Short answer. A trustworthy copper buyer weighs on certified scales, quotes in writing, records who you are and does not pay cash in NSW or Victoria.
Price is the first thing sellers compare and the last thing that protects them. A good-looking quote from a buyer who weighs short or pays in a way the rules do not allow can cost more than a lower honest one. This checklist covers what to check before a load leaves your hands. We should say that ScrapTrade is a scrap marketplace with a commercial stake in the trade.
Check the scales
For trade, a weighbridge must be of a type approved by the National Measurement Institute and verified by a servicing licensee, and the owner is responsible for it weighing correctly. Ask if you can watch the weigh-in, and ask whether the scale is verified. A buyer who resists the question has answered it.
Get the quote in writing
Ask for the date, the grade, the rate and the deductions, in writing or on a message you can keep. A figure said across a counter cannot be checked later. How to judge whether the figure is fair is in Scrap Yard Copper Prices: How to Check an Offer.
Look at how they pay
- Dealers cannot pay cash for scrap in NSW or Victoria. A buyer offering cash there is breaking the rule, and you may be asked questions afterwards.
- Ask when payment lands and in what form. See Scrap Business Rules in Australia by State for the state rules.
Expect to be identified
The ATO's scrap code asks a GST-registered buyer to record identification with a traceable identifier, such as a driver licence number, for sales above A$82.50. A buyer who does not ask for ID is not following the code. If you sell as a business, the ATO expects an ABN or the buyer withholds 47%. The full picture is in What If Every Scrap Trade Were on the Books?.
Signs to walk away
- No verified scale, or no willingness to show it.
- A price that is far above every other quote with no explanation.
- Cash offered where the rules forbid it.
- Pressure to decide before you have compared.
Where ScrapTrade fits
Buyers on ScrapTrade are verified, and payment is held in escrow once a deal is confirmed and released after pickup or delivery is confirmed. Listing is free with no commission.
What we could not verify
- How many Australian yards use verified scales.
- Penalties for a buyer that pays cash against the rules.
- Any ranking of buyers by honesty.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know a scale is accurate?
Ask whether it is a verified trade scale. You can also weigh the load yourself first and compare.
Is it illegal for me to accept cash?
The rule falls on the dealer. In NSW and Victoria a dealer cannot pay cash for scrap.
Sources
- National Measurement Institute, Weighbridges used for trade.
- Australian Taxation Office, GST and scrap metal: code of compliance (3 July 2023).
- ScrapTrade, How It Works and Trust & Safety pages, accessed November 2026.
General information, not legal advice. Check the current state rules before you sell.