Pawn Shop
Pawn Shop Gold Calculator
Free pawn shop gold calculator. Estimate what a pawn shop or gold buyer might offer for your gold based on weight, karat, spot price, and payout percentage.
Use the calculatorAbout pawn shop gold offer
Pawn shops and gold buyers rarely pay the full melt value. They pay a percentage of melt - the payout - to cover refining, overhead, risk, and profit. Knowing the melt value first lets you judge whether an offer is fair before you accept it.
Enter your gold's weight and karat to see the melt value, then use the payout slider to model different offers. Many buyers pay somewhere between 60% and 90% of melt for scrap gold, with higher percentages for cleaner, higher-karat lots.
Worked example at an illustrative gold spot of $4,000.00 per troy ounce (use the live price above for current figures):
How to calculate pawn shop gold offer value
- Weigh the item. Use a digital gram or pennyweight scale. Heavier, solid pieces give the most reliable estimate.
- Select the metal and purity. Pick gold, silver, or platinum, then choose the karat or fineness. Use Custom to enter an exact percentage.
- Confirm the live spot price. The calculator fills in the current spot price automatically. Edit it if you use a different quote.
- Calculate and adjust payout. Press Calculate to see the melt value, then move the payout slider to model a buying offer.
Pawn Shop Gold Calculator questions
How much do pawn shops pay for gold?
Most pay a percentage of melt value - commonly 60% to 90% for scrap, depending on the shop, the karat, and the amount. Use the payout slider to compare offers against the melt value.
How do I know if a gold offer is fair?
Calculate the melt value first, then divide the offer by melt to get the payout percentage. An offer of $300 on $400 melt is 75% - you can compare that across buyers.
Why won't a pawn shop pay full melt value?
Buyers have refining costs, overhead, and price risk between buying and selling, plus profit margin. The gap between melt and offer is the payout percentage.
Can I negotiate a higher gold payout?
Often yes, especially for larger or higher-karat lots. Knowing the melt value and getting more than one quote gives you leverage to negotiate a better payout.