It used to be quite a hassle to buy gold online. You had to register, and even then you couldn’t use your credit card. You had to send a person check, wait for it to clear, and so on.
If you wanted to buy more than a coin or two, you couldn’t even write a check. You had to go to the bank and pay by direct bank transfer.
Why was it such a hassle? I’m not sure. It’s not like buying a single gold coin is any larger a transaction that buying a big, flat-screen TV online.
I have signed up at a number of online gold dealer’s sites, and tried a few. The number of hoops they get you to jump through varies.
Some are still “old-school” and won’t accept payment by credit cards.
Other will accept credit cards, but offer only a very limited selection of products to buy.
Of all the sites I have explored, the best balance of easy payment and a large selection of gold coins and gold bars (silver too), is APMEX, The American Precious Metals Exchange.
You can buy online, or by phone.
Even if you don’t live in the US, you can still buy from the APMEX website. If you are buying from overseas, you can even choose between paying in US dollars, or in Canadian dollars, the British Pound or the Euro.
This is great post, Buying gold coins has never been more popular than it is in America today. The economic uncertainty, financial market volatility and collapse of the real estate market in the U.S. has driven millions of concerned Americans toward gold, and the most popular way to own gold is to own gold coins.
There are two main categories of gold coins on the U.S. market: gold bullion coins, such as the American Eagle Gold Bullion Coin and rare gold coins, such as the Saint-Gaudens $20 Double Eagle gold piece.