BullionVault
BullionVault operates an online marketplace where 130,000+ private investors across 175 countries buy, sell, and store physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, holding $9 billion in assets across vaults in Zurich, London, Toronto, Singapore, and New York.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What BullionVault does
BullionVault operates an online investment marketplace that enables private investors worldwide to buy, sell, and store physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion at professional wholesale prices. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in London, the company serves over 130,000 users across 175 countries and holds approximately $9 billion in client assets, including roughly $6 billion in gold. Trading occurs on a 24/7 live order board where approximately 65% of volume is direct client-to-client and the remaining 35% is transacted against BullionVault's proprietary $40 million inventory via automated trading robots. The platform is supported by native iOS and Android apps, an XML API for programmatic trading, and storage across five professional vault facilities in Zurich, London, Toronto, Singapore, and New York.
The platform's technical core is a web-based exchange with a live order-matching engine, automated robot-driven liquidity provisioning, and a unique daily public audit that reconciles client holdings to formal third-party Bar Lists. Security is reinforced through SMS-based access alerts, encrypted multi-site data backups, and a bailment legal structure that segregates user property from company assets. BullionVault is a full member of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) since 2008 and an associate member of the London Platinum and Palladium Market (LPPM).
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: tiered trading commissions (0.50% on the first $75,000, 0.10% up to $825,000, and 0.05% thereafter), recurring storage fees (0.12% per annum for gold; 0.48% for silver, platinum, and palladium, inclusive of insurance), and physical withdrawal fees (1–10% depending on metal and bar size, plus 20% VAT on silver/PGM in the UK). The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and product-led: account opening is free, new users receive a 1/8 oz silver trial, and acquisition is driven by content marketing, multilingual web presence, and a referral/affiliate program. BullionVault is part-owned by Gold Bullion Investment Trust (connected to the World Gold Council) and Augmentum Fintech plc, and the operating entity is Galmarley Limited.
BullionVault firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BullionVault
- Legal name
- Galmarley Limited
- Website
- https://bullionvault.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BullionVault operates an online marketplace where 130,000+ private investors across 175 countries buy, sell, and store physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, holding $9 billion in assets across vaults in Zurich, London, Toronto, Singapore, and New York.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BullionVault industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Precious Metals Investment
- NAICS
- Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers (42394)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Jewelry, Watches, Precious Stones & Metals (5094)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Precious Metals Bullion & Concentrates Trading (Gold, Silver, PGM) (IMAKAJAD)
Keywords
Where BullionVault is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
BullionVault business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Trading Commission: BullionVault charges commission on order board trades. Rates are tiered: 0.50% on the first $75,000 or equivalent, 0.10% on the next $750,000, and 0.05% thereafter. Commission discounts aggregate within the year for both purchases and sales independently by metal. For silver, platinum, and palladium trades, the charge is added to the purchase price as a mark-up or deducted from sale price as a mark-down to satisfy HMRC VAT regulations.
- Storage Fees: Annual custody charges for storing bullion in professional vault facilities. Gold storage is 0.12% per annum, while silver, platinum, and palladium are 0.48% per annum. Storage fees include insurance and have minimum monthly charges ($4 for gold, $8 for silver/platinum/palladium). The average cost of ownership for a user holding gold for 5 years works out at 0.32% per annum including all dealing, storage, and insurance costs.
- Physical Withdrawal Fees: Fees charged when clients choose to withdraw physical bullion from the vault. Gold withdrawal fees vary: 1% (plus transport and insurance) where bank transfer is not possible, 2.5% for standard 400 oz gold bars, 3-5% for 100g bars. Silver, platinum, and palladium withdrawals are charged at 10%. VAT of 20% applies upon physical withdrawal for silver, platinum, and palladium.
- Currency Holding Fees: Monthly currency holding fees may be charged when banks apply negative interest rates for holding client money in certain currencies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | First $75,000 in trades: 0.50% commission |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Next $750,000 in trades: 0.10% commission |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Above $825,000 in trades: 0.05% commission |
| Subscription | Monthly | Gold storage: 0.12% per annum |
| Subscription | Monthly | Silver, Platinum, Palladium storage: 0.48% per annum |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Gold withdrawal: 1% to 7.5% depending on circumstances |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Silver/Platinum/Palladium withdrawal: 10% |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Account opening: Free |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
BullionVault product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BullionVault operates an online investment platform that lets private investors buy, sell, and store physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Users trade directly against other users via a live order board, with allocated bullion held in professional vaults across Zurich, London, Toronto, Singapore, and New York. The company earns revenue primarily through trading commissions and recurring storage fees.
Product overview
BullionVault is a single unified online investment platform offering private investors worldwide access to buy, sell, and store physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion. The platform centers on a Live Order Board enabling 24/7 client-to-client trading with automated robots, supplemented by Daily Price trading at LBMA benchmark rates. Core infrastructure includes allocated vault storage across five global locations (Zurich, London, Toronto, Singapore, New York), verified through daily public audit. Additional services include the XML API for trading robots, mobile apps for iOS/Android, tax-advantaged Gold IRA (US) and Gold SIPP (UK) accounts, Auto-Invest automation, Price Alerts, and Bar Reservation for individual bar ownership. Physical withdrawal of whole bars is available for users taking delivery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Live Order Board (Gold, Silver, Platinum, Palladium)
Quantifiable outcome
- 0.12% annual storage cost vs 0.40% for gold ETFs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use BullionVault
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BullionVault technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
BullionVault partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- London Bullion Market Association (LBMA)coreBullionVault is a full member of the LBMA, the trade body forming the world's largest physical bullion marketplace. LBMA membership since 2008 enables BullionVault to participate in the professional London bullion market and adhere to the Precious Metals Code recognized by the FCA.
- London Platinum and Palladium Market (LPPM)coreBullionVault is also a member of the LPPM, the trade association acting as the market's principal point of contact with regulators and official bodies including HM Revenue and Customs.
- Independent Vault OperatorscoreBullionVault partners with professional vault operators in Zurich, London, Toronto, Singapore, and New York for secure storage of client bullion. These vault operators are leading providers of precious metal vault services and secure transportation, and are also LBMA members.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
BullionVault competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Goldmoney: Online precious-metals platform enabling private investors to buy, sell and store physical gold, silver, platinum and palladium in allocated vaults. Closest direct competitor to BullionVault, with overlapping Buy/Sell/Store functionality and global vault network.
- OneGold: Digital precious-metals platform backed by APMEX and Sprott that allows users to buy, sell and store physical gold, silver, platinum and palladium online. Competes head-on with BullionVault's retail-allocated-bullion model.
Emerging players
- Vaulted: App-based fractional precious-metals ownership platform letting users buy, sell and redeem physical gold and silver. Niche competitor to BullionVault focused on a younger, mobile-first retail audience.
- Glint: Gold-backed payment app allowing users to hold and spend gold via a Mastercard. Adjacent to BullionVault — operates in the same gold-as-money consumer thesis but targets payments rather than wealth storage.
Broad incumbents
- SPDR Gold Shares (GLD): World's largest gold-backed ETF. Not a direct operational peer, but a major substitute product targeting the same retail-investor demand for gold exposure that BullionVault serves — and a constant benchmark on fees and accessibility.
- iShares Gold Trust (IAU): BlackRock's gold ETF offering lower-cost alternative to GLD. Competes with BullionVault for investors choosing synthetic exchange-traded exposure rather than allocated bullion ownership.
- APMEX: One of the largest US online precious-metals dealers selling coins, bars and rounds to retail investors. Competes with BullionVault for primary gold/silver purchase demand, particularly in the US market.
- JM Bullion: Large US online precious-metals retailer offering gold, silver, platinum and palladium products with home delivery. Adjacent competitor serving overlapping retail demand via physical delivery rather than vaulted ownership.
Regional players
- Royal Mint Bullion: UK Royal Mint's precious-metals trading and storage platform (via vault at Llantrisant). Comparable vaulted ownership proposition to BullionVault with strong UK brand trust, primarily competing in the British market.
Others
- Augmentum Fintech plc: UK-listed fintech investment trust and BullionVault shareholder (via 2018 acquisition of Augmentum Capital). Comparable as a fintech investment vehicle but not a direct competitor — included as a strategic capital partner whose performance is partly tied to BullionVault's value.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BullionVault social profiles
Digital presenceBullionVault compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
BullionVault financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BullionVault leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
BullionVault subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
BullionVault funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BullionVault M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BullionVault
What does BullionVault do?
BullionVault operates an online investment platform that lets private investors buy, sell, and store physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Users trade directly against other users via a live order board, with allocated bullion held in professional vaults across Zurich, London, Toronto, Singapore, and New York. The company earns revenue primarily through trading commissions and recurring storage fees.
Is BullionVault a public or private company?
BullionVault is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was BullionVault founded?
BullionVault was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BullionVault based?
BullionVault is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does BullionVault make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Trading Commission is the primary driver. The others are storage Fees, physical Withdrawal Fees and currency Holding Fees.
Who are BullionVault's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Goldmoney and OneGold. Emerging players are Vaulted and Glint. Broad incumbents are SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), iShares Gold Trust (IAU), APMEX and JM Bullion. Royal Mint Bullion is listed as a regional player. Augmentum Fintech plc is listed as an others.
Does BullionVault have an API?
Yes. BullionVault offers an XML API for trading robots and automated trading systems. The API provides 8 services: View Market, Place Order, Cancel Order, View Balance, View Orders, View Single Order, View Weight Unit Setting, and Update Weight Unit Setting. It uses HTTPS protocol with session cookie authentication. Rate limits apply: 60 requests per minute for viewing market, 10 per minute for placing orders, 30 per minute for viewing orders. The API supports trading in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium across multiple vault locations (Zurich, London, New York, Toronto, Singapore) in USD, GBP, and EUR currencies. Developer documentation is at www.bullionvault.com/help/xml_api.html.
What industry is BullionVault in?
BullionVault's product category is Online Precious Metals Investment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAJAD, Precious Metals Bullion & Concentrates Trading (Gold, Silver, PGM). Its NAICS code is 42394 and its SIC code is 5094.