American Precious Metals Exchange (APMEX) Review

---

After setting a record high at the end of last year, the price of gold once again hit an all-time high in April. Amid the surge in prices, investors are showing renewed interest in the precious metal, which can be used to diversify portfolios, hedge against inflation and provide peace of mind as an asset that retains its value better than other asset classes.

However, before investing in gold, it’s important to understand which approach best suits your needs, whether that means purchasing physical gold from a bullion dealer, opening a gold individual retirement account (IRA) or adding gold mining stocks to your portfolio.

If you’re interested in owning the physical metal, there are dozens of online gold dealers, some of which are more reputable than others. Read on to learn about one of those companies, American Precious Metals Exchange (APMEX), including the precious metal retailer’s pros and cons, products, prices, accessibility and customer satisfaction.

APMEX pros and cons

APMEX pros

As a precious metals dealer, APMEX has a number of pros, which we discuss in the following section.

Website features free educational resources

APMEX offers a slew of free educational resources on its website. Its knowledge center includes learning materials on various precious metals including gold, silver, platinum and palladium; guides on how to invest in precious metals; the best ways to buy gold and an overview of gold coin collecting. Additionally, APMEX’s website provides users with current news about the precious metals market, price charts and information about gold IRAs.

No minimum purchase amount for domestic orders

Many gold dealers impose minimum purchase amounts, which can present a barrier to entry in investing in physical gold. APMEX, however, has no minimum for domestic orders and waives its $9.95 shipping fee for orders over $199.

Prices listed on its website

Unlike many companies operating in this space, APMEX lists prices for its products online, including discounts for larger quantity orders.

APMEX cons

APMEX also has some drawbacks that potential customers should consider before making purchases with the online gold dealer. The following section provides details.

Lower third-party ratings than most companies reviewed

While most of the online gold dealers and gold IRA companies reviewed by Money receive Business Consumer Alliance (BCA) grades of AAA or AA, APMEX receives a BBB rating from the BCA. While a BBB rating is not considered poor, it places the company in the fourth tier. (The company does have a high rating with the Better Business Bureau, though.)

Based on over 7,900 customer reviews on Trustpilot, APMEX receives a 1.7-star rating out of a possible 5 stars. Customer complaints focus on a higher spread for the company’s buyback policy and poor customer service experiences.

APMEX offerings

Precious metal products

APMEX’s products include:

• Gold coins, gold bars and gold rounds
• Silver coins, silver bars and silver rounds
• Platinum coins, platinum bars and platinum rounds

Prospective customers can sort the company’s products by price, mint, weight, shape, best sellers, newly listed, clearance, rarity, jewelry and IRA-eligibility.

Precious metals services

Beyond its physical offerings, APMEX has precious metals products that are approved for use in IRAs and works IRS-compliant custodians including Equity Institutional, The Entrust Group, GoldStar Trust and Strata Trust Company.

APMEX also features an autoinvest feature — APMEX AutoInvest — which allows customers to set up recurring purchases of its various precious metal products.

Additionally, the company's “Sell To Us” program, which provides customers with peace of mind by ensuring liquidity, offers discounted shipping costs through UPS and market-driven pricing with an online form that allows you to receive pricing without having to call APMEX’s customer service team. However, be mindful that despite having a guaranteed buyback program, sellers could be offered values below current market prices.

APMEX pricing

Like any online precious metals dealer, APMEX’s product pricing is subject to fluctuations in the market price of gold, silver and platinum. However, unlike many other companies operating in this space, APMEX lists its product prices online.

The company doesn’t charge a minimum for domestic orders, waives its $9.95 shipping fee for orders over $199 and also allows users to sign up to receive price alerts that can inform potential buyers of changes to various products.

Additionally, for buyers interested in secured storage, APMEX’s website provides a storage fee calculator that estimates storage rates, annual fees and monthly fees based on portfolio value. For example, at the time of writing, a portfolio valued at $50,000 would incur a storage rate of 0.55% and costs of $275 annually and $22.92 monthly.

APMEX financial stability

APMEX was founded in 2000 and has been accredited by the BBB since 2004. However, despite being a firmly established precious metals dealer, it is a privately held company and information regarding its financial stability isn’t publicly available.

APMEX accessibility

Availability

The company is based in Oklahoma City and has partnered with storage facilities in several locations throughout the U.S. Its products are available to residents in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Through its international service, APMEX Global, it can ship products to 30 countries, Hong Kong and Macau.

Contact information

Beyond its social media presence, you can contact APMEX’s Returns Department via returns@apmex.com or 800-375-9006. For sales inquiries, prospective customers are instructed to contact the Purchasing Department by calling 800-514-6318, filling out an online form or emailing service@apmex.com.

APMEX maintains the following hours of operation:

• Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. CST
• Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m.

User experience

APMEX’s website provides users with accessibility features, including a screen reader, contrast adjuster, tailored text sizes and spacing and more. Though it lacks a live chat feature and a “Contact Us” tab, information about how to connect with the company is readily available on its webpages. Its knowledge center provides several resources, including current market news and abundant learning material.

APMEX also accepts a wide variety of payment methods, including checks, credit card, PayPal, wire transfer and bitcoin.

APMEX customer satisfaction

APMEX has been accredited by the BBB since 2004; however, despite its A+ rating with the BBB, the company has received more customer complaints as a percentage of total reviews than other gold dealers Money has reviewed.

Another user review website, Truspilot, gives the company a “Poor” rating, with 1.8 stars out of a possible 5 based on over 7,900 reviews. Negative reviews tend to focus on unreliable order fulfillment, unexpected order cancellations and subpar delivery services.

How to open an account

You can open a gold IRA account with APMEX by submitting an online application on the company's website or by calling its toll-free customer response number during service hours. The application will require you to include personal information such as your address and Social Security number.

Once your application is processed, a customer service representative can help you get your account up and running, including rolling over funds from other accounts and choosing the precious metals you wish to invest in.

How we evaluated APMEX

In analyzing APMEX, we evaluated aspects of the company’s business, its product offerings, financial stability and customer feedback. We also examined its standing with sites like the BBB and BCA, including accreditations and ratings, as well as pricing, availability and user experience.

Summary of Money's APMEX review

There are dozens of online gold and precious metals dealers, each with varying bullion products, services, pricing and customer service ratings. If you are interested in adding exposure to precious metals to your investment portfolio, APMEX provides a vast amount of educational resources, competitive pricing and a wide range of gold, silver and platinum products, including bars, coins, collectibles, currency and jewelry. Prospective customers should be mindful of the company's lower BCA rating, and the numerous customer service complaints it has received through the BBB and Trustpilot.