Spot price inflation

There is no single "spot price." Each dealer publishes its own spot figure and then adds a premium on top. Spot price inflation is how far a dealer's published spot sits above the true market floor — the lowest spot published across every dealer we track.

Why it matters

A dealer can advertise a low-sounding premium while quietly inflating the spot price the premium is measured against. If Dealer A quotes spot at $30.20 and Dealer B quotes it at $30.60, a "$3.00 over spot" premium is not the same deal at both. Comparing premiums alone hides the gap; comparing the all-in price does not.

How we measure it

For every scraped price we record the dealer's displayed spot and compare it to our independent reference spot for that metal at that moment. The difference, averaged over 30 days, is the dealer's spot inflation for a product. On each product page you'll see a per-dealer breakdown so you can tell padded spot from an honest one.

How to protect yourself

Ignore the advertised premium and sort by the all-in price. Then check the spot-inflation column — a dealer with a tempting premium but high spot inflation is often more expensive than a dealer with a plain, honest quote. See also premium over spot and our methodology.