Independent Reserve exchange review
What you need to know about trading bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin and Ripple on the Independent Reserve exchange.
3
Fiat currencies
15
Cryptocurrencies
Details
| Product Name | Independent Reserve Exchange |
|---|---|
| Fiat Currencies | AUD, NZD, USD |
| Cryptocurrencies | BTC, BCH, ETH, LTC, XRP, OMG, BSV, ZRX, & 5+ more |
| Deposit Methods |
Cryptocurrency Electronic Funds Transfer POLi SWIFT PayID |
| Trading Fee | 0.05-0.5% |
| Deposit Fees |
EFT:
None for deposits over AU$100 AU$0.99 for deposits under $100 SWIFT: None for deposits over AU$5,000 equivalent $15 for deposits under AU$5,000 equivalent |
| Withdrawal Fees |
Bank transfer: None for AUD, $20 for non-AUD
Cryptocurrency: Fees vary |
Pros
- Lets you trade in AUD, NZD and USD
- Supports bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, XRP and more
- Offers strong security features
- Based in Australia
Cons
- High trade volumes are required to avoid the 0.5% commission charges
- Manual approval may slow transaction speeds
- A range of transaction and withdrawal fees may apply
What is Independent Reserve?
Independent Reserve is an exchange where traders can buy and sell five popular cryptocurrencies using three fiat currencies: New Zealand dollars (NZD), Australian dollars (AUD) and US dollars (USD). With a mission to help cryptocurrency technology transform into secure and regulated financial services, Independent Reserve is a member of the Australian Digital Commerce Association (ADCA).
Platform features include trading fees of as low as 0.1% for high-volume traders. Independent Reserve can automatically take care of currency exchanges where needed, at competitive rates. For example, you might choose to deposit NZD from your bank account and then have it arrive in your Independent Reserve account as USD for trading.
Independent Reserve also operates an over-the-counter (OTC) trading desk known as IR Wealth. Designed for for high net worth and institutional clients, this OTC platform is for trades of $500,000 or more and offers local settlement in NZD, AUD and USD.
Supported countries
Independent Reserve is available worldwide, but it’s based in Australia and Australian customers can get more functionality out of it.
If you’re using Independent Reserve in New Zealand, then you’ll need to use SWIFT transfers to make deposits.
Which payment methods are accepted?
- SWIFT. New Zealand customers will need to make SWIFT transfers. These can be credited to your account in NZD, AUD or USD. However, Independent Reserve recommends that these only be made in USD, as it doesn’t control the rates you’ll get when transferring with the other currencies.
Fees may apply depending on your payment method and amount.
Fees and commissions
| Trade commission | 0.1% to 0.5% depending on your 30 day trade volume |
| Electronic Funds Transfer deposits | EFT deposits of AUD100 (approximately NZD110) and above are free. Smaller deposits incur a $0.99 processing fee |
| SWIFT deposits | SWIFT deposits of AUD5,000 (approximately NZD5,500) equivalent and above are free. Smaller deposits incur a AUD15 (approximately NZD16.50) processing fee Your bank may also add its own charges for SWIFT transfers. |
| Bitcoin and Ether deposits | Free |
| NZD or other non-AUD withdrawals | AUD20.00 (approximately NZD22.00) |
| Bitcoin withdrawals | 0.0002 BTC |
| Ether withdrawals | 0.001 ETH |
| Bitcoin Cash withdrawals | 0.0001 BCH |
| Litecoin withdrawals | 0.001 LTC |
| Ripple withdrawals | 0.15 XRP |
Trade commission fees
The commission charged depends on your trade volume over the previous 30 days. Commissions range from as much as 0.50% to a low of 0.10%, and are incurred individually by each cryptocurrency you’re trading, as shown below:
| 30-Day bitcoin (BTC) Trade Volume | 30-Day Ethereum (ETH) Trade Volume | 30-Day Bitcoin Cash (BCH) Trade Volume | 30-Day Litecoin (LTC) Trade Volume | 30-Day Ripple (XRP) Trade Volume | Trade Commission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.50 % |
| 15 | 150 | 75 | 500 | 15000 | 0.48 % |
| 30 | 300 | 150 | 1000 | 30000 | 0.46 % |
| 45 | 450 | 225 | 1500 | 45000 | 0.44 % |
| 60 | 600 | 300 | 2250 | 60000 | 0.42 % |
| 75 | 750 | 375 | 2750 | 75000 | 0.40 % |
| 90 | 900 | 450 | 3500 | 90000 | 0.38 % |
| 105 | 1050 | 525 | 4000 | 105000 | 0.36 % |
| 120 | 1200 | 600 | 4500 | 120000 | 0.34 % |
| 143 | 1430 | 715 | 5500 | 143000 | 0.32 % |
| 165 | 1650 | 825 | 6000 | 165000 | 0.30 % |
| 195 | 1950 | 975 | 7250 | 195000 | 0.28 % |
| 225 | 2250 | 1125 | 8500 | 225000 | 0.26 % |
| 255 | 2550 | 1275 | 9500 | 255000 | 0.24 % |
| 285 | 2850 | 1425 | 10750 | 285000 | 0.22 % |
| 315 | 3150 | 1575 | 12000 | 315000 | 0.20 % |
| 360 | 3600 | 1800 | 13500 | 360000 | 0.18 % |
| 450 | 4500 | 2250 | 17000 | 450000 | 0.16 % |
| 555 | 5550 | 2775 | 20750 | 555000 | 0.14 % |
| 675 | 6750 | 3375 | 25000 | 675000 | 0.12 % |
| 900 | 9000 | 4500 | 35000 | 900000 | 0.10 % |
How fast will my funds be available?
Transfer times vary, depending on the type of currency, the method you choose and whether you’re making a deposit or withdrawal.
Deposits
- EFT. 1-2 business days for fiat currency deposits
- SWIFT. 2-3 business days for fiat currency deposits
- Cryptocurrency. About 10-15 minutes for it to appear in your account, and half an hour before the cryptocoins are usable
Withdrawals
For security reasons, Independent Reserve will often need to manually approve withdrawals. This might take a few hours depending on the time of day and how busy it is.
After it’s been approved:
- Withdrawals to a bank account: 2-3 business days for New Zealand bank accounts.
- Withdrawals to a cryptocurrency wallet: A few minutes
Are there any transfer limits?
There are no maximum deposit amounts, but there are minimum withdrawal amounts.
Minimums are:
- Bitcoin: 0.001 BTC
- Ethereum: 0.01 ETH
- Bitcoin cash: 0.001 BCH
- Litecoin: 0.01 LTC
- Ripple: 22 XRP
- Bank account: $50 as applicable to NZD/AUD/USD
Is it safe to use Independent Reserve?
The exchange uses third-party provider Cobalt for network security, and to constantly test for vulnerabilities.
Its main servers are located at two separate data centres in Sydney, letting it replicate all data at either location should disaster strike.
Meanwhile, databases are signed and encrypted multiple times across four different data centres. The majority of cryptocurrency assets on the exchange are held offline in cold storage.
Other security features of Independent Reserve include:
- 2FA. Independent Reserve recommends 2-factor authentication. It uses Google Authenticator so logins will also need to be done through your phone, and not just through your computer.
- Duress password. If you’re worried about someone physically forcing you to login to your account, you can set a duress password. Entering this at the login screen will lock your account for 24 hours.
- Validation. You can also add primary and secondary phone numbers for further verification and security.
- Manual withdrawal verification. Withdrawals may be manually verified by Independent Reserve before being made. If it looks suspicious the Independent Reserve customer support team may contact you to make sure you’ve authorised it.
You will need to verify your identity in order to conduct transactions. This will involve providing proof of identity and some personal details. Independent Reserve itself, and any third party providers as relevant, will need to get your consent before obtaining your personal information.
Independent Reserve may also verify transactions in other ways. For example, by sending a small amount of money to your chosen bank account to check that everything’s in order before sending over the full amount.
Customer support
You should be able to quickly access customer service through the Independent Reserve platform.
When logged in you can request support directly through the Independent Reserve support screen. An alternative support programme is available if the issue is that you can’t log in.
Other than that, Independent Reserve maintains a general enquiry and support email address at general@independentreserve.com, a mailing address in Sydney, and also Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, as well as its own subreddit forum.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Lets you trade in NZD, AUD and USD.
- Supports bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Ethereum, Litecoin and Ripple
- Offers strong security features
Cons
- High trade volumes are required to avoid the 0.5% commission charges
- Manual approval may slow transaction speeds
- A range of transaction and withdrawal fees may apply
Next steps
The first thing you should do is consider the features of Independent Reserve to decide if it’s an appropriate choice for you. If you’re satisfied and want to get started, simply create an account by choosing a username and password. From there you will need to verify it by providing your name, date of birth and address.
Once your account is verified you can set up additional security features like 2FA, deposit your fiat and/or cryptocurrency and start trading.
Frequently asked questions
Image source: Independent Reserve