6 Ways to Buy Bitcoin with a Debit Card

By: Ofir Beigel | Last updated: 2/28/21

Buying Bitcoin with a debit card has become relatively easy in the past few years with the introduction of anti fraud systems for Bitcoin exchanges. However, these systems are quite expensive to operate and therefore exchanges will usually charge a premium for buy Bitcoin with a debit card.

Post summary

The fastest way to buy Bitcoin with a debit card would be through CEX.io. Here are the steps:

1. Visit CEX.io
2. Decide on a deposit amount
3. Complete the id verification process
4. Enter your Bitcoin address
5. Complete the payment with your debit card

If you’re looking for additional options here’s a complete list of exchanges that allow Bitcoin purchases with a debit card.

CEX.io

Supported countries:

Worldwide

Overall rating:

Read review

Visit exchange

Coinmama

Supported countries:

Worldwide

Overall rating:

Read review

Visit exchange

Bitpanda

Supported countries:

Eurozone

Overall rating:

Read review

Visit exchange

Coinbase

Supported countries:

100+ Countries

Overall rating:

Read review

Visit exchange

If you want a summarized review of each exchange with its pros and cons keep on reading. Here’s what I’ll cover:

1. Where Can I Buy Bitcoins with a Debit Card?
2. CEX.io
3. eToro
4. Coinmama
5. Coinbase
6. Bitpanda
7. Bitstamp
8. Conclusion – Is it Safe to Buy Bitcoins with a Debit Card?

1. Where Can I Buy Bitcoins with a Debit Card?

Using your debit card to purchase Bitcoins isn’t as easy as it sounds. Some exchanges are afraid of fraud and therefore don’t accept debit cards. However, many exchanges have started implementing services to detect fraud and are more open to credit and debit card purchases these days.

As a rule of thumb and exchange that accepts credit cards will also accept a debit card. If you’re not sure about a specific exchange you can just Google its name + “payment methods” and you’ll usually land on a review covering what payment method this exchange accepts.

2. CEX.io

Pros: Reputable company, high buying limits

Cons: Limited countries available, relatively high exchange rate

Cex.io supplies trading services and brokerage services (i.e. buying Bitcoins for you). If you’re just starting out you may want to use the brokerage service and pay a higher fee. However, if you know your way around exchanges you can always just deposit money through your debit card and then buy Bitcoin on the company’s trading platform with a much lower fee.

Buying Bitcoins with a debit card through CEX.io

1. Visit CEX.io and sign up
2. Go to “Finance” -> “Deposit” (make sure to select your own currency)
3. Use your debit card to fund your account
4. If you want to use the easy but expensive brokerage service go to “buy/sell”
5. If you want to use the complex but cheap service go to “trade” and choose BTC/USD (or any other currency)

3. eToro

Pros: Suitable for beginners, great support

Cons: Limited countries available, long process to withdraw your coins

If you’re into Bitcoin (or any other cryptocurrency) just for price speculation then the easiest and cheapest option to buy Bitcoins would be through eToro. eToro supplies a variety of crypto services such as a trading platform, cryptocurrency mobile wallet, an exchange and CFD services.

When you buy Bitcoins through eToro you’ll need to wait and go through several steps to withdraw them to your own wallet. So, if you’re looking to actually hold Bitcoins in your wallet for payment or just for a long term investment, this method may not be suited for you.

Important!
75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. CFDs are not offered to US users.

Cryptoassets are highly volatile unregulated investment products. No EU investor protection.

4. Coinmama

Pros: Good support, fast turnaround, respectable company

Cons: Limited countries in the US

Coinmama supplies an easy way to buy Bitcoins with a debit card while charging a premium. The company has been around since 2013 and supplies a wide variety of cryptocurrencies aside from Bitcoin. Recently the company has improved its customer support substantially and has one of the fastest turnarounds for buying Bitcoins in the industry.

Buying Bitcoins with a debit card through Coinmama

1. Visit Coinmama and choose the number of Bitcoins you want to buy
2. Sign up on the site and verify your identity
3. Get a Bitcoin wallet and an address (Coinmama does not hold Bitcoin for you)
4. Supply Coinmama with your Bitcoin address
5. Complete debit card information
6. Coins will be sent instantly

5. Coinbase

Pros: User-friendly interface, Relatively low fees, Established reputation

Cons: Support takes time to respond

Coinbase is a well known Bitcoin broker that gives you the option to buy Bitcoins with a debit or credit card on their exchange.

Purchasing the coins with your debit card has a 3.99% fee applied. Keep in mind you will need to upload a government-issued id in order to prove your identity before being able to buy the coins.

Buying Bitcoins with a debit card through Coinbase

1. Create a Coinbase account
2. Go to “settings” – “payment methods” and click “add payment method”
3. Add you debit card
4. Confirm your debit card
5. Go to “buy/sell” and select the amount of Bitcoins you want to buy

6. Bitpanda

Pros: Low fees, intuitive interface, multiple payment options

Cons: Better suited for EU customers

Bitpanda was founded in October 2014 and it allows residents of the EU (and a handful of other countries) to buy Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies through a variety of payment methods (Neteller, Skrill, SEPA etc.). The daily limit for verified accounts is €2,500 (€300,000 monthly) for credit card purchases. For other payment options, the daily limit is  €10,000 (€300,000 monthly).

Buying Bitcoins with a debit card through Bitpanda

1. Visit Bitpanda and sign up
2. Choose a cryptocurrency you want to buy (e.g. Bitcoin)
3. Choose the “Visa/Mastercard” payment provider
4. Enter the amount your wish to buy
5. Click on “Next step”
6. Confirm your order

7. Bitstamp

Pros: One of the oldest and most reputable exchanges around, good support

Cons: Not very user friendly, verification process can take a while

Bitstamp is a fully licensed Bitcoin exchange that has been around since 2011. The website provides mainly trading services however they do have a brokerage option to sell you Bitcoins directly when buying with your debit card.

To finish your order you have to use 3D Secure. Some banks may consider your credit card deposit as a cash advance. If that is the case, your bank or debit card provider may charge extra fees. The exchange is open to the US and EU plus a growing presence in Asia.

Buying Bitcoins with a debit card through Bitstamp

1. Visit Bitstamp and sign up
2. Got “Deposit”
3. Choose “Credit Card” as your payment option (this will work with a debit card as well)
4. Deposit funds from your debit card
5. After deposit is cleared go to on “Buy/Sell” and choose “Buy BTC”
6. Enter the amount you want to buy and click on “Buy BTC”

8. Conclusion – Is It Safe to Buy Bitcoins with a Debit Card?

As long as you’re using a trusted exchange using your debit card to buy Bitcoins is perfectly safe. The main thing I would advise is not to keep the Bitcoins on the exchange after you buy them, but move them to your own Bitcoin wallet.

Keep in mind that while using your debit card may be convenient but it’s also more expensive. If you’re buying a relatively large amount of coins and you have the option I suggest always using a bank transfer. However if the amount isn’t that big sometimes paying the extra 3%-5% is worth the time saved.

If you have any questions or comments about the process feel free to leave them in the comment section below.