Markets & Investing
Scrap precious metal payout
Use this scrap precious metal payout calculator to estimate a dealer payout from fine-metal value, an entered payout percentage and fixed deductions.
Your inputs
Complete only the fields for your selected method. Use one consistent job or reporting period. Zero means intentionally zero, not unknown. Missing costs and market rates are not added automatically. Currency selection labels amounts; it does not convert exchange rates.
How this calculation works
net payout = fine ounces × spot × payout fraction - fixed deductions
Contained-metal value only. No collectible premium, refining recovery, assay, taxes, transport or dealer bid is inferred. Purity must describe the weighed material. A troy ounce differs from an ordinary ounce. Enter the dealer’s actual payout terms. Refining recovery must already be reflected in the supplied payout percentage; do not deduct it twice. Educational arithmetic from entered figures, not an investment recommendation, valuation opinion, forecast or guarantee. Taxes, inflation and foreign-exchange changes are excluded unless explicitly entered. Use one currency throughout; currency selection only changes labels.
What information do I need?
Use records for the same job, equipment or accounting period. Only the fields for your selected entry method are required. An unknown amount is not zero.
Input definitions and where to find them
- Precious metal: Use matching records or an explicitly identified assumption for precious metal. Unknown is not the same as zero.
- Gross metal-item weight (selected unit): Use a scale reading. Exclude stones, packaging and nonmetal parts. Select grams, troy ounces, ordinary ounces or pennyweight explicitly.
- Unit of gross weight: Use matching records or an explicitly identified assumption for unit of gross weight. Unknown is not the same as zero.
- Fine-metal purity (%): Enter 92.5 for sterling, 75 for 18-karat gold, or 99.99 for .9999 fine metal. Karat / 24 × 100 gives nominal gold purity. Hallmarks are not an assay; plated items are unsuitable.
- Spot price per fine troy ounce (selected currency): Enter a dated dealer/market reference, or explicitly apply a refreshed Gold API quote above. This is a fine-metal reference, not a guaranteed buy or sell offer. Live quotes are USD only.
- Dealer payout percentage of contained spot value (%): Use matching records or an explicitly identified assumption for dealer payout percentage of contained spot value. Unknown is not the same as zero.
- Fixed deductions from payout (selected currency): Use matching records or an explicitly identified assumption for fixed deductions from payout. Unknown is not the same as zero.
Use the Where to find this value controls beside the inputs for available work-it-out helpers. Estimates remain your assumptions; a helper does not verify the source figures.
Worked example
Example amounts use US dollars (USD).
Example answer: Estimated net payout (can be negative) is $2,689.73 for the illustrative inputs below.
Example inputs
- Precious metal: Gold
- Gross metal-item weight: 31.1034768 selected unit
- Unit of gross weight: Grams
- Fine-metal purity: 99.99 %
- Spot price per fine troy ounce: $3,000.00
- Dealer payout percentage of contained spot value: 90.00 %
- Fixed deductions from payout: $10.00
- Estimated net payout (can be negative)
- $2,689.73
- Contained-metal spot value
- $2,999.70
- Dealer allowance before fixed deductions
- $2,699.73
- Fine-metal content
- 0.99990000 troy oz
- Fine-metal content
- 31.100366 g
These illustrative values are not recommended rates or industry averages. Replace every example input with your own figures.
Use the result well
Use this scrap precious metal payout calculator to estimate a dealer payout from fine-metal value, an entered payout percentage and fixed deductions.
Keep inputs on the same scope and time basis. Calculations retain precision internally; displayed values generally round to two decimal places, with extra precision for very small values and whole-unit rounding where required. Economic comparisons describe your supplied assumptions and do not guarantee future results.
This tool provides business arithmetic. It does not approve engineering designs, establish legal or tax treatment, select equipment or certify safe operating conditions.