In recent years, the fascination for gold is getting widespread across the Chinese community as people want to invest and accumulate wealth. However, the door is not opened for everyone due to the high unit price of gold. Yet, the ICBC service of gold accrual is very suitable for individual customers to buy gold continuously in a small amount. Anyone can amass larger quantities of gold through regular small investment. As related, currently ICBC is the only commercial bank in the country offering such gold accrual service. ICBC scores over 600 000 customers since launch of the service last year.

ICBC gold accrual service, or "Ruyi Gold Accrual", offers similar option to invest in gold as funds. Once the accrual account is opened, "ICBC Ruyi Gold" is accrued in regular periods or at own choice. Ruyi Gold accrued can be redeemed in cash or drawn at ICBC in physical bars. If accrued periodically, every month on the specified date the amount as agreed will be used to buy gold at the price of the day, based on the agreement signed with ICBC. Since the investment amount is fixed each time, the actual grams of gold bought every month will be changed according to the fluctuation of gold price. Buying long-term in fixed amount and fixed period is a solution to spread the cost of gold on hand evenly over the period. Meanwhile, invest in Ruyi Gold accrual is very flexible. Investor can opt for accrual at own choice to buy gold in one transaction when the price is favorable.

The low investment threshold of ICBC gold accrual service implies that accrual can be in units of amount or grams with initial minimum of RMB 200 or 1 gram. The service offers the choice for customers to pick a date/time to draw the physical gold to avoid the hassle of keeping daily. The service can be signed up at ICBC outlet or online via ICBC Internet Banking. Customers can draw the accrued gold at the designated outlet of ICBC branch where the account is opened. Ruyi Gold can be drawn in flexible specification. Customers can also make an appointment with ICBC to draw the gold bars of needed specification by checking out the outlets information of ICBC in the area via Internet Banking.

Investment experts said that persistence is the key to accrue gold, since investment risk is reduced by the average cost, the longer the investment period, the better in mitigating the impact of the short-term fluctuation in gold price. The prices of gold may go up or down depending on the international political and economic conditions and many other factors. Only by constant buying and accrual will the overall investment cost be reduced. When the market rallies, the gain will protect and increase the investment.