I’ve spent countless hours navigating the complex world of precious metals, and two names keep popping up: APMEX and Money Metals Exchange.
One company provides an extensive selection of products whereas the other focuses on delivering unbeatable value.
This review will help you and me by analyzing the differences between the platforms to make an informed investment choice that matches our objectives.
Table of Contents
- 1 Quick Overview
- 2 What is APMEX?
- 3 What is Money Metals Exchange?
- 4 Comparison of APMEX and Money Metals Exchange
- 5 Which Company is Better for You?
- 6 Conclusion
Quick Overview

- CEO: Kenneth Lewis
- BBB: 4.34/5 Out of 260 Customer Reviews
- Available Metals: Gold, Silver, Platinum, and Palladium
- Gold IRA Available: Yes
- Buyback Program: Yes
- International Shipping: Yes
What is APMEX?
APMEX, headquartered in Oklahoma City and originally established as American Precious Metals Exchange, stands as a leading online marketplace for precious metals trading.
Operating as one of America’s largest online precious metals retailers, the company thrives under the leadership of Scott Thomas and Kenneth Lewis, who have steered its success since its establishment in 2000.
APMEX distinguishes itself through its commitment to customer satisfaction, offering premium products, secure storage solutions, efficient shipping, and comprehensive services. Their attention to detail sets them apart in the industry.
From humble beginnings as a small store with just four employees, APMEX has transformed into an impressive 80,000-square-foot facility employing over 300 staff members.
Their remarkable growth is evident in their sales record – delivering more than 130 million ounces of gold and silver to customers across 60 countries within two decades.
This achievement reflects their dedication to simplifying and securing gold purchases for their clients. Starting from modest roots, they’ve revolutionized global access to precious metals.
What Makes APMEX Stand Out?
Their reputation for exceptional customer service has earned them recognition as an industry leader in precious metal retail.
- Shipping Deals: Enhanced shipping efficiency at reduced costs through exclusive UPS partnerships.
- Rewards Club: Customer loyalty program offering exclusive benefits to members.
- Safe Storage: Professional security-monitored storage facilities for precious metal safekeeping.
- Tracking Tool: User-friendly investment monitoring system for precious metals.
- Special Partnerships: Direct access to exclusive products from renowned global mints.
- Fast Shipping Promise: Rapid order processing with next-day shipping post-payment confirmation.
- Top-Notch Customer Service: Over one million satisfied customers benefit from their dedicated support team.
APMEX functions as more than a retailer – it serves as your precious metals investment partner. Their comprehensive services cover everything from efficient shipping to investment tracking, supported by knowledgeable staff ready to assist.
What is Money Metals Exchange?
Money Metals Exchange, established in 2010, represents a prominent American institution specializing in precious metals trading and gold IRA investments.
The company distinguishes itself through comprehensive metal investment options, secure storage solutions, competitive pricing, and responsive customer support.
Examining Money Metals Exchange’s credibility reveals the significant influence of founder Stephan Gleason. As president, Gleason established the company with a mission to educate investors about precious metals’ importance.
His background includes managing a newsletter focused on wealth preservation and individual rights. Gleason’s credibility stems from his extensive expertise.
His business acumen, political insight, and media presence on networks like Fox News and CNN demonstrate his authority. His writings have appeared in prestigious publications including Newsweek and Wall Street Journal.
These accomplishments validate Gleason’s expertise, establishing Money Metals Exchange as a reliable precious metals investment platform.
What Makes Money Metals Exchange Stand Out?
When seeking precious metals investments, finding trustworthy platforms remains crucial. Money Metals Exchange demonstrates several distinctive qualities that separate it from competitors.
- Good Prices: Competitive pricing structures maximize investment value.
- Lots to Choose from: Diverse precious metal offerings including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
- Easy Website: User-friendly interface accommodates investors of all experience levels.
- Learning Resources: Comprehensive educational materials support informed investment decisions.
- Clear Market Info: Real-time market updates and pricing information ensure transparency.
- Friendly Help: A professional customer service team provides responsive support.
- Safe Shipping: Secure, discreet shipping protocols protect customer investments.
Their approach simplifies precious metals investment through competitive pricing, diverse options, and comprehensive support.
Money Metals Exchange presents a compelling option for those considering precious metals portfolio additions.
Comparison of APMEX and Money Metals Exchange
Both platforms offer excellent services with distinct features. Here’s a simplified breakdown to help you make an informed choice.
1. Products Offered
These companies provide diverse options for both small and large investments. Let’s examine their offerings.
APMEX
APMEX provides comprehensive precious metals and numismatic products suitable for investors and collectors alike.
- Gold and Silver: Available in various forms from coins to bars.
- Numismatic Coins: Extensive collection including rare and historical pieces.
- Retirement Metals: Options for precious metals IRA investments.
- Collectible Items: Specialized products for numismatic enthusiasts.
APMEX maintains a vast inventory enabling investors to build portfolios or expand collections.
Money Metals Exchange
Money Metals Exchange offers extensive precious metals products with options for every investor level.
- Gold and Platinum: Comprehensive selection of coins, bars, and jewelry.
- Silver: Wide range including coins, bars, and specialty items like bullets and figurines.
- Copper: Affordable options in coins and bars.
- Alternative Metals: Palladium and rhodium offerings.
- Starter Packages: Curated selections for new investors.
- Specialty Items: Unique shapes including building blocks and bullets.
- Jewelry: Investment-grade precious metal jewelry.
Their diverse catalog serves both novice and experienced investors effectively.
2. Service Offered
This section examines the offerings of both companies, each providing distinctive services tailored to various investment goals and preferences.
APMEX
Their standout options make them a notable player in the precious metals market. Here’s a detailed breakdown of their services.
1. Precious Metal IRA
For those considering precious metals in retirement planning, APMEX offers comprehensive solutions. They collaborate with premier companies to facilitate IRA setup and transfers, providing access to IRA-approved metals including premium-grade gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
2. OneGold
APMEX’s partnership with Sprott created OneGold, revolutionizing digital precious metal ownership. This platform eliminates physical storage concerns while maintaining minimal custody fees, offering a streamlined approach to metal investment without storage complications.
3. AutoInvest
The AutoInvest feature addresses the challenges of market timing in metal investments. You can establish scheduled purchases on weekly or monthly intervals, allowing APMEX to handle the execution. This approach builds your portfolio systematically, removing the pressure of market timing decisions.
4. Storage Facility
For physical metal holdings, APMEX partners with Citadel, providing robust security solutions. Their collaboration with Brink’s ensures professional security services, competitive shipping rates, real-time inventory tracking, and comprehensive insurance coverage. The storage fees remain competitive within the industry.
APMEX’s service suite demonstrates their understanding of investor needs. From metal-backed IRAs to digital investing through OneGold, automated purchasing via AutoInvest, and secure storage through Citadel, they’ve created an accessible precious metals investment ecosystem.
Money Metals Exchange
Their services cater to everyday investors seeking precious metal ownership without complexity or substantial initial investment. Here’s an overview of their offerings.
1. Monthly Purchase Plan
The Monthly Purchase Plan enables systematic precious metal accumulation through regular investments. This approach offers cost advantages through bulk pricing while minimizing market timing concerns. It facilitates steady portfolio growth through manageable periodic investments.
2. Precious Metals IRA
Their precious metals IRA provides retirement planning stability through physical metal holdings. This option offers protection against stock market volatility.
They partner with specialized custodians for streamlined administration. Upon retirement, investors can take physical possession of their metal assets.
3. Sell to Us Service
The “Sell to Us” program provides liquidity options for metal holdings. The process involves simple notification, secure shipping, and prompt payment.
Their reputation stems from transparent pricing and reliable payment execution. They maintain competitive pricing even for items showing normal wear.
4. Storage
Money Metals offers professional vault storage solutions for precious metal holdings. The service includes continuous monitoring and comprehensive insurance coverage. They waive storage fees for active buying customers and facilitate fee-free selling for stored metals.
5. Gold Loan
The Gold Loan program enables capital access while retaining metal ownership. Borrowers can access substantial portions of their metal’s value.
The service features competitive interest rates and efficient processing, typically completed within seven days while ensuring secure storage during the loan term.
Money Metals Exchange delivers comprehensive services for precious metal investors. Their platform supports various investment approaches, from systematic accumulation to retirement planning and collateralized lending, creating an inclusive precious metals investment environment.
3. Fees
Understanding fees is crucial when investing in precious metals through platforms like APMEX and Money Metals Exchange.
Each platform has its unique fee structure, so let’s examine what you need to know before making your investment decisions.
APMEX
APMEX offers free shipping on purchases exceeding $199. For orders below this amount, you’ll pay a $9.95 shipping fee.
They partner with Citadel for storage services, providing a complimentary account setup. Direct shipments to Citadel are free for orders over $500, while smaller orders incur the standard $9.95 shipping fee.
Storage at Citadel costs 0.55% of your assets’ value annually, though additional fees may apply, so it’s wise to verify all costs beforehand.
APMEX proves advantageous for those seeking competitive shipping rates and secure storage through Citadel. However, you should carefully review all storage-related expenses.
Money Metals Exchange
Money Metals Exchange maintains transparency in their fee structure, benefiting both one-time buyers and regular investors. Their secure storage service adds significant value to their offering.
They implement a 4% fee for PayPal transactions and 2% for cryptocurrency payments. However, wire transfers, checks, and E-checks remain fee-free.
Their storage fee system operates on a tiered structure based on your metals’ value:
- Up to $15,999: $96 annual fee.
- $16,000 to $99,999: 0.59% annual fee.
- $100,000 to $999,999: 0.49% annual fee.
- $1 million to $2.9 million: 0.39% annual fee.
This sliding scale means larger deposits benefit from lower percentage fees, ensuring secure storage and protection for your investments.
Both APMEX and Money Metals Exchange offer distinct advantages. Your choice depends on which fee structure aligns with your investment strategy and which services you prioritize.
4. Shipping Policies
Understanding shipping procedures is essential when purchasing precious metals online. Let’s examine how APMEX and Money Metals Exchange handle shipping.
APMEX
Orders exceeding $199 qualify for free shipping, while smaller orders incur a $9.95 fee. This applies to U.S. shipments and certain smaller Citadel service orders.
Order processing typically takes 1-3 days, varying by payment method and product type. Check payments require additional processing time for clearance. Their QuickShip Program expedites certain orders.
You’ll receive an email containing tracking information upon shipment. Tracking updates might take 24-48 hours to activate, and the email includes instructions for text or email notifications.
Money Metals Exchange
Money Metals Exchange maintains clear shipping protocols and outlines customer responsibilities for receiving metals.
Once carriers take possession of your order, ensuring successful delivery becomes your responsibility. This includes providing accurate delivery information and being available to receive packages.
You must assist with investigations regarding lost packages. Failure to comply with their guidelines might void loss coverage.
Lost package reports must be filed within one week of the last tracking update. Undelivered packages should be reported within two business days.
If packages are returned due to failed delivery attempts, Money Metals Exchange may liquidate items after 30 days, refunding the amount minus applicable fees. Their policies emphasize transparency and customer responsibility.
They expect active participation in the delivery process, implementing policies that protect both investments and ensure secure delivery.
5. Payment Methods
Selecting appropriate payment methods simplifies precious metals purchases. Both companies offer diverse payment options catering to various buyer preferences.
APMEX
APMEX has earned recognition for its extensive product range and adoption of modern payment technologies, accommodating diverse customer needs.
Payment Methods Offered by APMEX:
- Credit/Debit Cards (excluding prepaid cards).
- PayPal for convenient online transactions.
- Bank Wire, eCheck, or Paper Check for traditional payment preferences.
- Cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, for digital currency enthusiasts.
APMEX successfully balances traditional and modern payment methods, ensuring accessibility for all customer preferences.
Money Metals Exchange
Money Metals Exchange simplifies metal purchases by offering multiple convenient payment methods, accommodating both traditional and modern payment preferences.
Payment Options Available at Money Metals Exchange:
- Wire Transfer: Direct bank-to-bank money transfer.
- Credit/Debit Card: Convenient electronic payments.
- Check/Money Order: Traditional paper-based payments.
- Bitcoin: Digital currency transactions.
These payment methods ensure a smooth and adaptable buying process. Both APMEX and Money Metals Exchange prioritize customer satisfaction through diverse payment solutions that accommodate various preferences.
6. Customer Support
When you’re thinking about investing in precious metals, how a company helps its customers can make a big difference.
APMEX and Money Metals Exchange are top names because they not only have a great selection of metals but also really focus on helping their customers.
I’ll take a look at how each company approaches customer support, giving some insights into what makes them stand out.
APMEX
APMEX demonstrates a strong commitment to customer assistance, particularly beneficial for newcomers to precious metals investing.
Their support team offers multiple contact options including phone, email, and live chat. Having accessible, knowledgeable representatives provides reassurance and clarity throughout the investment process.
APMEX successfully combines expertise with approachability. Their support team maintains consistent availability, creating a comfortable environment for investors at all experience levels.
Money Metals Exchange
Money Metals Exchange emphasizes clarity and simplicity in metal purchasing processes. Their support staff excels at providing pressure-free guidance, focusing on customer education and understanding.
They readily address inquiries and offer investment insights when needed. Their approach benefits both novice and experienced investors. Money Metals Exchange particularly stands out for their educational emphasis.
Their patient, transparent approach builds customer confidence. This supportive, honest service model attracts many precious metals investors.
7. 3rd Party Reviews and Ratings
Let’s take a closer look at the customer ratings for APMEX and Money Metals Exchange.
APMEX
Their extensive product range and customer service commitment yields varied feedback:
- Trustpilot: 1.7/5 from 7,960 reviews, indicating customer satisfaction challenges.
- ConsumerAffairs: 2.8/5 from 285 reviews, suggesting moderate satisfaction.
- Shopper Approved: 4.9/5 from 237,632 reviews, demonstrating strong customer satisfaction.
- Sitejabber: 1.7/5 from 51 reviews, indicating improvement opportunities.
- BBB: A+ rating with 4.34/5 from 260 reviews, showing strong trustworthiness.
- Yelp: 2.4/5 from 65 reviews, reflecting mixed customer experiences.
- Google Play Store: 4.8/5 from 18,687 reviews, indicating excellent app performance.
These ratings suggest APMEX excels in certain areas while having room for improvement in others, maintaining overall customer satisfaction.
Money Metals Exchange
Examining Money Metals Exchange’s ratings reveals their market position:
- BBB: A+ rating with 4.41/5 from 142 reviews, indicating strong reliability.
- Trustpilot: 3.4/5 from 126 reviews, showing satisfactory performance.
- Facebook: 80% recommendation rate from 335 reviews, demonstrating positive customer experiences.
These ratings suggest Money Metals Exchange maintains reliable service standards while continuously seeking improvement.
Both companies show strengths through online reviews while maintaining an improvement focus, highlighting their commitment to customer satisfaction enhancement.
8. Pros and Cons
Each has its pros and cons, and picking one can really affect your investing. Here, I’ll give you a rundown of what’s great about each company and what could be better.
APMEX
They’ve got a lot for investors to choose from. Let’s see what’s to like about APMEX and what might give you pause.
Pros:
- Lots of Choices: APMEX has a ton of different metals and coins to pick from.
- Trustworthy: They score an A+ with the Better Business Bureau, so people trust them.
- Many Ways to Pay: APMEX lets you pay how you want, which can be handy.
- Easy Regular Investing: They have a plan that lets you invest regularly without much fuss.
- Safe Keeping: They keep your metals safe with solid security and storage solutions.
Cons:
- Changing Costs: Depending on how you pay, it might cost you more or less to invest.
- Hard to Reach: Some folks have said it’s tough to get in touch with APMEX’s customer service.
With APMEX, you get lots of options and security but remember to think about the changing costs and potentially slow customer service.
Money Metals Exchange
Their website is easy to use, and they have features that help you make smart choices. Let’s dig into what makes Money Metals Exchange a good choice and where it might fall short.
Pros:
- Up-to-date Prices: You can see the latest metal prices right away, which helps with deciding when to buy or sell.
- No Shipping Costs: If you spend more than $199, they’ll ship your order for free.
- Heads Up on Prices: They can alert you to price changes to help you get the best deals.
- Ready-Made Sets: If you’re not sure what to buy, they have collections ready to go.
- News Updates: They send a newsletter with the latest news on metals, which is useful to keep in the loop.
Cons:
- Talk or Email Only: You can only call or email them, and they’re not always there to answer.
- Extra Charges: If you use a credit card, digital money, or PayPal, you’ll have to pay more.
Money Metals Exchange offers a smooth process with updates and simple buying options. But it’s important to know about the support limitations and extra fees when you’re paying.
Both APMEX and Money Metals Exchange offer good services for precious metal investors. APMEX has more variety and strong security, while Money Metals Exchange is great for staying informed and its ease of use. Think about what matters most to you when you choose where to invest.
Which Company is Better for You?
Choosing between APMEX and Money Metals Exchange depends on individual investment needs.
APMEX offers an extensive selection including various metals and rare coins, ideal for collectors and those seeking diverse options. Their reputation for reliability and customer service excellence adds value.
Money Metals Exchange proves more suitable for beginners, offering competitive pricing and comprehensive educational resources.
APMEX suits variety-seeking investors while Money Metals Exchange appeals to those preferring straightforward, educational approaches.
Conclusion
Comparing APMEX and Money Metals Exchange reveals strong precious metals investment services from both providers.
APMEX excels through extensive selection and established reputation, appealing to variety-focused investors. Money Metals Exchange emphasizes competitive pricing and beginner-friendly education.
Your choice between providers should align with personal priorities – whether product variety, cost efficiency, or investment education matters most.