How To Easily (and Safely) Buy Bitcoin With Your Credit Card
If you are a trade making, stop loss setting, buy wall watching, Bitcoin baron of a crypto trader, chances are you have accounts at all of the big exchanges, and buying a bit of BTC is not a problem for you.
If this is not you, but you want it to be — then check out our list of recommended exchanges, which you can find on the sidebar of the forum.
But what about if you are a normal person. Who does not have accounts at online exchanges, but who does want to invest in a bit of bitcoin from time to time. How do you do this? How do you buy Bitcoin easily, and most importantly, safely without registering with an online exchange?
Well, to start off with, nowadays it is possible to purchase Bitcoin using your credit card. Most exchanges give you the option to purchase bitcoins using your credit card. However, this requires you to make an account at the exchange, and then to verify it. The verification process can take days to complete, and of course you have to upload personal documents, click verification emails, etc etc.
If you are not planning on doing any trading, and just want to buy some Bitcoin, this can seem like an awful amount of time and hassle.
Fortunately, there are other options.
Places to Buy Bitcoin with Your Credit Card — that do Not Require You Verify Your Account
If you just want to buy some Bitcoin with your credit card, in a simple and fast manner, then you can do so at the below platforms.
Changelly
Changelly is an online third party platform which allows you to purchase BTC using your credit card without requiring you to verify your account. All you need to do is create your account, and then you can buy up to $50000 worth of Bitcoin per month using your credit card.
Their fees are 5%, ,which is a little above what the regular exchanges charge. Exchanges usually charge on average 4% for the purchase of Bitcoin using a credit card. However, considering the simple, easy and convenient service that Changelly offers, one could say that the 5% fee is pretty reasonable.
Changelly is available in almost every country in the world. Its platform is very clean, simplistic and easy to use. On a trustability note, Changelly was developed by the people from MinerGate, and therefore comes backed with an already established credibility and pedigree of professionalism.
Besides offering the facility to purchase Bitcoin using your credit card, Changelly also allows you to ‘change’ your bitcoin into other cryptocurrencies very seamlessly. Which means that you can trade the market or buy some alt coins which you have had your eye on.
Coincorner
CoinCorner is a European Bitcoin exchange. They offer the facility to purchase Bitcoin using your credit card without verifying your account. However this applies only for amounts typically under GBP£100/EUR€130. For larger purchases you will need to verify your account.
Their fees for purchasing bitcoin using your credit card are also 5%.
Besides the tight limit for unverified credit card purchases, the other main drawback could be that their services are restricted to residents of certain countries. Of course, if you happen to reside in one of their approve countries, then this will not apply to you.
LocalBitcoins
LocalBitcoins is a peer to peer online bitcoin exchange that has been around for years. The peer to peer part means that users buy and sell directly from each other, typically at a certain amount above spot price.
On this platform you will find a variety of payment methods offered by individual sellers, including payment via credit card. LocalBitcoins also charges a 1 % fee on transactions.
Buying here will most likely more expensive than buying from a third party platform such as Changelly or CoinCorner.
Besides the expensive prices, there is also a possibility of scams. As you will be dealing with individuals, you will need to ascertain for yourself from the website’s rating of the seller whether or not they seem to be legit. Additionally, each seller will have varying requirements for the transaction, some might require you to upload a photograph of your ID.
So, if the Bitcoin is so expensive, scammers lurk, and transaction is more involved than it would typically be on a third party platform…. Why buy here? The value of LocalBitcoins is that it is available in almost every country, and is in some countries one of the few ways to purchase bitcoin.
Paxful
Paxful is another peer to peer online buying and selling platform for Bitcoin. It is similar to LocalBitcoins.
On Paxful, individual sellers advertise their bitcoin for sale, and different sellers accept different methods of payment. One of these methods is credit card transactions. However, again you will probably find that the bitcoin for sale which can be bought using your credit card can be quite expensive. This is because of Visa and Mastercard’s reversal policy. This policy puts the seller of the Bitcoin at risk, and so sellers usually only accept credit card payments if they can get more for their Bitcoin.
On the upside, Paxful does not charge a fee to buyers. And as with Local Bitcoins you can use it almost anywhere in the world.
The same downsides apply as with Local Bitcoins, in regards to the peer to peer transactions being more involved and having a higher possibility of scams than when using trusted a third party platform where the buying process is exactly the same each time.
Our Favorite: Changelly
Out of all of these options, Changelly stands out as a safe and easy to use platform when it comes to purchasing Bitcoin with a credit card. They can be accessed from all over the world, and you can also swap your Bitcoin for other cryptocurrencies.
The platform is easy and straightforward to use. Unlike with LocalBitcoins and Paxful, the process is swift and automated, and there is no need for you to deal with possibly suspect individuals, who may have varying requirements for the transaction to go through. Their maximum purchase amount is high, at $50 000 worth per month, which is much, much better than with CoinCorner.
As it stands the only drawback to using Changelly are the low to reasonable fees. However that is only in comparison to regular exchanges. They are the same as CoinCorner’s fees, and will add up to a considerably lower cost incurred than when purchasing Bitcoin using a credit card on Paxful or LocalBitcoins.
Where to Store the Bitcoin You Buy
Note that it is a best practice to store Bitcoin which you buy in your wallet, and not leave it on an exchange or platform. Even some of the best platforms can get hacked. Obviously the smaller the amount the less the damage it would be if this were to occur. And if you are planning on trading, or ‘changing’ as the the case of Changelly, your Bitcoin for other cryptocurrencies in the immediate future, then you may need to leave it online.
However for general storing and holding purpose, rather store your bitcoin directly in your wallet. Also be sure to backup your wallet seed, private keys and passwords (whichever is applicable).
How to Safely Use Your Credit Card for Buying Bitcoin
Online credit card purchases, and Bitcoin, both come with possible security risks. When one is working with Bitcoin there is no one to bail you out if you do fall prey to a security breach. So let’s take a look at what measures you can take to ensure that when you do buy Bitcoin with your credit card, you are doing it in as safe and secure a manner as possible.
Check Your PC / Device for Malware, Spyware, and Viruses
When working with cryptocurrency, it is a very good idea to have strong virus protection. And to run it regularly. It is also always a good policy to run a scan before moving buying or moving bitcoin. This way you minimize the risk of having your bitcoin stolen because of a sinister bit of code running in the background.
We recommend taking a look at Herdprotect, which is a free cloud virus scanning kit. For paid versions, Kaspersky is deemed one of the best antivirus services.
Always Check Your Wallet Address
One of the most common ways for Bitcoin cyber robbers to snatch your Bitcoin is by using a clipboard hijacker. What this essentially does is to replace any wallet address that you copy and paste with the wallet address of the mean guy or gyal trying to steal other people’s Bitcoins.
So, when you paste your wallet address for the receival of your Bitcoins, if you have a clipboard hijacker lurking around, the Bitcoin will simply zoom off to his address and not to yours.
To guard against this, always, always always, check your wallet address before finalising a purchase.
Don’t Use Public Wifi
Public wifi networks can be nasty places. Sort of like public toilets. You just don’t know what you might pick up there. You could even be mugged!
Public wifi networks are notoriously dangerous places when it comes to having one’s credit card details stolen. Even worse, you want to buy some crypto…. Definitely stay away. Rather do your buying from the safety of your own connection. Or even use a VPN.
Make Sure that the Page You are on is Secure
Before pulling out your card details, check to see that the page you are on is secure. If you see the green lock symbol, that’s great. If not, probably best to leave.
Turn on Scam Alert
When buying Bitcoin, it is always a good idea to err on the side of caution. If you do not feel comfortable, then there is a possibility there is a scam afoot. Always use your head, and don’t go rushing into an online deal, just because the seller accepts credit card payments, and you think Bitcoin is going to run at any moment.
Never Buy Bitcoin on Credit
There is a number one rule when buying into a high risk / high reward market such as Bitcoin is currently. Never buy with money that you will need. Seriously. Only buy with money that you could lose, and still be financially rock solid. There are many cases where people have taken out credit in order to buy Bitcoin and make a lot of money. The risk to reward ratio of a move like this would be absolutely unacceptable for any trader or fund manager.
Because if the market goes down, you could be left sitting with a debt which incurs a high interest rate, and possibly no way to pay it back. Or you could lose your collateral. Not fun. So, only buy Bitcoin with money you do not need in the near to medium future, and definitely never on credit.
As with most things in life, it is always a good idea to do your own research. Check to see if there are any hidden fees, recent scams, or similar platforms which may be offering a superior service. If you find any, let us know and we will include them in this list.
We hope you have enjoyed this article, and that you now have a few places where you can easily and safely buy Bitcoin with your credit card. If you have any questions, feel free to open up a thread on the forum. If you want to know when is a good time to buy Bitcoin, head over to our free Bitcoin market analysis. And if you just want to read about crypto, you can check out the blog and our news page.
Happy holding!
Originally published at cryptosignals.trade on July 26, 2018.
