A question costs nothing
Before you decide anything, send a few clear photos of your scrap gold on WhatsApp, or call. You will get an honest quick indicative figure and a straight answer about hallmarks, the postal cover, the XRF assay or the free return if you decline. None of it commits you to posting.
GoldPaid is a UK-wide postal gold and silver buying service with no branches. The flagship guide, selling gold by post in the UK, walks through how the whole thing works before you send a thing.
What counts as scrap gold
"Scrap" simply means gold that is sold for its metal content rather than as a wearable piece. Condition is irrelevant. We weigh it and XRF-test it the same way regardless. Scrap gold includes:
- Broken and snapped chains, bracelets and necklaces
- Single earrings, odd cufflinks and incomplete pairs
- Bent, damaged or misshapen rings and bangles
- Tangled lots and the bottom of the jewellery box
- Unhallmarked and mystery gold, the XRF assay confirms it
- Worn-down pieces where the hallmark is no longer readable
You do not need to sort, clean, untangle or identify anything. Send it as it is, see what we buy for the full list, and how to get the most for your gold for the nine things that genuinely change the figure.
The full process, start to finish
- Ask, then send photos. Message us on WhatsApp with a few clear photos of your scrap gold. Lay items flat, in daylight if you can, and include any hallmarks or carat stamps in shot. We reply with a quick indicative figure and answer anything you want to ask. There is no charge and no obligation.
- Request the prepaid label. When you are ready, we email a free Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed label, tracked and signed for. No printer is needed: ask for a QR code and the Post Office counter prints it for you.
- Pack and post, tracked. Wrap items in any padded envelope or a small box and attach the label. Hand the parcel in over the Post Office counter so you get a receipt with the tracking number. Keep that receipt. There is no deadline.
- We weigh, test and value. On arrival each item is weighed on calibrated scales and tested by XRF spectrometry to confirm purity. You receive a written, itemised offer showing the weight, the purity, the rate used and the figure for each item, usually on the working day your parcel arrives.
- Accept or decline. Accept and you are paid by bank transfer on Faster Payments. Decline and everything is returned to you free of charge by tracked, signed-for post. The choice is entirely yours, and you do not need to give a reason.
New to posting valuables? Read the flagship guide on selling gold by post in the UK for a fuller walk-through of every step.
What the offer is built on
Three measured things set every offer: confirmed purity from an XRF assay, accurate weight on calibrated scales, and the live precious-metal rate on the day. You read each figure in a written, itemised breakdown before you decide anything. To see the rates that move the figure, check the gold price today and the silver price today.
Scrap gold is valued purely on confirmed purity and weight against the live market rate. There is no "condition deduction", because we are buying the metal. A snapped 9ct chain and an intact 9ct chain of the same weight are worth the same to you.
Postage, tracking and cover
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. Every parcel uses Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, tracked from the counter to our door, signed for on arrival, and arranged with that compensation cover. For anything you think exceeds it, contact us first; we will arrange a suitable approach rather than leave a parcel underprotected. The detail sits on postage and cover and is it safe to post gold?.
Declining, made simple
A quick message is all it takes to decline, and you do not need to give a reason. Your items are then returned free of charge on a tracked, signed-for service, with no fee and no pressure to reconsider. What happens if I decline the offer covers it fully.
Who this helps
Scrap gold selling suits anyone clearing out a drawer of broken and unworn pieces, and anyone holding single earrings or damaged jewellery they have no attachment to. It also suits resellers and car-boot, eBay and Vinted sellers who come across gold and want the metal value confirmed properly rather than guessed at.
Getting paid
Once you accept your written offer, payment is made by bank transfer using Faster Payments within one working hour of acceptance, directly to your account. No cheques to wait on, no conditions attached.
What backs the offer up
- XRF spectrometry on every item, not a counter estimate
- A written, itemised breakdown before you decide anything
- Free tracked postage in, free tracked return out
- No countdowns, no pressure, no fabricated reviews
- An owner-run business whose founder, Rocco Clayfield, answers questions himself
Common questions
What if I think the offer is too low, can I refuse it?
Yes. Every GoldPaid offer is no-obligation. If the written XRF-confirmed figure does not suit you, decline and your parcel is returned free of charge by tracked, signed-for Royal Mail post within one working day. There is no fee, no follow-up pressure and no need to give a reason. The valuation breakdown shows the carat, weight, rate and total, so you can compare like-for-like against any other buyer before deciding.
Is broken gold worth less than wearable gold?
No. Scrap gold is valued on its metal content, confirmed purity and weight against the live rate. A broken chain and an intact chain of the same carat and weight are worth the same. We are buying the gold, not the look.
Do you buy unhallmarked or mystery gold?
Yes. A missing hallmark does not mean an item is not gold, the XRF assay confirms the exact composition regardless. Send a photo first if you would like a quick indicative figure.
Do I pay tax on money from selling scrap gold?
Usually not. Scrap gold you already owned is a personal possession, and HMRC guidance only requires a gain to be reported where the disposal proceeds for a single item exceed £6,000, applied per item rather than per parcel. Most scrap also sells for less than it originally cost, so there is no gain in the first place. Buying gold in order to sell it on is a different question. See is selling scrap gold taxable in the UK for the detail with the gov.uk sources. General information, not tax advice.
Do I need to clean or sort the gold first?
No. Send it exactly as it is, tangled, dirty, mixed carats, costume pieces mixed in. We separate by carat before valuing, and anything that is not precious metal is simply returned at no cost.
What if I decline the offer?
Everything is returned to you free of charge by tracked, signed-for Royal Mail post. There is no fee for declining and no follow-up pressure.
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
- What is scrap gold?
- Scrap gold prices, UK
- Scrap gold value (how it is calculated)
- Spot price vs scrap price explained
- Sell gold for cash
- Selling gold as a reseller
- Sell broken jewellery
- Sell unwanted jewellery
- Sell gold by post UK
- How we value gold
- What we buy
- Gold price today, UK rates
- Silver price today, UK rates
- UK gold hallmark guide
- Sell silver bullion
- Sell a TAG Heuer or Heuer Watch
- Selling antique gold in the UK