Gold Price Lock Explained: Ordering Gold Online From a Jeweler

A gold price lock means the rate a customer sees when placing an order through an app stays fixed for that order until they confirm it. If the market moves between seeing the price and tapping “confirm”, the buyer isn’t surprised and the jeweler doesn’t lose money. Below we explain why gold prices shift in the middle of an order, what a price lock does in practice, and what workflow a jewelry gallery needs to take gold orders remotely.

Why Does the Gold Price Change in the Middle of an Order?

Gold is not a fixed daily price. In Iran’s market, for example, the open-market exchange rate, the global ounce price and the mood of wholesale trading all move it during the day, and many gold shops update their rates several times a day. In a face-to-face sale this barely matters, because seller and customer agree on the spot. But with phone or app orders there are a few minutes between “seeing the rate” and “final confirmation”: the customer thinks it over, checks with family or checks their card balance.

Those few minutes are enough for a new rate to appear on the board. If the ordering system recalculates the price at the moment of confirmation, the number the customer accepts is different from the one they saw. The result is usually one of two things:

• The rate went up: the customer feels cheated and loses trust in ordering remotely from that gallery.
• The rate went down, or the seller verbally honored the old number: this time the jeweler absorbs the difference, and nothing is recorded anywhere.

Both come down to the same problem: no single, recorded number that both sides saw and accepted.

What Does a Price Lock Actually Do When Buying Gold Online?

The idea is simple: the order is tied to the rate the customer saw on screen, not to a rate announced a few seconds later. The usual flow in a gold ordering app:

1. The customer sees the live rate for an item in the gallery’s app.
2. They pick the item and quantity and request a buy or sell.
3. The system locks the rate it displayed for this order.
4. The final amount is shown, and the customer confirms that exact amount.
5. The order reaches the gallery at the locked rate for delivery and settlement.

The key is step four: what is confirmed must be exactly the locked figure, even if the market moved at that very moment. How long a lock stays valid, or what terms apply to large orders, is each gallery’s policy and should be stated clearly in writing to customers.

Hypothetical Example: Ordering 5 g of 18K Gold With and Without a Price Lock

Suppose at 10:02 a customer sees 18-karat gold at 4,200,000 toman per gram (Iran’s currency; 1 toman = 10 rials) and decides to buy 5 g. At 10:05, when they tap confirm, the gallery has raised the rate to 4,230,000 toman. To keep it simple we leave out making charge and profit (all figures are hypothetical):

A 150,000-toman gap may look small, but on a volatile day with dozens of orders, those gaps add up to real money and several unhappy customers. A price lock removes both from the equation. To see how the final invoice is built with making charge and profit, read our gold price calculation guide.

The Market Open/Closed Badge: An Essential Part of Online Gold Ordering

A price lock only means something if the customer knows the rate they’re seeing is live. Outside business hours or on holidays, the displayed rate may simply be yesterday’s last figure. If the app doesn’t show this, a customer may place an order at night and face a different rate in the morning.

A clear, live indicator showing whether the market is open or closed removes that ambiguity. Alongside it, a pinned notice from the gallery keeps ordering rules, opening hours and contact numbers in front of the customer. For more on showing live rates, see our page on the gold price board app.

A Suggested Workflow for Taking Gold Orders Remotely

Having the tool isn’t enough; the shop needs a clear routine behind it. This workflow is a good starting point for most stores:

1. Decide who can order: remote ordering doesn’t have to be open to everyone on day one. Start with long-standing, known customers.
2. Write the rules: minimum and maximum order size, accepted hours, settlement deadline and delivery method, all in the gallery notice.
3. Assign an order handler: one person who reviews incoming orders during the day and confirms or follows up.
4. Settlement and delivery: state whether orders are paid by transfer, deducted from the customer’s account balance or paid on collection.
5. Book it in accounting: every confirmed order must become an invoice and a movement in the customer’s account, so balances stay correct.
6. Weekly review: look at cancelled orders and complaints and refine the rules.

Step five is where many shops slip: orders arrive in a messaging app while customer accounts live in a notebook or spreadsheet, and sooner or later the two stop matching. For keeping customers’ money, gold and coin balances, see customer accounts for gold shops.

Checklist for Choosing a Gold Ordering App

If you’re looking for an app or system to take orders from customers, ask these questions in every product demo:

• Is the amount the customer confirms exactly the locked rate?
• Is the market’s open or closed status shown live?
• Can the gallery decide which customers are allowed to use the app?
• How simple is customer login? Does it rely on passwords people forget?
• Do orders feed straight into the customer account and invoice in the accounting software, or must they be copied by hand?
• Can customers see their own balance and transaction history?
• How much hassle is installing the app for the customer?

Price Lock and App Ordering in Zaran Gold Accounting Software

In Zaran, P-Soft’s gold and jewelry accounting software, customers place buy and sell orders from the customer app with one tap, and the rate stays locked so they can confirm with confidence. The app installs on the phone without going through an app store; customers log in with a one-time code sent to their mobile number, and access is open only to customers the gallery has approved. In the same app customers see a price trend chart, whether the market is open or closed, and the shop’s rules and opening hours. These features come with the Pro plan and above, the same plan that includes customer accounts with separate rial, gold and coin balances. Zaran’s interface is in Persian and it is built for the Iranian gold market; the full overview is on the Zaran gold and jewelry accounting software page.

Common Mistakes When Launching Online Gold Sales

• Accepting orders from a photo of the rate board in a chat: a photo doesn’t prove the exact time of the rate and is weak evidence in a dispute.
• Not updating rates during busy hours: a price lock on a wrong rate locks in the mistake. One named person should own rate updates.
• Opening orders to everyone from day one: keep the scope narrow until settlement and delivery routines are settled.
• Orders disconnected from accounting: any order that never reaches the customer’s account becomes an account dispute later.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a gold price lock mean?

The rate shown when the order is placed stays fixed for that order and the customer confirms that exact figure; later market moves don’t affect it.

Is it safe to buy gold online from a jewelry gallery?

When the rate is locked, the gallery’s rules are in writing and the order is recorded directly in the customer’s account, remote buying is transparent and traceable. Read that gallery’s settlement and delivery rules before ordering.

Can I order gold when the market is closed?

That depends on each gallery’s policy. An app that shows the market’s open or closed status live helps customers know whether the displayed rate is current.

How long does a gold price lock last?

There’s no fixed duration for all galleries; each shop sets its own order terms and should publish them in its notice to customers.

Which Zaran plan includes price-locked ordering?

Pro and above. The Start plan does not include the customer app or app ordering.

To try price-locked ordering and the customer app on your own phone, explore Zaran and request a demo.

Further reading

• How to Choose the Best Gold Accounting Software for Your Shop
• How to Calculate Gold Jewelry Price: Making Charge, Profit, VAT
• Gold Wholesale Accounting: Transfers and Weight-Based Settlement

Complete guide: gold and jewelry accounting software