INTRODUCING
Fractional Precious Metals Trading
Buy & Sell fractional amounts of ethically sourced, LBMA approved investment grade 1kg bullion bars and stored at market leading, 3rd party audited institutional grade vaults.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
What is Fractional Trading of Bullion Bars?
Traditionally, investing in precious metals meant buying whole bullion bars or coins from bullion dealers and then storing them at home, in a vault, or in a safety deposit box.
Challenges of Traditional Physical Precious Metals Ownership
Buying whole bars or coins can be unaffordable and inefficient — for several reasons:
- High Premiums & Sell Discounts: Small bars and coins often carry mark-ups of 5–15% above spot, while dealers typically repurchase them several percent below spot — meaning total round-trip costs can exceed 10–25%.
- All-or-Nothing Selling: Whole bars and coins must be sold in full, limiting flexibility, diversification and the ability to sell only part of a position.
- Storage & Insurance Costs: Safekeeping at home often requires additional security and specialist insurance, while small individual vault accounts can incur relatively higher fees.
- Delivery & Resale Friction: Shipping, handling and resale logistics add costs, delays and inconvenience when buying or selling physical bullion.
- Counterfeit & Verification Risk: Popular bullion coins and bars are frequently counterfeited, requiring testing or verification when buying or selling.
- VAT on Physical Delivery: In the UK, silver, platinum and palladium incur VAT when delivered physically, increasing the overall cost of ownership.
Fractional Physical Precious Metals - The Better Solution
Provides a simple and cost-effective way to buy, manage and sell investment-grade physical bullion in fractional, affordable amounts, as small as 0.001 troy ounces, while benefiting from the cost efficiency of large institutional bars and prices — Experience the future of precious metals
- Near-Spot Institutional Pricing: Access aggregated institutional pricing from large wholesale bars, avoiding the 5–15% premiums typically charged on small retail bars and coins.
- Sell Exact Amounts: Buy or sell precise amounts — from around £5 or 0.001 troy ounces — without being forced to trade entire bars or coins.
- 24/7 On-Platform Liquidity: Trade instantly on-platform with no shipping, delivery delays, or assay requirements when buying or selling.
- Secure Professional Vault Storage: Metals are stored in insured, independently audited vault facilities associated with LBMA-approved refiners, removing the risks and costs of home storage.
- No VAT While Stored in Bonded Vaults: In the UK, silver, platinum and palladium incur VAT only when delivered physically. As fractional metals remain in bonded storage and cannot be delivered, VAT is not applied.
- Lower Barriers & Better Diversification: Start from small amounts and build positions gradually across gold, silver, platinum and palladium, enabling regular investing and more flexible portfolio diversification.
KEY FEATURES
What you get
Fractional Precious Metals
Buy & Sell fractional amounts of 1kg investment grade bullion bars endorsed by the LBMA & SGE.
Direct Ownership
Pool Allocated & non-hypothecated with title ownership.
Ethically Sourced
All LBMA approved Refiners must comply with the LBMA’s Responsible Sourcing Programme as a cornerstone of their commitment to ethical sourcing.
Secure Vaults
Highly secure, insured institutional vaults – LBMA-approved.
HOW IT WORKS
5 Easy Steps to Trade
GOLDWISE HELP & SUPPORT
Frequently Asked Questions
Find clear answers to the most common questions about Goldwise — from how to buy and sell precious metals, to how your funds and assets are protected — helping you to get started and trade with confidence.
Using Goldwise
Is Goldwise regulated or authorised?
Goldwise partners with PayrNet Ltd, an FCA-authorised Electronic Money Institution, to safeguard customer funds under the UK’s Electronic Money Regulations 2011. All client funds are held in segregated safeguarded accounts.
Are my metals and funds safe?
Yes. Funds are safeguarded under UK regulation, and metals are fully allocated, insured and held in independent, audited vaults with Brink’s and Loomis. Customers always retain full legal title to their holdings.
How does Goldwise pricing work?
Goldwise connects directly to institutional metals markets to source live bid and ask prices from multiple global liquidity providers to give you the Best Prices on for your trades. We also offer low and transparent trading fees of 0.50% versus the typical 5–10% premiums charged by traditional bullion dealers.
Can I trade 24/7 on Goldwise?
Yes. The platform operates continuously, allowing customers to buy or sell gold, silver, platinum and palladium at live market prices any time of day, including weekends.
Can I sell my metals at any time?
Yes. Goldwise offers 24/7 trading in gold, silver, platinum and palladium. You can place instant market or conditional orders to buy or sell from your mobile app, with proceeds settled directly into your safeguarded wallet.
What types of orders can I place?
You can place instant market orders or conditional orders such as limit, stop and stop-limit. Orders can be set as “Good till Cancel” or “Good till Day”, giving you full control over execution strategy.
What are the fees for buying, selling and storage?
Trading fees start from 0.50% per transaction and storage from 0.15% per year, with transparent rates by metal and vault. View details on our Fees page.
How are my funds safeguarded?
All customer money is held in segregated safeguarded accounts through PayrNet Ltd under UK FCA rules. Funds are never co-mingled with company money and remain fully protected.
Where are my metals stored?
Metals are held in fully insured, third-party audited vaults across global locations such as London, Zurich and New York. You can view your allocated holdings and vault details in your account dashboard.
How do I open an account?
Simply download the Goldwise app, complete a trading application, add funds, and you can start trading fractional precious metals instantly.
Can I sell my metals instantly?
Yes. Sales execute at live market prices, with proceeds credited to your safeguarded wallet immediately. You can withdraw or reinvest anytime.
Does Goldwise provide investment advice?
No. Goldwise provides market access and educational content but does not offer financial or investment advice. Customers should make independent decisions or seek professional guidance.
Trading Precious Metals
Where can I buy gold in the UK?
You can buy physical gold securely online with Goldwise, a UK-based platform founded by former Royal Mint executives. Goldwise enables direct ownership of allocated gold, silver, platinum and palladium — fully insured and stored in independent global vaults.
Is buying gold online safe?
Buying gold online is safe when using a trusted, regulated platform. Goldwise safeguards customer funds under UK Electronic Money Regulations and stores all metals in insured, independently audited vaults operated by Brink’s.
What is the best way to invest in gold?
The best way depends on your goals. Physical precious metals offer stability and direct ownership, while ETFs and funds give market exposure without holding real metal. Goldwise combines the benefits of both — real, allocated metal with modern trading access.
Do I pay VAT or capital gains tax (CGT)?
Investment-grade gold is VAT-exempt in the UK. Silver, platinum and palladium may incur VAT, while certain UK legal tender gold coins are CGT-exempt.
What affects the price of gold and other precious metals?
Precious-metal prices are driven by global supply and demand, interest rates, inflation, currency movements and investor sentiment. Gold, silver, platinum and palladium often rise during economic uncertainty and inflationary periods.
What are the main benefits of investing in precious metals?
Precious metals help diversify portfolios, hedge against inflation, and preserve long-term value. Gold, silver, platinum and palladium have limited supply and strong demand in technology and industry.
What is fractional gold ownership?
Fractional ownership allows you to buy or sell precise amounts of physical metal — for example, 0.001 troy ounces — without needing to purchase a full coin or bar. Each fraction represents direct ownership of real metal held in a vault in your name.
What is the difference between allocated and unallocated gold?
Allocated gold means specific bars are held in your name and cannot be lent or used by others. Unallocated gold represents a claim on a pool of metal owned by a provider. Goldwise only offers fully allocated metal.
Why choose physical gold over ETFs, funds or digital tokens?
Physical gold gives you direct, tangible ownership that isn’t exposed to counterparty risk. ETFs and tokens track prices but do not provide legal title to metal. With Goldwise, you own real, allocated metal stored in insured vaults.
How much gold or silver should I buy?
It depends on your personal financial goals and diversification needs. Many investors allocate 5–10% of their portfolio to physical precious metals as a long-term hedge against inflation and market volatility.
Can I take delivery of my gold or silver?
Delivery options for selected coins and bars are being introduced soon. For most investors, insured vault storage remains the safest and most efficient option.
View our Help Centre for more articles of support.