Monte de Piedad
Monte de Piedad is a privately held San Diego pawn shop and jewelry retailer operating 13 bilingual branches that provide collateral-backed pawn loans, gold-buying services, and discounted jewelry retail to individual consumers across San Diego County.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Monte de Piedad does
Monte de Piedad is a privately held, for-profit pawn shop and jewelry retailer headquartered in San Diego, California, founded in 1980 by Don Francisco. The company operates 13 physical branches across San Diego County, including the metropolitan core, South Bay (Chula Vista, National City, San Ysidro), and North County (Escondido), with bilingual English/Spanish service targeted at the region's predominantly Hispanic community. All branches operate Monday through Saturday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and headcount sits in the 101-250 range. The company has no disclosed proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, no public API, and no mobile app; its digital footprint is limited to a bilingual website and a basic e-commerce jewelry storefront.
The business operates three interconnected revenue streams: (1) pawn loans — secured short-term loans using jewelry, watches, and designer accessories as collateral, with loan amounts calculated as a percentage of appraised value and no credit checks required; (2) gold and precious-metals purchasing from walk-in customers, with the company claiming to pay 10% more than competitors and offering an MDP Worry-Free Guarantee; and (3) jewelry retail, selling unredeemed pledged items plus selected new pieces online and in-branch at advertised discounts of 50-70% off retail. Pricing for pawn loans is not publicly disclosed and is set per-transaction at the branch based on collateral appraisal; jewelry retail prices are publicly listed; layaway is offered on certain higher-value items (15% deposit). No external funding rounds, parent company, or institutional ownership has been disclosed; the company appears to be family-founded and organically grown over more than 45 years.
Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the 13-branch retail storefronts, supplemented by the online jewelry store and the company website for top-of-funnel awareness. Customer segments are undifferentiated individual consumers across three use cases: people needing fast cash against collateral, sellers of gold and unwanted jewelry, and buyers of discounted jewelry. Marketing relies on word-of-mouth, community reputation, bilingual website content, Google reviews (356+ reviews, "Excellent"), customer testimonials, and a community-focused foundation mission. The company has no disclosed strategic partnerships, no M&A activity, no regulatory actions, and no patents or trademarks.
Monte de Piedad firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Monte de Piedad
- Legal name
- Monte de Piedad
- Website
- https://montedepiedad.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Monte de Piedad is a privately held San Diego pawn shop and jewelry retailer operating 13 bilingual branches that provide collateral-backed pawn loans, gold-buying services, and discounted jewelry retail to individual consumers across San Diego County.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Monte de Piedad industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pawn Shop Services
- NAICS
- Jewelry Retailers (458310), Jewelry Retailers (45831)
- SIC
- Personal Credit Institutions (6141), Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Traditional Pawn Loans (Pawnbrokers) (FSAKALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Pawn & Collateral-based Jewelry Retail (CRAKAGAL), Luxury Pawn & Collateral Lending (Watches/Jewelry) (CRAKAKAG)
Keywords
Where Monte de Piedad is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices12 records
Markets served
Monte de Piedad business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Pawn Loan Interest & Fees: Customers pledge jewelry and valuables as collateral in exchange for cash loans. The loan is calculated as a percentage of the item's assessed value. Repayment with interest redeems the pledged item; failure to repay results in forfeiture of the collateral. This is the core revenue stream.
- Jewelry Retail Sales: Pawned items not redeemed by customers are sold through the company's online jewelry store. Jewelry is sold at significant discounts (up to 50-70% off retail) including rings, bracelets, earrings, chains, watches, and pendants.
- Gold & Precious Metals Purchasing: Monte de Piedad buys gold and precious metals from customers, paying competitive rates (claims to pay 10% more than competitors) and reselling or refining them.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Pawn loans are quoted per item based on appraised collateral value; terms and interest rates are disclosed in a signed contract at the branch. |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Monte de Piedad product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Monte de Piedad operates as a pawn shop and jewelry retailer providing three interconnected services: secured pawn loans using jewelry and valuables as collateral for fast cash, purchasing gold and precious metals from customers at competitive rates, and reselling verified jewelry (chains, rings, bracelets, pendants) at significant discounts through 13 physical branches across San Diego and an online jewelry store.
Product overview
Monte de Piedad operates as a pawn shop and jewelry retailer with 13 locations across San Diego, California. The company offers three interconnected core services: pawn loans (secured loans using jewelry as collateral), gold buying (purchasing gold items from customers), and a jewelry retail store. The pawn loan service enables customers to obtain fast cash by pledging jewelry, watches, or designer accessories without credit checks. Gold buying provides customers the ability to sell their gold for immediate payment. The jewelry store sells verified pre-owned and new jewelry items including chains, rings, bracelets, earrings, and pendants at discounts of up to 50-70% off retail prices. Additionally, the Monte de Piedad Foundation provides community support and financial education programs. The company was founded in 1980 and maintains bilingual (Spanish and English) service.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pawn Loans Secured loans using jewelry, watches, and designer accessories as collateral, providing fast cash without credit checks, documentation, or impact on credit score. Loan value is a percentage of the pledged item's appraised value, and items can be redeemed upon repayment.
- Gold Buying Purchase of gold items and precious metals from customers, with the company claiming to pay 10% more than competitors. Includes the MDP Worry-Free Guarantee on transactions.
- Jewelry Store Retail sale of verified pre-owned and new jewelry items including chains, rings, bracelets, earrings, and pendants at discounts of 50-70% off retail value. Available both online and across all 13 branch locations.
- Cadena de Oro Sólido 14 Kilates (14K Solid Gold Chain) 14-karat solid gold chain weighing 28.6 grams, available for purchase with layaway option requiring 15% deposit.
- Pulsera Trenzada (14K Twisted Bracelet) 14-karat twisted design bracelet weighing 10.6 grams, 6mm wide, retail price $1,131.99 with 50% discount.
- Pulsera Perlas (14K Pearl Ball Bracelet) 14-karat tricolor pearl ball bracelet, 7.25 inches long, 7.1 grams, 3mm wide, retail $828.99 with 50% discount.
- Pulsera Flecha (14K Arrow Bracelet) 14-karat yellow gold arrow bracelet, 7.25 inches long, 16.5 grams, 7mm wide, retail $1,760.99 with 50% discount.
- Colgante de Rosa Corazón (Heart Rose Pendant) 14-karat yellow gold heart rose pendant, 1 inch long, 3.7 grams, retail $308.99 with 50% discount.
- Colgante Encantador (Charming Pendant) 14-karat yellow gold charming pendant, 0.5 inch long, 2 grams, retail $233.99 with 50% discount.
- Colgante Papa (Pope Pendant) 14-karat yellow gold Pope pendant, 1 inch long, 3.7 grams, retail $373.99 with 50% discount.
- Cadena Figaro (10K Figaro Chain) 10-karat yellow gold Figaro chain, 20 inches long, 8.8 grams, 3mm wide, retail $733.99 with 50% discount.
- Cadena de Cuerda (Rope Chain) 14-karat yellow gold rope chain design, 20 inches long, 9.7 grams, 3mm wide, retail $1,131.99 with 50% discount.
- Anillo Flores (Flower Design Ring) 14-karat yellow gold flower design ring, 4.3 grams, 2mm wide, size 8, retail $501.99 with 50% discount.
- Anillo de Concha (Shell Design Ring) 14-karat yellow gold shell design ring, 3.6 grams, 2mm wide, size 6.5, retail $619.99 with 50% discount.
- Anillo Corazón (Heart-Shaped Ring) 14-karat yellow gold heart-shaped ring, 3.2 grams, 4mm wide, size 6.5, retail $373.99 with 50% discount.
- Anillo (14K Gold Ring with Flower Design) 14-karat yellow gold ring with flower design, 3.2 grams, 4mm wide, retail $373.99 with 50% discount.
- Set Dos Brazaletes (Two-Bracelet Set) Set of two 14-karat yellow gold bracelets, 19.7 grams, 2.5 inches diameter, 5mm wide.
- Dos Brazaletes (Two-Bracelet Set, 11.5g) Set of two 14-karat yellow gold bracelets, 11.5 grams, 2.5 inches diameter, 4mm wide.
Quantifiable outcome
- Customers can receive cash in under 20 minutes for pawn loans
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Monte de Piedad
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Monte de Piedad technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Monte de Piedad partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Monte de Piedad competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- H&S Pawnbrokers & Jewelers: Multi-store pawn and jewelry operator in the Western US. Comparable format — pawn loans plus fine jewelry retail — but operating in a different geography.
- Pawn America: Mid-size regional pawn chain in the Upper Midwest running larger-format stores with strong retail jewelry floors. Comparable pawn-plus-jewelry-retail mix; geographically distinct from MDP.
Broad incumbents
- FirstCash Holdings: Public US/Latin America pawn and consumer lender with thousands of stores. Closest large-scale comparable to MDP's pawn-plus-retail model, with deeper retail (jewelry) integration through recent acquisitions.
- EZCORP: Largest publicly traded US pawn operator (EZMoney, Cash Pawn brands). Comparable as a multi-region pawn and gold-buying chain; broader scale and more geographies than the San Diego-only anchor.
- Cash America / NetCredit (parent: FirstCash legacy): Historic US pawn and consumer-credit brand, now part of FirstCash. Comparable pawn-broking and consumer-credit product set with broader geographic reach.
Emerging players
- Gold Max / Cash for Gold (regional buyers): Direct competitive set in the gold-buying stream. Many of these are mail-in or single-store buyers competing on payout rates and convenience — directly relevant to MDP's gold-buying line.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Monte de Piedad social profiles
Digital presenceMonte de Piedad financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Monte de Piedad leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Monte de Piedad funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Monte de Piedad 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 Monte de Piedad
What does Monte de Piedad do?
Monte de Piedad operates as a pawn shop and jewelry retailer providing three interconnected services: secured pawn loans using jewelry and valuables as collateral for fast cash, purchasing gold and precious metals from customers at competitive rates, and reselling verified jewelry (chains, rings, bracelets, pendants) at significant discounts through 13 physical branches across San Diego and an online jewelry store.
Is Monte de Piedad a public or private company?
Monte de Piedad is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Monte de Piedad founded?
Monte de Piedad was founded in 1980. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Monte de Piedad based?
Monte de Piedad is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Monte de Piedad make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Pawn Loan Interest & Fees are the primary driver. The others are jewelry Retail Sales and gold & Precious Metals Purchasing.
Who are Monte de Piedad's main competitors?
Regional players on record are H&S Pawnbrokers & Jewelers and Pawn America. Broad incumbents are FirstCash Holdings, EZCORP and Cash America / NetCredit (parent: FirstCash legacy). Gold Max / Cash for Gold (regional buyers) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Monte de Piedad have an API?
No public API is recorded for Monte de Piedad.
What industry is Monte de Piedad in?
Monte de Piedad's product category is Pawn Shop Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKALAA, Traditional Pawn Loans (Pawnbrokers), with a secondary code of CRAKAGAL, Pawn & Collateral-based Jewelry Retail. Its NAICS code is 458310 and its SIC code is 6141.