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Buying bitcoin with Coinmama | Review

Tim Falk
Tim Falk
Last updated:  

Do Coinmama's strengths outweigh its limitations? Our review can help you decide.

Coinmama is one of the more popular bitcoin marketplaces out there, boasting over 200,000 customers and selling both bitcoin and Ethereum to verified users.

There are many reasons to buy bitcoin: for investment purposes, to spur adoption of an all-digital currency or as a means to transact business anonymously. As the price of bitcoin has skyrocketed, so too has interest in this and other cryptocurrencies.

Coinmama is a solid platform to buy your bitcoin or Ethereum with a credit card. However, you can’t sell your bitcoin through the site, and its fees quickly add up. Should these drawbacks prevent you from using Coinmama? Let’s discuss the pros and cons.

2

Fiat currencies

8

Cryptocurrencies

Details

Product Name Coinmama Cryptocurrency Marketplace
Fiat Currencies USD, EUR
Cryptocurrencies BTC, ETH, ETC, BCH, LTC, ADA, QTUM, XRP
Deposit Methods Cash
Credit card
Debit card
Bank transfer (SEPA)
Trading Fee 5.9%
Deposit Fees Credit card: 5%
Withdrawal Fees None

Pros

  • Live pricing in US dollars and euros
  • Buy fractions of a bitcoin
  • Easy to review all your order
  • Buy direct from the site – no middleman
  • Multi-language site

Cons

  • Does not accept PayPal, American Express or Discover
  • Can’t link to your bank account to expedite new purchases
  • No smartphone app
Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific provider, service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade.

How does Coinmama work?

Coinmama has been selling bitcoin for several years, and the process for buying bitcoin is reasonably straightforward. First, you create an account with the site. This requires your name, email address, and country of residence. You can buy a single bitcoin, multiples, or fractions, down to as little as 0.1 bitcoin. Before you can complete the purchase, however, you must have your own digital wallet and you must be verified. Verification requires you to provide Coinmama with proof that you are who you say you are. You do this by uploading a copy of your passport or driver’s license.

Which fiat and cryptocurrencies are supported?

  • Supported fiat currencies: USD, EUR
  • Supported cryptocurrencies: 8 cryptocurrencies
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • XRP
  • BCH
  • LTC
  • ADA
  • ETC
  • QTUM

Which payments methods are accepted?

  • Cash
  • Credit card
  • Debit card
  • Bank transfer (SEPA)
Coinmama users with European bank accounts can also sell Bitcoin through Coinmama with high limits and 0% processing fees to receive money directly to their bank account. As of June 2019, you cannot sell any cryptocurrencies without a European bank account.

Available countries

CoinMama is currently available in 226 countries worldwide, and also accepts all local currencies.

Importantly, Coinmama only allows residents of the following US states to transact:

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Massachusetts
  • Maryland
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • North Carolina
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • Wisconsin
Go to Coinmama's website

How much will it cost me to use Coinmama?

The company charges a 5.5% transaction fee for each purchase. If buying with a credit card, there is an additional 5% fee assessed by Simplex, Coinmama’s credit card processor.

Fee
Transaction fee 5.5%
Credit card purchase fee 5%
Cash advance fee* *

*Note: According to Coinmama, some banks and credit card issuers consider buying bitcoin to be the same as a cash advance, and will charge users hefty fees to expedite the transaction. This is not a Coinmama fee. Make sure your credit card doesn’t add on any cash advance fees when you buy bitcoin. If they do, dispute it, which just might get you a refund.

Case study: Buying $1,000 of bitcoin on Coinmama

Let’s consider the actual cost to you if you wanted to buy $1,000 worth of bitcoin through Coinmama. (FYI, at the time of writing in September, 2017, the price of one bitcoin is just above $4,500.)

Coinmama Purchase Rate Cost
Bitcoin Real-time $1,000
Coinmama fee 5.5% $55
Credit card purchase fee 5% $50
SEPA bank transfer 0% $0
Exchange rate fee Coinmama prices are set in USD and Euros. If you are using another currency, your bank or credit card may assess a currency exchange fee. Unknown
TOTAL KNOWN COST $1,105

It will cost you at least $1,105 to buy $1,000 worth of bitcoin using Coinmama. It might even be more, if you are assessed a cash advance fee or a fee for using a currency other than US dollars or euros.

What is a rate lock?

The price of bitcoin can fluctuate wildly. So much so, that some sellers may actually change your order even after the transaction is registered. This is not the case with Coinmama. Coinmama “locks” the crypto rate at the time of purchase. This means you will receive exactly the amount of bitcoins you ordered, regardless of whether the price went up (or down) between the time you placed the order and when you receive your coins. This purchase assurance, however, comes with a cost. Coinmama’s price, while competitive, is typically not the lowest out there.

How soon can I get my bitcoin?

It can typically take a few hours until you receive your bitcoin assets, despite the straightforward process. First, it can take the blockchain a few minutes to confirm a transaction. This is so, no matter who you buy your bitcoin from. Then, your credit card issuer, or Western Union if using cash, may take up to several hours to confirm payment. Lastly, Coinmama won’t send your coins until you’ve confirmed your digital wallet address. In summary, the following factors will dictate how quickly you will receive your bitcoin.

  • Time for bank or credit card processor to verify funds
  • Time for you to confirm your digital wallet address
  • Time for the blockchain to confirm each transaction

Fortunately, Coinmama is selling from its personal holdings, unlike other service providers or brokers, and this significantly expedites processing time.

Are there any transaction limits?

Coinmama has limits based on cash purchase, credit card purchase, and verification status. There is a daily limit of 5,000 USD/EUR per day, whether paying with cash by Western Union transfer, or credit card. If you are paying with a credit card, you are limited to 20,000 USD/EUR per month.

What about lifetime purchase limits?

Coinmama places limits based on what it terms “verification levels”. There are three levels:

  • Level 1: $10,000 limit
  • Level 2: $50,000 limit
  • Level 3: No limit

For Level 1 status, Coinmama requires each user’s name, address, date of birth, email, phone number and a photocopy of a verifying document, typically a passport or national ID or government-issued driver’s license. It can take Coinmama from several hours up to an entire day to review your documents and verify your status.

If you want to purchase more than $10,000 in bitcoin – Level 2 status – you must provide a copy of both your passport and driver’s license, or similar identifying documents. Not just one. Coinmama may even require you to upload a selfie of yourself holding these documents.

Ready to go bigger? Level 3 status has no total purchase limits. To get to Level 3, you must contact Coinmama support directly and they will provide further instructions.

Note: Total purchase limits based on verification levels do not alter the daily and monthly spending caps.

Is there a minimum purchase?

Yes, the minimum you can buy is $60 although the lowest amount of bitcoin Coinmama sells is 0.1 bitcoin, which is currently priced above $60. This effectively means the minimum purchase is whatever is the listed price of 0.1 bitcoin.

Is it safe to use Coinmama?

Coinmama is a registered money service business based in the Slovak Republic. The company has been offering bitcoin for sale for several years. Coinmama is considered a reputable place to transact bitcoin purchases, however as with all things digital – particularly with everything crypto – there is always an element of risk.

Customer support

Coinmama offers support via email only, however the site’s FAQ and service desk support documents are reasonably comprehensive and easy to understand.

Coinmama pros & cons

Pros

  • Live pricing in US dollars and euros
  • Buy fractions of a bitcoin
  • Easy to review all your orders
  • Buy direct from the site – no middleman
  • Multi-language site

Cons

  • Cannot sell bitcoin through Coinmama without a European bank account
  • Does not accept PayPal, American Express or Discover
  • Can’t link to your bank account to expedite new purchases
  • No smartphone app

Compare Coinmama against other exchanges

Name Product Deposit methods Fiat Currencies Supported Cryptocurrencies
Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange
Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange
Electronic Funds Transfer
Bank transfer (SEPA)
Wire transfer
USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CAD
BTC, ETH, XRP, BCH, EOS, LTC, ADA, XLM, DASH, XMR, USDT, ETC, QTUM, ZEC, REP, DOGE, GNO, MLN, ATOM, XTZ
Buy, sell and trade a range of digital currencies on this high-liquidity exchange – suitable for beginners right through to advanced traders.

UK residents: In addition to normal crypto trading, Kraken offers margin lending. As this is a regulated activity which they are not authorised to offer in the UK, we advise you not to use this service. If you're interested in margin trading, see authorised providers.
Go to site
View details
eToro Cryptocurrency Trading
eToro Cryptocurrency Trading
Credit card
Debit card
Neteller
PayPal
Wire transfer
Yandex Money
China Union Pay
Giropay (Sofortüberweisung)
Skrill Limited UK
WebMoney
Wire
Local Online Banking
EUR, GBP, NZD, USD, AUD, CAD, CHF, NOK, ZAR, JPY, SEK, TRY, HUF, PLN
BTC, ETH, BCH, XRP, DASH, LTC, ETC, ADA, MIOTA, XLM, EOS, NEO, TRX, ZEC, BNB, XTZ
Disclaimer: Highly volatile investment product. Your capital is at risk. 66% 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. US users have limited access to some of eToro’s features.

Copy the trades of leading cryptocurrency investors on this unique social investment platform.
Go to site
View details
Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users)
Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users)
Cryptocurrency
–
BTC, XRP, USDT, ETH, NEB, XVG, TRX, NEBL, ETH, NEO, FUN, ETC, BCC, POE, DASH, ELF, & 80+ more
Trade an extensive range of reputable coins on this world-renowned exchange, popular for its high liquidity and multi-language support.

US residents: US users have been restricted from accessing Binance since September 2019.
Go to site
View details

Compare up to 4 providers

Next steps

To get started with Coinmama, register for an account on the platform’s website. It’s then just a matter of choosing which cryptocurrency you’d like to buy, complete payment and confirm your wallet address.

coinmama website homepage

Before buying bitcoin – or any digital currency – you will also need to have a secure digital wallet. Once this is completed, you can store your bitcoins there and use this wallet to purchase goods and services online. It’s also useful to learn more about bitcoin and blockchain.

Disclaimer: Cryptocurrencies are speculative, complex and involve significant risks – they are highly volatile and sensitive to secondary activity. Performance is unpredictable and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before relying on this information. You should also verify the nature of any product or service (including its legal status and relevant regulatory requirements) and consult the relevant Regulators' websites before making any decision. Finder, or the author, may have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.

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2 Comments

  1. Default Gravatar
    adeel
    February 1, 2018

    we are runing a company where we nee 100 btc on daily basis how much fee you will charge how much time will taken for getting 100 after payment process

    Reply
    • AvatarStaff
      Ash
      February 16, 2018

      Hello Adeel,

      Thank you for reaching out to us.

      A gentle reminder, we do not represent Coinmama or any of the companies that we feature in our pages.

      Nevertheless, when buying BTC with Coinmama, depending on your payment method, they charge 5.5% for every transaction and another 5% if you are going to use a credit card. So, in the given example above, for every $1000 worth of Bitcoin purchase, there will be a $55 fee. Please also note that other fees like if you’ll use your credit card, CA and FOREX conversion (if applicable) are not yet accounted for.

      Please click on the green ‘Go to site’ button above if you wish to be redirected to the official site of Coinmam and process your BTC purchase from there.

      I hope this helps.

      Please do not hesitate to reach out to us again if you have additional questions.

      Cheers,
      Ash

      Reply
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