Selling silver online means posting it to a specialist buyer rather than carrying it to a counter. Weigh it, get a live quote, accept to lock the rate, print nothing (a QR label is scanned from your phone), post it tracked, and get paid within 48 hours of it arriving. Sterling pays £— per gram with us today.
Why postal buyers pay more
It is structural rather than generous. A postal specialist has no shop window, no high street rent, no counter staff and no auction commission structure. A silver-only operation running a direct-to-melt process also handles far higher volumes per person than a general dealer. Those savings are what fund a higher percentage of spot, which is why we can publish a flat 80% and pay it.
The trade-off used to be speed: a shop gave you cash today. That gap has largely closed. Tracked postage is one to two working days on the mainland, and payment lands within 48 hours of your parcel reaching us, so the whole cycle is typically three to five days from your kitchen table to your bank account.
How to choose a buyer
Five things separate a buyer you can check from one you have to trust. Look for all five before you post anything to anyone.
| Look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A published rate | "Contact us for a quote" removes your ability to compare before committing. A real rate is a number, stated as a percentage of spot, for a stated purity. |
| A locked rate | A quote that is only priced when the buyer gets round to processing your parcel is an estimate, not a quote. It passes market risk to you. |
| Free insured returns | If declining an offer costs you money, you are not really free to decline it. |
| Stated testing method | XRF analysis measures the alloy. Visual assessment is an opinion. You should be told the tested weight and purity, not just a conclusion. |
| A verifiable business | Company number, registered address, real premises. All checkable in two minutes at Companies House. |
Our own answers, so you can hold us to them: a flat 80% of live spot on every purity, locked for 48 hours when you accept; free tracked postage both ways; XRF testing with the results shown to you; and InstaGold Ltd, company number 16460157, registered in Sheffield.
The process, step by step
- Weigh and identify. Digital scales in grams. Find the hallmark to confirm purity, or enter 925 as a working assumption and let the test confirm it.
- Get a live quote. The figure updates as you type, based on the current spot price. There is no form to submit to find out.
- Accept and lock the rate. Your rate is held for 48 hours. Post within that window and it is the rate we pay, whatever the market does in transit.
- Get your free label. A Royal Mail QR code appears on screen straight away. No printer: the Post Office counter scans it from your phone.
- Pack it properly. Double-wrapped, in a plain box, nothing on the outside indicating what is inside. Our packaging guide covers it.
- Post it. Tracked and signed for from the first scan. Keep the receipt. You can follow progress at track your submission.
- We test and weigh. Every item is XRF analysed and weighed at our Sheffield workshop, with any non-silver components itemised.
- You get paid. Faster Payments within 48 hours of receipt, to an account in your name. Identity is confirmed at this stage rather than at submission, so the quote and label cost you no friction. Anything we cannot buy is returned free.
What to send, and what not to
Send: sterling and Continental flatware, hollowware, trays, jewellery, coins, bullion, broken and odd pieces, and anything you are unsure about. Condition is irrelevant to metal value, so dents, breaks, monograms and heavy tarnish make no difference at all.
Do not send: silver plate, EPNS or Old Sheffield Plate, because there is no recoverable silver in them and we cannot pay for them. If you are not certain, send it anyway. We identify everything free and return anything we cannot buy free, insured and tracked. Honest uncertainty is normal and costs you nothing: our terms only reserve a return charge where items were deliberately misrepresented.
Two things worth checking before you commit anything to a melt: whether a piece might be Georgian or by a recognised maker, and whether it carries a mark from a closed assay office. Both can be worth more than metal. Our guide to getting the best price works through when each route wins.
Is it safe?
The honest answer is that the risks are real but small and mostly manageable, and they are the same risks as posting anything valuable.
- Loss in transit is covered. Each consignment is covered up to £5,000 and tracked from the first scan.
- Being underpaid is the risk a locked, published rate is designed to remove. Check the arithmetic yourself: weight, times purity, times spot per gram, times the rate.
- Being pressured is why free returns matter. If declining costs nothing, an offer you dislike costs you nothing either.
- Discretion: nothing on the outside of your parcel indicates what is inside, and the return address is a commercial unit rather than a name that advertises the contents.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to sell silver online in the UK?
Yes, with sensible checks. Use a buyer who publishes a rate, locks it, tests by XRF, and returns declined items free. Every consignment we handle is covered up to £5,000 and tracked from the first scan, and nothing on the parcel indicates its contents.
How long does selling silver by post take?
Typically three to five days end to end. Tracked delivery is one to two working days on the mainland, and payment is made within 48 hours of your parcel reaching us.
Do I need a printer for the postage label?
No. We issue a Royal Mail QR code that appears on screen and in your email. The Post Office counter scans it from your phone and prints the label for you.
Do I have to verify my identity to get a quote?
No. Quotes and labels need no identity check, so there is no friction in finding out what your silver is worth. Identity is confirmed at the payment stage instead, and payment is only ever made to a bank account in the seller's name.
What if I don't accept the offer?
Your items are returned free, insured and tracked. Declining costs you nothing, which is the point: an offer you are not free to refuse is not really an offer.
Will I be charged if I accidentally send plated items?
No. We identify them, tell you what they are, and return them free along with anything else you decline. Say on the form if you are unsure about a piece: our terms only reserve a return charge for deliberate misrepresentation, which is not the same as an honest mistake.
How do postal buyers pay more than my local shop?
Lower overheads. No shop window, no high street rent, no counter staff, and a silver-only process handling higher volume per person. That is what funds a flat 80% of spot instead of the lower rates a premises-based buyer has to work with.