Gold prices move constantly, driven by forces most people never see coming. One day it’s up on inflation fears, the next it’s down because the dollar strengthened overnight. Trying to time the perfect entry point? You’ll probably drive yourself mad.
This article examines two practical ways to own gold: buying physical bars and coins through Gold Avenue, or using gold as everyday spending money through TallyMoney.
Gold Price
Why People Buy Gold Right Now
Let’s be honest about what’s actually happening. Your savings account pays maybe 2-3% interest. Inflation? It’s been running higher than that. Even when official inflation numbers come down, your grocery bill doesn’t seem to care.
Gold doesn’t pay interest. It doesn’t send you dividends. But it also can’t be printed by governments or created out of thin air by central banks. When people lose faith in paper money—whether that’s next year or ten years from now—gold tends to hold its value.
That’s the basic idea anyway.
Right now, we’re seeing a few things simultaneously:
Central banks worldwide are still buying gold reserves. They clearly think it’s worth holding despite not earning interest. Government debt keeps climbing in most developed countries. At some point, that creates currency concerns. Bank failures in 2023 reminded people that “safe” institutions aren’t always safe. The pound, euro, and dollar all buy less than they did five years ago—and significantly less than ten or twenty years ago.
Does this mean you should rush out and convert everything to gold? Of course not. Does it mean gold deserves consideration as part of a broader financial strategy? Quite possibly.
Gold Avenue: Physical Gold and Silver Ownership
Gold Avenue provides access to physical precious metals with professional vault storage in Switzerland. As the official online retailer of MKS PAMP GROUP, the platform combines institutional-grade security with digital convenience.
How Gold Avenue Works
When you purchase gold or silver through Gold Avenue, you own 100% allocated physical metal stored in segregated Swiss vaults operated by Brinks. Each purchase represents actual bars or coins from LBMA-certified refiners like PAMP Suisse, Argor-Heraeus, and the Royal Canadian Mint.
Your metals remain completely separate from company assets and sit outside the banking system, providing protection even if Gold Avenue experiences business difficulties.
Storage and Insurance
Gold Avenue offers tiered storage options:
Free Storage (up to £8,500): Permanently free fully insured storage for holdings under £8,500 in value. This tier includes complete insurance coverage against theft, loss, and damage with no time limits.
Standard Storage (up to £85,000): £8 monthly fee with three months free initially. Suitable for moderate precious metals holdings with the same full insurance coverage.
Premium Storage (above £85,000): 0.5% annual fee with custom pricing and a dedicated account manager for larger portfolios.
All tiers include instant 0% commission buyback at spot price 24/7, allowing you to sell stored metals whenever needed with immediate proceeds.
VAT-Free Storage Advantage
Products stored in Gold Avenue’s Swiss freeport facility avoid VAT entirely during storage. While gold remains VAT-free throughout Europe, silver, platinum, and palladium normally incur VAT upon purchase: 20% in the UK, 19% in Germany, 22% in Italy.
Storage eliminates these charges. You can buy £10,000 in silver and store it VAT-free, whereas UK delivery would add £2,000 in immediate VAT. You only pay VAT if you request physical delivery—selling back to Gold Avenue never triggers VAT.
Buying and Selling Process
Gold Avenue provides multiple payment methods:
Credit cards (instant processing with 3% surcharge)
Instant bank payments (immediate confirmation without surcharges)
Wire transfers (1-3 business days for wallet crediting)
All purchases carry a fixed 1.49% gold purchase fee covering the premium above spot price. This represents the standard cost of buying physical precious metals.
Physical delivery ships within 4-10 business days across Europe via insured carriers including Swiss Post, UPS, and Brinks. Stored products can be sold instantly at spot price with 0% commission, with proceeds transferring to your bank account free of charge.
Who Should Consider Gold Avenue
Gold Avenue suits investors seeking:
Long-term physical gold or silver holdings without delivery needs
VAT savings on silver, platinum, and palladium through Swiss storage
Professional vault security without home storage concerns
Flexibility to sell instantly at spot price or request delivery later
The platform works particularly well for UK investors wanting to avoid 20% VAT on silver while maintaining the option to eventually take delivery.
TallyMoney: Gold as Everyday Money
TallyMoney takes a fundamentally different approach: converting pounds directly into physical gold that functions as everyday spending money through a Mastercard debit card.
How TallyMoney Works
When you transfer pounds to TallyMoney, the system immediately purchases physical LBMA-certified gold at wholesale prices and stores it in insured Swiss vaults. Each unit of “tally” represents precisely one milligram of gold.
Unlike traditional bank accounts holding government-backed currency, your TallyMoney balance represents actual gold ownership. As gold prices increase, your balance gains purchasing power. As gold prices decrease, your balance loses purchasing power.
Spending Your Gold
TallyMoney provides a Mastercard debit card accepted at over 37 million locations worldwide. When you make purchases, your tally balance automatically converts to the required currency at the current gold spot price.
Card payments throughout the UK are free. International purchases incur 0% foreign transaction fees—the system converts using the global gold price and Mastercard exchange rate with no additional markup.
You can withdraw cash from any Mastercard ATM globally (free for up to three withdrawals daily, £250 daily limit). Higher spending limits of £3,000-£5,000 per day accommodate larger purchases.
Gold as an Inflation Hedge
TallyMoney addresses a specific problem: the silent erosion of savings through inflation. When UK inflation reaches 10% annually whilst savings accounts offer 2% interest, money loses 8% of real-world value each year.
Gold cannot be digitally created or devalued through quantitative easing. By anchoring savings to physical gold, TallyMoney aims to preserve purchasing power over time.
Historical comparison: £200 in monthly savings from January 2010 would have grown to £40,757 in TallyMoney versus £29,200 in traditional savings accounts by February 2022—a £11,557 difference demonstrating gold’s long-term value preservation potential.
Costs and Considerations
TallyMoney charges:
£9 one-time account activation (includes physical Mastercard)
1.49% fee on all deposits (immediate conversion cost from pounds to gold)
0.5% annual account keeping fee (minimum £3 monthly)
The fee structure creates an important consideration: small balances pay disproportionately more. The £3 monthly minimum means accounts under £7,200 effectively pay more than 0.5% annually.
TallyMoney works best for:
Holdings above £7,200 where fees become proportional
Regular monthly deposits building substantial gold-backed savings over years
Long-term inflation protection rather than short-term gains
Everyday spending combined with savings in a single gold-backed account
The platform doesn’t offer interest payments. Traditional banks pay interest because they loan your deposited money to others at higher rates. TallyMoney instead purchases physical gold that you own outright—no loan means no interest, but also no counterparty risk.
Protection and Security
TallyMoney doesn’t qualify for FSCS protection because accounts hold physical gold rather than fiat currency deposits. Instead, the platform provides:
100% insurance coverage through LBMA-accredited Swiss vault provider (no maximum limit)
Daily reconciliation and quarterly reviews by independent auditors PKF Littlejohn LLP
Security Trustee structure with FCA-licensed Woodside Corporate Services Ltd
If TallyMoney ceases operations, the Security Trustee sells all customer gold and deposits proceeds (less 1% administrative fee) into designated bank accounts.
Who Should Consider TallyMoney
TallyMoney suits individuals seeking:
Everyday spending money protected from long-term inflation
Direct physical gold ownership without separate investment accounts
International spending without foreign transaction fees
Alternative to traditional banking with tangible asset backing
The service requires a long-term perspective. Gold prices fluctuate daily, potentially causing temporary balance reductions. The 1.49% deposit fee and £3 monthly minimum create an immediate cost that gold appreciation must overcome.
While both platforms provide gold ownership, they serve different purposes:
Gold Avenue focuses on investment-grade precious metals storage. You’re buying gold and silver bars or coins specifically to hold long-term or eventually take delivery. The platform excels at VAT-free storage and instant liquidity through 0% commission buyback.
TallyMoney converts everyday spending money into gold. You’re not buying gold as an investment—you’re holding gold as your primary currency for daily transactions. The Mastercard integration makes gold spendable anywhere.
Storage approach: Gold Avenue stores products you’ve specifically purchased. TallyMoney automatically converts any pounds you deposit into gold at the moment of transfer.
Selling/spending: Gold Avenue offers instant buyback at spot price for stored products, with proceeds transferring to your bank account. TallyMoney allows direct spending through the debit card, automatically converting gold to required currencies.
Fee structure: Gold Avenue charges 1.49% on purchases plus tiered storage fees (free under £8,500). TallyMoney charges 1.49% on deposits plus 0.5% annual keeping fee (£3 minimum monthly).
Best use cases: Gold Avenue works well for dedicated precious metals portfolios separate from everyday finances. TallyMoney works well for combining inflation protection with spending capability in a single account.
Making Your Decision
Whether to buy gold now—and which platform to use—depends on your specific financial situation and objectives.
Consider your investment timeline. Short-term gold price movements are unpredictable. Gold serves better as long-term inflation protection than short-term speculation.
Consider your intended use. If you’re building a separate precious metals allocation without regular access needs, Gold Avenue’s free storage under £8,500 and 0% commission buyback provide straightforward investment exposure.
If you’re concerned about everyday purchasing power erosion and want spending money anchored to a physical asset, TallyMoney’s gold-backed Mastercard offers a unique solution—though the fee structure requires sufficient balance to be economical.
Consider your broader portfolio. Gold typically represents 5-15% of diversified portfolios, complementing stocks, bonds, and property rather than replacing them entirely.
Neither platform provides investment advice or guarantees returns. Gold prices can fall as well as rise. The decision to allocate funds to gold should fit within your overall financial plan and risk tolerance.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Gold prices can fluctuate significantly, and past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. Consider your individual circumstances and consult a qualified financial adviser before making investment decisions. Always review complete terms and conditions directly with Gold Avenue and TallyMoney before opening accounts.
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