Gold is usually a safe bet when the market is down. It would be nice to know that you have some relatively stable assets in a world where gas prices can reach an all-time high and unseen crises such as global pandemics can sweep the world. Even if you aren’t trying to offset inflation and market volatility, gold is a nice asset to have for diversity.
Buying gold online is one of the easiest ways to acquire the precious metal (and a few others), but is it safe, and can these dealers be trusted? We’ll find out.
Why Buy Gold Online?
Purchasing anything online can seem riskier than doing it from a brick-and-mortar store. After all, you can inspect the product before forking over money, take it home right away, and you know who to look for if there ever is a problem. Not to mention, it eliminates the risk of losing your product during shipping.
If you can do all that at a real store, why opt for online dealers?
One very interesting (and winning) point is you’ll usually get a cheaper price online. Online bullion dealers do not need to pay rent, so they typically don’t charge a higher premium. If they keep their inventory onsite, then there is also the question of insurance and the smaller scale of products ready to go.
Places like Money Metals Exchange, which is a real winner in our eye, JM Bullion and Acre Gold are all online precious metal exchanges that have garnered very positive reviews.
Best Place to Buy Gold Online – Trustworthy Dealers
1. Money Metals Exchange
Money Metals Exchange is our first choice for many reasons. Not only are the prices of precious metals very competitive, but the shipping costs are non-existent if you purchase more than $500 worth of products – which isn’t difficult.
You can buy precious metals, sell your existing collection, or even take out loans against the gold and silver you own. One of the biggest concerns people have when buying such valuable items online is security.
Of course, you can choose to have what you purchased sent directly to you, but many Money Metals Exchange clients choose to store their metals with the company. Money Metals Exchange keeps everything safe in a state-of-the-art storage facility.
The exchange offers not only gold, but silver, copper, platinum, rhodium, and palladium. Money Metals Exchange also won the title of 2020’s Best Precious Metals Dealer awarded by Investopedia. It also has a very high rating on the Better Business Bureau’s website and is accredited.
Pros
- Free shipping on orders $500+
- Very competitive pricing
- Storage services
- Offers access to many valuable precious metals
- Shipments are insured
- Many payment gateways
- Starter portfolio recommendations
- Many helpful resources
- Has a buyback program
Cons
- You may incur transaction fees
2. JM Bullion
If there is a reason you don’t want to go for Money Metals Exchange, then JM Bullion is the next best thing. It is another precious metals exchange that has received very favorable A+ ratings and at least 4-star reviews.
It offers the same precious metals as Money Metals Exchange and identical services as well, but one thing that sets it back and places it in the number 2 spot is that it does not ship products outside the U.S.
However, you can take advantage of the storage system JM Bullion offers, which happens to be free for 6 months for assets over $3,000!
There are also many helpful resources available on JM Bullion’s website and it even doubles as a crypto (Bitcoin) exchange! It also accepts payment in Bitcoin as well.
Pros
- Storage in a secure facility
- Accepts and has crypto
- Has helpful resources available
- Highly rated
- Features buybacks
- Offers a range of products
- Excellent customer service
- Intuitive site
Cons
- Not available outside the U.S.
3. Acre Gold
If for some reason our first two suggestions haven’t convinced you, then Acre Gold will. It’s a little different than your typical bullion exchange because it offers subscriptions. If you don’t have the money needed for an entire bar of gold, you can commence with fractional buys!
This is a great option for beginners or those who do not have a lot of capital. Once the full amount of the bar has been paid off, then Acre Gold will ship it to you. There are 3 subscription plans to choose from and you can modify your account as necessary. But note that refunds are not possible once the physical product has been shipped out.
Acre Gold also adds some incentives for clients with the referral program and affiliate program. If there is one thing we can ask Acre Gold to improve on it would be offering more channels for customer support.
Pros
- Each bar comes with a certificate of authenticity
- Tamper-evident packaging for shipping
- Fractional buys
- 3 subscription plans
- Referral and affiliate programs
- Low entry threshold for metals investments
Cons
- Only email and social media customer service are available
Conclusion
The price is everything for most investors, but we have a treat for you. Find out what Money Metals Exchange can do for you here with our link for additional benefits. If you like JM Bullion, then check them out. For people intrigued by the fractional buys, then Acre Gold can accommodate you from here.
