What Credit Cards Work With Coinbase

These days information technology really does seem similar anybody has some bitcoin or another cryptocurrency jingling around in their digital pockets.

Even though the true figure is more similar one in 10 Americans, that’s yet a big number — and the fear of missing out on the next major price surge is existent.

If you lot don’t take the funds to make a sizable investment, information technology’s tempting to reach for your credit card. Subsequently all, you can just pay it off with your crypto earnings, right?

Well, maybe — but as it turns out, buying crypto with a credit card tin can be extremely expensive. Until you lot sympathize the true cost, proceed your Visa or Mastercard in its holster.

Tin can you buy crypto with a credit bill of fare?

Though some investment brokers like Robinhood permit you to purchase cryptocurrencies directly through their platform, many people buy crypto via specialized exchanges.

Keep in mind, while information technology is possible to buy cryptocurrencies with credit cards, not all crypto exchanges accept them.

This includes Coinbase, the biggest exchange in the United States. On Coinbase, the just payment methods accepted in the U.Southward. are bank ACH (automated immigration business firm) transfers, debit cards, wire transfers and PayPal.

That said, enough of exchanges do accept credit cards, including Coinmama, CEX.IO and eToro.

But just considering yous
can
buy crypto with a credit card doesn’t hateful y'all
should. Here’s why.

How does ownership crypto with a credit card work?

When buying cryptocurrencies on an exchange, y'all take to choose a payment method to deposit cash into the exchange. From there, yous trade that greenbacks for crypto.

Funding your account using ACH (that is, connecting your banking company account) is more often than not the cheapest route — sometimes information technology is even complimentary. The aforementioned cannot be said for credit cards.

While they may exist convenient, that convenience comes at a steep price.

Crypto exchange transaction fees

Cryptocurrency exchanges make coin in different ways. Nigh all of them take a cut whenever you trade. This is true no matter which payment method you utilise.

However, when y'all pay with a credit card, you’re hit with credit card fees on top of the normal exchange trading fees.

Credit bill of fare fees vary from exchange to exchange. Before purchasing with a credit bill of fare, google your exchange’s fees to sympathize what you lot’re getting into.

For example, to buy cryptocurrencies on Coinmama with a credit card, you take to pay:

• Exchange charge per unit spread:
  2%

• Commission fee:
  upwards to iii.9%

• Credit card fee:
  5%

All these fees are built into the merchandise price, and so yous may not even realize how much you are losing unless you compare it to the true exchange charge per unit.

Allow's say you want to purchase some bitcoin. If you wanted to invest $1,000 in bitcoin through Coinmama, you’d pay:

• $20 on the exchange rate

• $39 commission fee (for non-loyalty members)

• $50 credit carte fee

In other words, you’d need a 10.ix% return on investment merely to break even on these fees.

Only commutation fees are just i function of the equation. It gets even worse.

Cash advance fees

Chase, Capital One, American Express, Citi and other major American credit card issuers treat cryptocurrency purchases like cash advances.

So on elevation of the substitution’s fees, you lot’re also striking with a greenbacks advance fee from your bank.

Cash accelerate fees vary by establishment, but Hunt and Citi, for example, charge $5 or ten% of the greenbacks accelerate, whichever is greater.

Then, in our $1,000 bitcoin investment instance, you’re looking at an additional $100 greenbacks-advance fee on pinnacle of the $109 in exchange fees.

In other words, by using a credit menu, you’re kissing goodbye more than a 5th of your investment to fees.

To make matters worse, greenbacks advances do not have grace periods similar regular credit menu purchases, which means interest starts accruing from the moment you make your purchase.

The moral of the story: To avoid expensive surprises, phone call your credit card company and ask how they handle cryptocurrency purchases.

Other fees

When yous use a credit card to buy cryptocurrencies from exchanges based outside the U.Southward., you can tack on an boosted foreign transaction fee — typically 3%.

Considering of this, it’due south a good thought to check an exchange’southward location earlier making a purchase.

If yous use a carte with no strange transaction fees — such every bit the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture — you can avoid them.

Daily limit

Some exchanges have daily limits on how much crypto you can buy with credit cards. For case, on the Bitpanda commutation, credit card deposits max out at about $3,050 per twenty-four hour period.

In addition to the substitution’due south daily limit, you lot likewise have to keep an eye on your bill of fare’s limits.

Pros and cons of buying crypto with a credit carte

Pros

There aren’t really any pros to paying for crypto with a credit card.

Usually, credit cards offering rewards points and special protections. Only since credit card companies treat crypto purchases as greenbacks advances, you don’t accrue those benefits.

Cons

When yous use a credit menu, yous’re slammed with multiple fees. These fees are not associated with other payment methods similar ACH transfers. To see a positive return on investment later paying these fees, you must dig yourself out of a deep pigsty.

Other considerations

Before purchasing cryptocurrencies with a credit card, consider these other of import factors.

Scams

Buying cryptocurrency online is withal a foreign concept to millions of rookie investors. That makes them like shooting fish in a barrel prey for fraudsters.

Before diving into the world of cryptocurrencies, it’southward of import to familiarize yourself with common scams.

One such scam involves false crypto exchanges disguised as legitimate websites. If yous autumn victim to online credit carte du jour fraud, your card’due south fraud protection should encompass y'all, just it’s best to employ caution and keep it from happening in the first place.

Debt

While it’s heady to ride the crypto wave, information technology is however an extremely volatile investment. Avert investing money you can’t beget to lose. If your merely fashion to purchase crypto is by racking upward credit card debt, odds are you tin can’t afford to lose.

Non only is going into debt to purchase crypto risky, information technology likewise tin pull down your credit score. Belongings a college credit menu remainder increases your credit utilization, which hurts your credit score.

If you lot plan on taking out a mortgage, auto loan or personal loan, the debt you lot congenital up with your crypto purchase can indirectly impact the rates yous qualify for.

Restrictions

Some exchanges have special rules for credit cards. If you don’t read the fine impress before purchasing, you may find yourself in a sticky state of affairs.

Author's annotation: I once used my card to buy Bitcoin on eToro, planning to immediately transfer it to a secure hard wallet. After buying, I realized credit card purchases cannot exist transferred off the exchange for 60 days. Oops!

Crypto equally a credit card advantage

Buying cryptocurrencies with a credit bill of fare is a bad thought, just y'all tin can use your carte to get your hands on crypto in other ways.

One way is with a crypto rewards credit carte. These cards are like to traditional rewards cards, simply instead of earning cash back or airline miles, y'all earn crypto (or you can redeem your rewards points for them).

You can also apply a greenbacks-back rewards carte du jour, and then apply your cash rewards to buy crypto.