. Corrections can be raised through our editorial policy; we do not present these notes as original market research.
Common questions
Can journalists and researchers cite these pages?
Yes. GoldPaid’s method notes and reference guides may be cited with attribution to GoldPaid (https://goldpaid.co.uk). They describe our own method and our own reading of published sources; where a figure comes from someone else, the source is named on the page so you can go to it directly. We do not publish a dataset of our own transactions.
Not the question you had? The full GoldPaid FAQ covers the rest, from postal cover and ID checks to what happens if you decline the offer.
Speak to us before you post
Please send us photos on WhatsApp, and we will help you. We give a rough estimate where possible and arrange postage with you after our conversation. Your final offer follows inspection.