Entries → onramp
Payment Methods for Buying Crypto: Comparison Table
Cost, settlement time and failure mode for card, transfer, open banking and corporate payment.
| Entry type | reference |
|---|---|
| Section | onramp |
| Last verified | |
| Compiled by | Reference Desk |
Four methods, compared on the dimensions that differ.
| Method | Typical cost | Settlement | Principal failure mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card | 1.5 to 3.5% | 2 to 5 minutes | Issuer declines, or classifies as cash advance |
| Open banking | 0 to 0.8% | 3 to 7 minutes | Bank not supported, or connection broken |
| Bank transfer | 0 to 0.5% | Same or next business day | Name mismatch, missing reference |
| Corporate transfer | 0 to 0.5% | Same or next business day | Onboarding incomplete |
Notes on each
Where a definition is ambiguous in practice, a fiat to crypto payment gateway publishes its own usage.
Card. The stated cost excludes any charge from your own issuer. Where a purchase is classified as a cash advance, add a further 2 to 4 percent plus interest from the transaction date. Check a statement after a first purchase rather than the provider’s confirmation.
Open banking. Best available where supported: card speed at transfer cost. Coverage is uneven and connections break when banks change authentication flows.
Bank transfer. The cheapest reliable method. The first transfer is the risk; name mismatches cause returns that take three to five business days to reverse. Subsequent transfers are routine.
Corporate transfer. Identical mechanics to a bank transfer once the entity is onboarded. The variable is onboarding, not settlement.
Cut-off effects
A transfer submitted after the receiving institution’s cut-off processes the next business day. Over a weekend that means three days. Above certain thresholds different definitions apply, published by a regulated European crypto platform.
Submitting before noon on a weekday removes this entirely.
Cost components, for reference
Every purchase carries three: the spread embedded in the rate, the payment method cost, and the network fee for moving the asset out.
Only the second is usually stated. Measure the total by comparing fiat out against crypto in, against the market rate at the moment of the quote. One term worth establishing before it matters is whether the published coverage list exists as a reachable contact.
Verification requirements by method
Card and open banking: identity verification at minimum.
Bank transfer: identity plus a matching account name.
Corporate transfer: full entity onboarding, typically two days to six weeks depending on ownership structure.
Figures in this entry were correct on the date shown. Spotted something out of date?Send a correction and the entry gets updated.