APMEX review 2026

APMEX pros

More than 30,000 products

APMEX lists more than 30,000 coins, bars, and collectibles, so a rare or graded item is more likely to be there.

No order minimum

APMEX's shipping FAQ says it has no minimum order, and shipping is free on US orders over $199, with a $9.95 fee below that.

Seven days to return an order

You can ask to return items within 7 days of receiving them, a little longer than JM Bullion's 5 business days.

Storage and IRAs through named partners

Citadel, an APMEX company, stores metal for a published fee, and Equity Trust is the named IRA custodian.

APMEX cons

A fee to cancel on top of any market loss

Canceling costs the greater of $50 or 5% of the order, plus any market loss, and APMEX keeps any market gain.²

A restocking fee on refunds

A refunded return costs $50 or 5% of the price of each product returned, whichever is greater, and shipping isn't refunded.³

No buyback price on the product page

To sell back, you lock a price with APMEX first, so you can't see your round-trip cost on the page before you buy.

About 4% more by card or PayPal

Listed prices include a 4% discount for check, eCheck, or wire, so a card added $176.44 to one Gold Eagle on the day Tweed checked.

Ordering and paying

Your price locks when you place the order. Payment is due within 3 business days, or 5 for a paper check, and APMEX takes paper checks up to $100,000.

Card and PayPal pay the list price. Check, eCheck, wire, or a trade get 4% off, but checks and eChecks hold your order 4 to 5 business days before it ships.

Shipping and delivery

APMEX ships within 3 business days of confirmed payment. Many card orders qualify for its QuickShip program, which gives next-day processing on domestic orders.

Packages go out insured, in plain boxes that don't show what's inside.

Storage and IRAs

APMEX storage fees at Citadel are 0.55% a year on holdings up to $1 million, 0.50% up to $10 million, and 0.45% above that. There's a $15 monthly minimum, billed quarterly, so anything under about $32,700 pays the minimum. Citadel says it fully insures stored metal at market value.

For a gold IRA, Equity Trust holds the account and the metal goes to a depository. Under 26 U.S.C. 408(m), an IRA can hold only certain coins and bullion, and gold IRA vs gold ETF covers that rule. If you're new to the account itself, start with what a traditional IRA is.

Premiums over spot

Tweed read these example prices on APMEX's site on Sunday, October 25, 2026, 6:39 to 6:41 p.m. ET. Prices change through the trading day.

The premium is a share of the metal's value, so it's small on gold and large on silver. Almost a third of what you pay for a 1 oz silver coin is premium.

JM Bullion's price for the same Gold Eagle was about $9 lower by check at the same time. That gap moves daily, and the $176.44 card markup was about 20 times bigger, so how you pay matters more than which dealer.

APMEX vs JM Bullion has both dealers' prices side by side.

Taxes when you sell

The IRS taxes net gains on collectibles, such as coins, at up to 28%.⁴ Under 26 U.S.C. 408(m), metals and coins count as collectibles, so gold and silver coins and bars held more than a year fall under that rate. The IRS taxes short-term gains as ordinary income.

APMEX files Form 1099-B only when you sell certain amounts back to it. Examples are gold bars totaling 1 kilo or 25 one-ounce Krugerrands or Maple Leafs.

APMEX says it can't give tax advice, so check your own situation. Gold IRA vs gold ETF shows how the rate compares with a fund.

Selling back to APMEX

APMEX buys gold and silver no matter where you bought it, with a $1,000 minimum and a price you lock by phone or online.⁵ It sends a prepaid, insured shipping label and takes the shipping cost out of your payment. Once your items arrive and pass APMEX's checks, it pays by the next business day.

You can take the money by ACH, check, or bank wire, and a wire costs $25 under $10,000. You can also trade the money for other products by phone. If you back out after locking a price, APMEX charges $35 plus any market loss.

The CFTC tells you to ask what a dealer would pay if you sold back the next day. Ask APMEX for that number before you buy, because it's the other half of your cost.

Returns and canceling

Canceling costs the greater of $50 or 5% of the order, plus any market loss. The fee alone is $211.73 on one $4,234.59 Gold Eagle.

A refund on a return costs the same $50 or 5% per product. You must ask within 7 days of delivery and keep the item in its original packaging.

An exchange may carry a $50 processing fee. APMEX doesn't refund shipping and can charge any market loss on bullion. Treat an order as final once you pay.

Taking metal out of storage

Citadel charges $50 to ship metal to a US address, or $75 to another country, plus the shipping cost and any storage fees you owe.

Leaving an APMEX IRA means moving it to another custodian or taking a distribution. You usually owe income tax on a distribution from a traditional IRA.

APMEX vs JM Bullion

Neither APMEX nor JM Bullion is cheaper as a rule, so the better dealer depends on your order. Common coins were about $9 apart on the day Tweed checked. JM Bullion posts a buyback price and has no flat cancel fee, and APMEX has the bigger catalog and a longer return window.

APMEX vs JM Bullion compares them in full, and the JM Bullion review covers the other dealer.

APMEX vs a gold ETF

A gold ETF trades in a brokerage account or an ordinary IRA, with no shipping, storage bill, or dealer spread. The trade-off is that you can't take delivery of the metal. GLD vs IAU vs GLDM compares the main funds, and the best brokerage accounts let you buy them.

APMEX vs Vaulted

Vaulted sells gold that's held for you at the Royal Canadian Mint, bought through an app. The Vaulted review covers how it works and what it costs.