No pressure to begin with
Nothing is committed at the start. WhatsApp a photo and you will get an honest read on whether testing is worth it for that item, what the cost would be, and what the report will say.
GoldPaid has no branches. The testing service is run by post, UK-wide, with a single number for calls and WhatsApp and a full evening window so you can ask outside work hours.
Step 1: the WhatsApp triage
A clear photo of the front and back of the item, with the hallmark area in focus if there is one, is enough for us to do three things: tell you which testing pack fits, tell you what the report can and cannot tell you, and give you a straight read on whether the test is worth running on that item.
We do not need the item posted to give you this advice. WhatsApp is the fastest route, but the phone works just as well, 8am to 9pm seven days a week. The triage costs nothing.
Step 2: order the right pack
Pricing is published in full on the pricing page. There are six consumer packs and five trade tiers. Once the pack is paid for, a prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label and a counter QR code arrive by email, usually the same working day.
The label stays valid until used. There is no deadline. Send the item when it suits you.
Step 3: post the item
Use any padded envelope. The label goes on the front. If you have a printer, print it at home. If not, the email also contains a QR code that the Post Office counter can scan to print the label for you. Cover wording stays the same: 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, and if a parcel may be worth more than that we split it across more than one prepaid label at no charge, each with its own tracking number and cover.
You receive the tracking reference automatically when the label is issued, and an inbound notification when the parcel arrives with us.
Step 4: the test
Each item is photographed front and back at high resolution, weighed on calibrated scales to 0.01g, and scanned by a Thermo Scientific Niton XL2 precious-metal analyser at multiple points: centre, edge, near the hallmark, and at any solder joints. Multi-point scanning is the SOP, not an option. It is the single biggest defence against plating misreads.
Each scan reads the full elemental table. The report shows every metal present, not just gold, so the customer can see for themselves whether the alloy matches the hallmark. A plain-English summary on the front page of every report translates the technical findings for a non-specialist reader.
Step 5: the report and the return
The PDF report is delivered by email and, optionally, by WhatsApp. The item is dispatched back the same working day, by Royal Mail Special Delivery, with the return tracking link sent at the same time. Nothing is held back.
Inside the report there is a plain-English summary, the full elemental table, a hallmark cross-check, the plating screen result, the indicative scrap-equivalent value (clearly labelled as not an offer), the not-a-hallmark disclaimer, and a unique report number, so a solicitor or auditor can ask us to confirm the report number and content.
How items travel
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, and if a parcel may be worth more than that we split it across more than one prepaid label at no charge, each with its own tracking number and cover.
Special Delivery is signed for at every handover. We send a confirmation by WhatsApp when the parcel reaches us, and the same again on the return leg once the report has been issued.
Return policy
Every item is returned by tracked, signed-for Special Delivery the same day the report is finalised. The return is included in what you have already paid. Nothing else is added at the end.
If we cannot complete a test for any reason (for example, the surface is too contaminated, or the item is a non-metallic composite), you are refunded in full and the item goes back the same day.
The independence pledge
You can use this testing service with no intention of selling, and plenty of customers do exactly that. Nobody here is paid more for turning a test into a sale. The report carries no offer and no upsell, because it is not the front end of anything. We test. What you do next is your own business.
Ask at the end whether the item is something we would buy and you will get an honest answer. Do not ask, and nothing follows.
What this report is, and what it is not
The report identifies the elemental composition of an item to the accuracy of the analyser. It does not replace a UK hallmark, an Assay Office fire assay, or a written valuation from a qualified valuer for insurance reinstatement purposes. We say so in plain English on the front page of every report.
If a report leaves any doubt, we will tell you what the next step would be, typically a UK Assay Office fire assay (destructive but definitive) for high-value disputes, or a written insurance valuation from a qualified independent valuer for reinstatement cover.
Built to be trusted, not just believed
- Owner-run, with founder Rocco Clayfield personally accountable for the service
- Every item XRF-assayed, the result shown to you in writing
- Free tracked 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
How quickly is the prepaid label sent after I order?
Usually within 30 minutes during working hours, by email. Both a printable PDF and a Post Office counter QR code are included, so a printer is optional.
Can I post several items in one parcel?
Yes, if the total is within the cover of the testing pack you have chosen and the items can be handled together safely. The family pack, estate pack and probate pack are built for multi-item parcels.
What if my item is unusual, antique, or non-standard?
Send a photo first. Antique gold with pre-1973 marks, foreign hallmarks, Asian-fineness gold and Eastern European stamps all read fine on XRF. The triage answers any specifics for your item.
How long does the test itself take?
Each scan is a matter of seconds. The full SOP (receipt, photograph, weigh, multi-point scan, report generation, dispatch) averages 15 to 25 minutes of operator time per single item. We aim for 24 to 48 hours wall-clock from receipt to report.
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.
Request a prepaid Royal Mail label for your XRF test
Two quick steps. Tell us which pack you want in the box below and we will confirm the price and how to pay before anything is charged. The label itself is prepaid and costs you nothing, and your items are returned to you free once the report is issued. Testing is a separate, paid service: if you are here to sell rather than to have items tested, the assay is free as part of selling and how it works is the page you want.
Two things worth knowing before you start, rather than after. Everyone sends a photo of a UK passport or driving licence, whatever the parcel is worth — it applies to every seller, so it is never a comment on you. And the parcel is handed in at a Post Office counter rather than dropped in a postbox: the receipt they give you is the proof of postage any compensation claim depends on.
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.