How to buy bitcoin using credit or debit card

In this article we will explore all available options to Buy Bitcoin Using Debit or Credit Card.

Debit and credit cards have changed the way we transact. We are moving towards a more a cashless world because of them. And why not, they are very convenient to use, carry around and the margin of fraud, given the new advancement in FinTech, are very, very small.

In the past, buying Bitcoins using a debit or a credit card used to be tough. And the platforms that facilitated it had an arduous process before the Bitcoin’s ownership was transferred.

But in order to make the cryptocurrency market and blockchain industry a more inclusive one, many exchanges moved to make it easier to purchase Bitcoins using credit and debit cards. To a large extent they have been successful too.

Nowadays, in most exchanges, if a user chooses to pay with a credit or debit card the control over the amount of Bitcoin bought is transferred immediately. The user that chooses to use a credit or debit card is also exempt of the verification process.

Possibly the only downside to paying with a credit or debit card is the ~4-7% transaction fee that is charged by exchanges. But that is a small price to pay for the convenience that the users get in exchange and has become a very popular method of payment for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Below is a list of exchanges that accept credit and debit card payments and a small evaluation of how easy to use, how fast and how secure these exchanges are.

Credit/Debit Card Bitcoin Exchanges

Coinmama

Coinmama is a Bitcoin broker that is based out of Israel. The exchange is accessible to over 226 countries all over the world and allows everybody to get involved in the cryptocurrency market and by extension the industry.

Coinmama is now a global Bitcoin broker and is most popular for its facility to buy Bitcoin using debit and credit cards. Along with these two options Coinmama also accepts cash transferred using Western Union.

Since the exchange is functional from almost anywhere in the world, the transaction fees on card purchases is a little high. Each purchase is charged about ~5% transaction fee. The fee of this particular exchange is slightly higher than the others because this is a world wide service and the exchange is compensating for the risk of card payments through the service charge.

The exchange has a maximum purchase limit per day and per month. Which is about, $5,000 USD a day and $20,000 USD a month. The exchange also has a minimum purchase price of $60 USD.

When a user pays using a credit or debit card, the ownership of the Bitcoin is transferred almost instantaneously. However, to have an account on Coinmama identity verification has to be done before the account goes live. Another disadvantage of using Coinmama is that its transaction fees (particularly for card payments) is one of the highest.

For users in the USA, Coinmama does not function in some states. Otherwise, Coinmama supports 226 countries, making it easier for people to get into the cryptocurrency market.

Transaction Fee	~5%
Minimum Purchase Amount	$60 USD
Maximum Purchase Amount (Day)	$5,000 USD
Maximum Purchase Amount (Month)	$20,000 USD

Also, Read 3 ways to Buy Bitcoin in India after RBI ban

Coinbase

Coinbase is one of the world’s most trusted Bitcoin brokers. Along with being the most trusted Coinbase is also one of the world’s largest. The exchange is backed by many trusted investors. The exchange also has connections with the US government and works with them.

The exchange at the moment only supports the top four cryptocurrencies; Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash. The exchange has been criticized in the past for not having a lot of options in terms of the coins sold, but the exchange will and cannot add anymore cryptocurrencies until the regulations come into play on the industry and market.

Making an account on Coinbase is pretty straightforward. The exchange requires a photo ID and mode of payment before it allows users to transact. There many different levels of privileges and buying limits on Coinbase, which are decided on the basis of the level of account verification a user is comfortable with and willing to do.

On card payments, Coinbase levies a 3.999% transaction fees and paying with a card is the fastest way to get a Bitcoin. The buying limit, as mentioned before, depends on the level of verification your account has. However, it is noted that card buying limits are relatively lower in comparison to other exchanges.

But some Coinbase users have been able to extend their limit upto $50,000 by giving more personal information. (Verified phone number, email ID, etc) It is probably one of the easiest exchanges to use and is supported in 33 countries.

Transaction Fee	~4%
Minimum Purchase Amount	$0
Maximum Purchase Amount (Day)	Depends on Level of Verification
Maximum Purchase Amount (Month)	Depends on Level of Verification

Bitpanda

Bitpanda is an Austrian start-up. Bitpanda is a bitcoin broker and exchange that works in the EU zone only. The exchange won the “Best Startup” Award in 2016 and has since been a very reputed exchange across Europe. The exchange accepts card payments.

Bitpanda works in a very similar way to Coinbase. It has different levels of verification and the buying limit is decided based on the level of verification that a user has done. The exchange, just like Coinbase, also has low privacy because users require to submit a photo ID for an active account.

The purchase limits, on multiple levels of identity verification, are quite high. With just an email ID a user can only sell and not buy on the platform. But with phone number and photo identification the limit goes quite high.

The Bitpanda platform levies a low fees on each transaction. But is a space that the platform has received a lot of criticism. Because the fees are not outwardly displayed, they rather come directly added to the total amount of your purchase without a proper breakdown. The exchange also supports instant buy on purchase using credit or debit card.

Transaction Fee	Low
Minimum Purchase Amount	€50 EU
Maximum Purchase Amount (Day)	€5,000 EU
Maximum Purchase Amount (Month)	€75,000 EU

*on verification of photo ID

CEX.io

CEX.io is an online, global Bitcoin broker. It allows people all over the world to buy Bitcoin with a credit or a debit card. The exchange has very low transaction fees in comparison to other exchanges. The exchange also supports instant buy option.

The exchange has its own restrictions on some countries. Some countries are not allowed to make credit card payments owing to local laws and restrictions. CEX.io is not supported by some states in America. Otherwise, it is supported by all countries in the world.

CEX.io has a very competitive transaction fee, it has one of the lowest at about ~3.5%. The platform also imposes transaction and buy limits based on the level of verification done by the user. There are two types of accounts, basic and verified. For a basic account the user only has to give an email ID and has a daily limit of $500 USD and monthly limit of $2,000 USD. The other type of account is the verified account which requires the user to submit a photo ID, verified phone number and email ID.