Goldlex has launched a passive franchise of gold-buying machines: the investor puts money into a location, while the management company handles all operational work for it. The average entry into the project is 5.7 million rubles. The stated yield of up to 40% per annum and payback in two years are only the company's own forecast, not a guaranteed result confirmed by actual data.
As the network grows, jewelry owners get more places where an item can be quickly appraised and sold with instant transfer of money to a card. The investor's income is calculated in grams of gold, so its ruble amount directly depends on the exchange price of the metal.
How the franchise works and how much it can bring
The franchisee purchases a gold machine and leases it to the management company. The latter selects a location, manages staff and handles promotion. The machine itself determines the weight and purity of the item, offers the client a buyback amount and, after consent, transfers the money to a bank card. The purchase of gold from the public is financed by JSC Goldlex Retail.
Any investor can participate: opening one location costs an average of 5.7 million rubles, including all expenses up to launch. There is no lump-sum fee — a one-time payment to the brand owner upon signing the contract. According to the company's estimate, the payback period is 24 months after opening, and the yield is up to 40% per annum. However, the company provides no guarantees, so investors should exercise caution and take possible risks into account.
Turnover of purchases through gold machines for the nine months of 2026 reached 233 million rubles versus 61 million rubles a year earlier. Goldlex tested the format in the spring by launching the closed-end mutual investment fund (ZPIF) Zolotomaty-1: qualified investors put 185.9 million rubles into it. The plans are to expand the network to 2,400 locations in five years through the franchise.
Why the price of gold matters to investors in gold machines
Since payouts are tied to gold, their ruble value depends on the exchange price of the metal, and in October it declined noticeably. Speculators cut their gold positions by $19.5 billion from September 22 to October 27, and analysts allow for continued selling.
Central banks remain a long-term support for the price, and therefore for the franchisee's income in grams: in Q3 2026 they bought 321 tonnes of gold, 42% more than a year earlier. At the same time, private buyers are increasingly rarely purchasing bars, coins and jewelry.
The situation is already changing in favor of metal holders: on November 4, the price returned above $4,000 per ounce after the Democrats' victory in the US midterm congressional elections. During trading, gold rose 2.6% to $4,040, but the RSI overbought indicator climbed to almost 80 — a signal of the risk of a short correction.
Cryptalist analysis: The gold machine format fits organically into the trend of the public monetizing physical gold, and tying payouts to grams creates a natural hedge against ruble devaluation. However, the stated 40% per annum is a calculated model under favorable price conditions, and when gold corrects, the franchisee's yield shrinks proportionally. Investors should evaluate the project primarily through the prism of metal volatility and the management company's operational risks, rather than through marketing payback figures.