Multiple Banks Tighten Accumulation Gold Transactions: Daily Quotas Depleted, Customers Unable to Continue Purchasing

This report (chinatimes.net.cn) journalist Li Minghui, intern reporter Lin Jiaru, Beijing report

International gold prices continue to fluctuate at high levels, and many banks are simultaneously upgrading their risk control measures for precious metals business.

Recently, China Construction Bank announced the implementation of dynamic trading limit management for Jianhang Gold (including Easy Deposit Gold). Previously, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China had piloted dynamic limit management on non-trading days, and some banks introduced temporary market closure plans. Several banks have also raised the minimum purchase thresholds for gold accumulation multiple times to strengthen risk control.

Industry experts told Huaxia Times reporters that the core of these adjustments is to address market and compliance risks caused by gold price fluctuations, aiming to filter out short-term speculative trading and guide gold savings business back to its long-term asset allocation nature.

Currently, market speculation is heating up, with some investors using consumer loans, credit cards, and other funds to participate in gold investment, resulting in significant losses after market reversals. Experts advise ordinary investors to participate rationally in gold investment, to treat gold as part of long-term household asset allocation, and to control reasonable holdings.

Risk control model upgrade: from static increase to dynamic limits

On March 3, China Construction Bank’s official website issued an announcement stating that from March 4, it will implement dynamic trading limit management for Jianhang Gold (including Easy Deposit Gold), and simultaneously extend the delivery time for physical precious metals. Public information shows that Jianhang Gold is the bank’s approved personal gold brand, formerly renamed “Longding Gold” in 2009, covering physical gold and account gold services.

Huaxia Times reporter verified with CCB customer service that this dynamic limit is set daily by the head office based on market risk, with a total limit for the entire bank, which is used up on the same day and cannot be exceeded; buy transactions will be restricted, while sell transactions are unaffected. The announcement also states that due to a surge in physical gold purchases, delivery for orders placed on March 3 will be extended to 10-15 working days.

Previously, on January 30, ICBC was the first to issue a notice on dynamic management of gold accumulation, implementing daily/individual limits on accumulation and redemption of Ruyi Gold during non-Shanghai Gold Exchange trading days starting February 7.

Since 2025, multiple banks have repeatedly raised the minimum purchase thresholds for gold accumulation. According to incomplete statistics, ICBC has issued six consecutive notices raising the threshold from 650 yuan to 1,300 yuan; Bank of China has issued six notices increasing the threshold from 650 yuan to 1,200 yuan; Industrial Bank has also repeatedly announced increases, raising the initial purchase amount from 900 yuan in September 2025 to the recent 1,400 yuan; China Construction Bank also raised the periodic accumulation starting amount for personal gold savings to 1,500 yuan in February.

In addition to directly implementing dynamic limit management, some banks have activated temporary market closure plans. On February 28, Zhejiang Commercial Bank announced that if the gold market experiences significant abnormal price fluctuations, liquidity dries up, or trading capacity drops sharply, the bank may temporarily close the wealth gold accumulation business. During closure, transactions such as buying gold, selling gold, and physical gold exchanges will be suspended.

“Shifting risk control from static increases to dynamic limits is a fundamental upgrade from passive defense to active management,” said Wu Zewei, a special researcher at Shushang Bank, to Huaxia Times. He explained that traditional static increases are lagging and easy for speculators to predict for arbitrage; whereas measures like dynamic limits and temporary closures, which adapt to market conditions, increase market uncertainty and precisely target high-frequency short-term speculation.

Wu Zewei further pointed out that the core signal of this shift is to guide gold savings business back to its original purpose of risk asset allocation, rather than serving as a low-threshold savings substitute. “Essentially, it filters out emotional traders and screens for investors with genuine long-term holding intentions.”

Wang Pengbo, chief analyst at Botong Consulting in the financial industry, added to Huaxia Times that dynamic limits, which adjust in real-time, replace fixed thresholds and improve response efficiency to extreme volatility and concentrated trading. “This signal indicates that high volatility in the precious metals market persists, and speculative behaviors are increasing. Institutions are shifting toward proactive risk control, repositioning the business from low-threshold savings substitutes to medium-risk investment products, and cooling short-term speculation through regulation and institutional coordination.”

Rising speculation and borrowing to trade gold highlight risks

It is noteworthy that the sharp fluctuations in international gold prices have fueled market speculation, with many investors lacking professional knowledge rushing into bank gold savings and physical gold products. Some even borrow savings, consumer loans, and credit card funds to trade gold, incurring significant losses after market reversals.

Reporters found that in this round of gold market, many investors operate with a “buy fast, sell fast” approach.

Beijing investor Mr. Wang admitted to the reporter that in early January, he was attracted by the rising gold prices and entered the market. After initially making small profits through quick trades, he concentrated 500,000 yuan at the end of the month to participate in gold accumulation trading, with funds sourced from personal savings, consumer loans, and credit card limits.

“I calculated that once gold prices surged, I could quickly profit,” he said. On January 29, London gold prices briefly surged, and his account showed a floating profit of nearly 20,000 yuan. However, the market reversed immediately, and the next day, London gold prices plummeted by 9.25%, causing his account to quickly fall into loss. Since some of his funds were borrowed, he was forced to reduce positions in batches to cut losses. Even though gold prices rebounded later, his account remained trapped in a loss.

Similarly, investor Ms. Li told reporters that at the end of January, she bought Easy Deposit Gold from a major state-owned bank at a high point, planning to hold for half a year and exchange for physical gold to earn the spread. Now, her account still shows a significant floating loss. “I wanted to appreciate the value, but it turned into a financial drag.”

The popularity on social media also confirms the speculative atmosphere. Since 2026, discussions related to gold accumulation have surged, mainly about sharing returns, short-term trading techniques, and transaction cost comparisons. Some investors posted complaints like, “I was happy earning 200 yuan at first, then lost 1,000 yuan in a few days, then 4,000 yuan in a day, losing for a week straight. Now I’ve recovered most of it but still lost over 1,000 yuan.”

“Currently, some investors borrowing to trade gold seriously underestimate the potential risks,” Wu Zewei analyzed to Huaxia Times. He pointed out that recent intra-day volatility has significantly increased, and leveraged investors not only face losses from falling prices but also bear fixed loan interest, which can easily trigger personal financial crises. Additionally, illegal use of credit funds may lead to forced liquidation by banks and damage to credit records.

Wu Zewei reminded that in the face of high-level fluctuations, investors should abandon the mentality of chasing gains and cutting losses, treat gold as part of long-term asset allocation, and gradually deploy through savings and physical gold bars in batches, controlling holdings within a reasonable proportion of household assets to smooth out market risks over time.

Considering market risks and changes in investor behavior, Wang Pengbo added to Huaxia Times that future risk controls on bank precious metals business will gradually tighten, including raising risk rating thresholds, expanding the scope of dynamic limits and temporary closures, strictly restricting leverage use, and strengthening position and fund monitoring. This will reduce trading flexibility for ordinary investors, raise entry standards, make leverage tools unavailable, and limit liquidity during extreme market conditions, increasing borrowing and short-term trading costs, and making long-term allocation more aligned with business orientation.

Editor: Feng Yingzi Chief Editor: Zhang Zhiwei