How To Pay Money Into A Bitcoin Account
Open your Bitcoin.com wallet app and select Send. Copy and paste the recipient’s wallet address into your own wallet app. Or, if you’re in person, select Scan QR code and simply scan it with your app. Choose which wallet you want to send Bitcoin from. Pay Using a Web Wallet If you are using a web wallet, you’ll want to start a manual payment within the app. Copy the address to pay using BitCoin into the payment window. Paste it into the “send to” field in your wallet. Enter the payment amount into the “amount” field and send your payment.
We can both agree on this:
Buying bitcoins with cash is confusing!
Luckily, today I'll show you how easy and fast it can be.
We've collected the best exchanges and listed them for you below.
Chapter 1
Introduction
Why buy bitcoins with cash?
- It's private and usually quick
- One of the easiest ways to get bitcoins
Converting your cash to bitcoin can get you bitcoins within a couple of hours.
Make sure you have a Bitcoin wallet before you buy since some of the exchanges below require one.
If you don't have a wallet, read our guide on the best Bitcoin wallets.
Buying bitcoin with cash usually has very high fees. For lower fees, try one of the exchanges below and deposit using bank transfer or credit card:
- Bits of Gold
- Crypto exchange based in Tel Aviv
- Buy with card, cash or bank transfer
- Supports Bitcoin & Ethereum
- Rain
- Exchange for Saudi Arabi, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrin, UAE
- Rain is based in Middle East
- High buying limits
- WazirX
- Crypto exchange based in India
- Deposit INR with IMPS & UPI
- Low fees and many coins
- CoinJar
- Buy crypto with cash at 1,200+ retail outlets around Aus
- iOS & Android apps that let you trade
- Australian crypto exchange established in 2013
- eToro
- Start trading fast; high limits
- Easy way for newcomers to get bitcoins
- Your capital is at risk.
- Luno
- Best for Nigeria, South Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia
- East to use interface
- Trusted exchange
- Bitpanda
- Crypto exchange based in Europe
- Buy bitcoin with card, SEPA, SOFORT
- Trusted exchange
- Coinbase
- High liquidity and buying limits
- Easy way for newcomers to get bitcoins
- 'Instant Buy' option available with debit card
- Bitbuy
- Exchange based in Canada
- Very high buy and sell limits
- Supports Interac & wire
- Coinberry
- Crypto exchange based in Canada
- Very high buy and sell limits
- Supports credit & debit card, Interac, wire
- Coinsquare
- Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange
- Very high buy and sell limits
- Supports bank account, Interac, wire
- eToro
- Supports Bitcoin, Ethereum & 15 other coins
- Start trading fast; high limits
- Your capital is at risk.
This ad promotes virtual cryptocurrency investing within the EU (by eToro Europe Ltd. and eToro UK Ltd.) & USA (by eToro USA LLC); which is highly volatile, unregulated in most EU countries, no EU protections & not supervised by the EU regulatory framework. Investments are subject to market risk, including the loss of principal.
We suggest using the exchanges listed below or doing research before buying from any exchange.
Many exchanges are simply trying to steal your personal information (like your password).
We do research on every exchange we list and are very careful not to include scam exchanges on our site.
Chapter 2
Cash Bitcoin Exchanges
It's possible to buy bitcoins with cash on LocalBitcoins via cash trade in-person or with cash deposit.
A quick step-by-step guide on how to buy bitcoins with cash on LocalBitcoins:
- Find a seller in your area who accepts cash.
- Select amount of coins and place an order.
- Receive account number from the seller.
- Deposit cash into the seller's account.
- Upload your receipt to prove you made the deposit/trade.
- Receive bitcoins! The coins will arrive in your LocalBitcoins wallet.
The above guide was meant to give you an idea on how LocalBitcoins works.
If you want more information, read our full guide on how to use LocalBitcoins.
LocalBitcoins is private and does not require any personal details or verification, although specific sellers may request this info.
Be sure to buy from sellers with previous trade history and positive feedback.
Local Bitcoins charges a flat 1% fee on each purchase.
We may receive compensation when you use LocalBitcoins. Please visit LocalBitcoins for its exact pricing terms.
- Can be private, fast and easy
- In-person trades require no personal information
- Purchases of bitcoin can be made quickly via cash deposit
- Beware of scams; always follow the rules!
- Harder to buy large amounts of bitcoins compared to large exchanges
- Slightly to significantly higher prices than regular exchanges; premium for higher privacy
LibertyX lets you buy bitcoin with cash at a number of retail stores across the United States.
You'll have to verify your identity before buying, making LibertyX less private than some of the other options.
You can buy up to $1000 worth of bitcoin and will be charged a 1% fee on all purchases.
Get this:
If you sign up with Facebook you can buy your first $1000 fee free.
Your bitcoin should arrive a few minutes after your payment is made.
- Easy and fast way to buy bitcoins with cash
- Low 1.5% (plus store fee) rate for cash purchase method
- Daily $1000 limit is fairly high for a convenience service
- Participating stores add their own variable fee
- Some verification is required which lowers the expected privacy level of cash purchase
- Attaching your Facebook account further degrades privacy
Our Bitcoin ATM map helps you find a Bitcoin ATM in your local area.
Using Bitcoin ATMs you can buy bitcoins with cash ONLY.
The average ATM charges a fee of 5-10%, but this is what people are willing to pay to buy bitcoins privately and with no verification.
There are many Bitcoin ATM manufacturates, so each ATM is different. Some require verification, although most don't.
- Our map makes it super easy to find a Bitcoin ATM near you
- Bitcoin ATMs often have 5-10% fees per purchase
Bitit is slightly different than the other options on this page. Instead of buying directly with cash, you instead need to use a voucher like Flexepin or Neosurf. The fees are about 8% for buying with Neosurf or Flexepin.
We may receive compensation when you use Bitit. Please visit Bitit for its exact pricing terms.
- Unique way of purchasing offers extra privacy over other methods
- 8% Neosurf fee is slightly better than Coinhouse's 10%
- Available in 50 countries
- €10,000 initial weekly Neosurf cash payment limit
- Bitcoin gift cards also available; more expensive than other options
- In-person buying methods offer more privacy but can be confusing
- Identity verification required for buying amounts over €25
- €500 initial weekly credit/debit card limit
Buy Bitcoin with Cash Exchange Comparison
| Exchange | Fees | ID Required | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|
| LocalBitcoins | 1% | Sometimes | Global |
| BitQuick | 2% | Yes | USA |
| Wall of Coins | ~1% | No | 12 Countries |
| LibertyX | 1.5-8% | Yes | USA |
Chapter 3
Frequently Asked Questions
If you're still a bit confused, that's okay. Buying bitcoins is hard and that's why I built this site.
The FAQ section below should answer all of your remaining questions.
What are risks are involved buying bitcoins with cash?
Buying bitcoins with cash can be very low risk.
If making a trade in-person, it's best to meet in a public place to reduce the risk of scamming or theft.
If buying bitcoins with cash via cash deposit, use an escrow service (like LocalBitcoins or BitQuick) to ensure the seller must send you the bitcoins after receiving bitcoins.
What are the benefits and advantages?
It's easy to buy small amounts of bitcoin with cash.
It's also private, since no personal information is required in most cases, especially if trading in person or at an ATM with no verification.
Buying bitcoins with cash is also fast, as there is no verification to slow down the process.
What are the disadvantages?
It can be hard to buy large amounts of bitcoins with cash, especially with cash deposit.
Bitcoin ATMs also have limits and some require verification if more than a certain amount is purchased.
Pro Tip
Do you want to buy larger amounts of bitcoins? Try buying with a bank account and you'll save on fees, too.
Why do Local Bitcoins and Bitcoin ATMs have a higher price than other exchanges?
The average buy price on Local Bitcoins and Bitcoin ATMs is usually 5-10% higher than the average global rate.
Unlike other exchanges, which require ID verification and personal information, Local Bitcoins and Bitcoin ATMs don't require any information like this.
The 5-10% premium on LocalBitcoins and at ATMs is simply the cost people are willing to pay for privacy when buying bitcoins.
Is it risky giving up my ID in order to buy?
It depends how much you trust the exchanges.
Just like any information you give up online, there is always the risk that it can be hacked or stolen from the website you give it to.
One thing that Bitcoin exchanges have going for them is that because they are constantly under attack, they have some of the best security and protections in place to protect against the hacking of your personal info.
There is always risk with anything related to information online.
Even Yahoo was hacked and information on 1 billion accounts was stolen.
Should I leave my bitcoins on the exchange after I buy?
We really recommend storing any bitcoins you want to keep safe in a wallet you own.
Many Bitcoin exchanges have been hacked and lost customer funds. If you don't want to fall victim to these hacks then the easiest way is to store your coins in a wallet you control.
Can you sell bitcoins?
Out of the exchanges we listed, LocalBitcoins, Wall of Coins, and BitQuick all allow you to sell bitcoins for cash.
Bitcoin Cash
You can buy Bitcoin Cash using cash from most or all of the methods and dealers listed on this page.
Chapter 4
Tutorials: How You Can Buy Bitcoins with Cash
How to Use BitQuick
BitQuick is one of the best ways to buy bitcoins with cash in the United States.
It charges 2% per buy but the exchange rates are generally better than LocalBitcoins.
We will show you how to make your first purchase in the tutorial below.
You will NEED a Bitcoin wallet before you can buy from BitQuick. Don't have one? Read our guide.
Go to BitQuick
You will see the home page. Then, click 'Quick Buy'
Enter the amount you want to spend. You can enter in dollars or BTC, the fields will update automatically.
You should now see a list of banks with prices:
You can pick any bank, and banks with the lowest prices will show up first.
Once you picked a bank you will be required to fill in some details. This includes your email, phone number, and Bitcoin address. You can also change the amount of Bitcoin you want to receive.
Make sure you put in your phone number and press 'SEND VERIFICATION'. This will send a PIN code to your phone that you need to confirm.
Once you put in your details press 'PLACE HOLD'. This will lock in your order.
Now you will need to find a bank branch of the bank you chose in your area. Then you go into the bank, make a deposit, and save the receipt.
Go back into BitQuick and upload the receipt to the seller. This proves you made the deposit.
Bitcoins should arrive to the address you entered earlier within 3 hours!
Buy Bitcoins with Cash from Bitcoin ATMs
Bitcoin ATMs are another great way to purchase bitcoins with cash!
Think of a Bitcoin ATM as a cash to Bitcoin converter.
While you may have to physically drive or walk to the ATM, once you reach the ATM you can buy bitcoins instantly. You’ll need to be lucky enough to have a Bitcoin ATM in your area.
Our Bitcoin ATM map helps you find locations makes it easy to locate a Bitcoin ATM in your area.
You can do the following to check if there is a Bitcoin ATM near you:
1. Go to the Bitcoin ATM Map
2. Search by Location
In the search box in the top left, type in the name of your country or city and click enter.
3. Find an ATM
Once you search, you’ll be taken to the location you entered on the map. If you see map pin markers, you’re in luck! That means there are Bitcoin ATMs in your area.
4. Choose an ATM
Click on one of the map markers for more details about a specific ATM. From there, you can also click on “Read More” at the bottom for even more details.
While Bitcoin ATMs make it easy to buy bitcoin with cash, there are some downsides:
Bitcoin ATMs generally sell bitcoins at a mark-up of 5-10%.
Before you buy bitcoin from an ATM, check the ATM’s price against a Bitcoin price index like our Bitcoin price page.
Also:
Some ATMs may require verification, like a picture of an ID or a finger print scan (although most don't).
Buy Bitcoins with Cash at Wall of Coins
Wall of Coins is a peer-to-peer cash exchange, currently available in the United States, Canada, Germany, Argentina, Latvia, Poland, and the Philippines.
LibertyX Review
Now that you know a bit about LibertyX we'll show you how to use it. Once you've downloaded the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, open it and you should see a screen like this:
Enter the amount of bitcoins you want to buy and then press 'NEXT'. You should now see a screen with some options. If you want to find a store near you to buy then click 'Find Store'. Now you'll see a zoomed out map.
Put in your location or allow the app to see your current location. You should then see a zoomed in map with pins displayed the many locations you can buy from:
Now tap on a pin and then tap 'SELECT THIS LOCATION':
You will get more information on the location, like the store's hours, fees, phone number, and instructions for buying the coins:
In the next step you will need to login with Facebook or make an account:
Once you login you will also need to link your phone number.
Once you confirm your phone number you can get your LibertyX code that you show the store!
At the store you present the code to the cashier and pay for the amount of coins you want. The cashier will then print out another code that you enter into the LibertyX app. Once you enter the code from the cashier you receive bitcoins!
Trades Near You: Mycelium Local Trader
Mycelium Local Trader is part of the Mycelium Bitcoin Wallet for Android.
If you live in a city, you're in luck:
There may be a number of sellers in your area.
Make sure you meet in a public space. Going with a friend is best, too. There have been reports of scams and robberies, so just make sure you take precautions when buying.
Once you download the app, click Buy/Sell:
Once you enter your location you should see a list of local sellers:
Click on a seller for more info:
Again, make sure you buy from sellers with good feedback! If you meet, meet in a public space and go with another person.
Chapter 5
Peer-to-Peer Exchange Explanation
The exchanges mentioned above (LocalBitcoins, Wall of Coins, and Bitquick) all work in almost the same way.
This section aims to provide more clarity on how a trade might work using one of these exchanges.
Buying Bitcoins at Peer-to-Peer Exchanges
Peer-to-peer (P2P) Bitcoin exchanges are a great way to get bitcoins with cash. A P2P trade usually works something like this:
- A buyer and seller use a site like LocalBitcoins or Wall of Coins and agree on a price.
- The seller’s bitcoins are held by the site and only released to the buyer upon confirmation of payment.
- The buyer deposits cash into the seller’s bank account.
- The seller confirms payment. Usually, the buyer sends the seller a receipt to prove that cash was deposited into the seller's account.
- The site (LocalBitcoins or Wall of Coins) releases the bitcoins to the buyer.
- The seller got cash, and the buyer got bitcoins. The trade is complete!
The above was just an example!
Through sites like LocalBitcoins you are free to agree on other payment methods besides cash deposit.
For example:
You could arrange to meet in person and exchange cash for Bitcoin.
Yes, using LocalBitcoins you can even exchange that Starbucks gift card from Christmas a few years ago for bitcoins ;)
Why Are P2P Exchanges Good?
- No verification is required. You don’t need to submit any personal details and there is no verification process that takes up time.
- Cash payments are irreversible. Once cash is in someone’s bank account, the buyer of bitcoin has no way to reverse the transaction. So the seller can feel confident that he received payment for bitcoins, and release the bitcoins to the buyer.
A Note on Exchange Rates
Peer-to-peer Bitcoin exchanges offer a fast way to buy bitcoins.
However:
Peer-to-peer exchange rates may be a bit higher than the global average Bitcoin exchange rate.
People are willing to pay more to buy bitcoins both more privately and faster. The markup is usually somewhere around 5-10% on LocalBitcoins. Wall of Coins generally has rates close to market.
Check the against a Bitcoin price index like Bitcoin Average or the CoinDesk BPI.
Best Practices for In-Person Cash Trading
If you decide to meet up with another person then make sure to take some precautions.
Meet in a public area. Most trades will go through fine but a search on Google shows people getting robbed or scammed at in-person trades.
Bring a friend. If possible, try to bring along a friend or family member just so you're not alone.
These tips are not meant to scare you and there is nothing wrong with trading bitcoins. But when dealing with any amount of money or trade it's best to be safe.
Chapter 6
Theft, Scams, and Storage
If you get one thing from this article let it be this:
Don't store your bitcoins on exchanges!!!
I've been buying bitcoins for more than three years. I've never lost any money to scams or thefts. Follow the guidelines in this article and you'll be able to do the same.
Here are two examples where users got screwed by leaving bitcoins on exchanges:
And there are many more I could list.
If you're buying with cash from an ATM you won't have to worry about this, since ATMs always send bitcoins directly to a wallet or Bitcoin address.
If you're buying from BitQuick or LocalBitcoins:
Make sure to move the coins you bought to your own wallet right after you buy!
Secure Your Coins: Get a Good Bitcoin Wallet
Make sure you get yourself a Bitcoin wallet that will securely store your bitcoins.
Besides storage, there are many scam exchanges out to steal your personal information and/or bitcoins.
Following these two basic principles should help you avoid theft, scams, and any other loss of funds:
- Do research before buying on any exchange. Check reviews, ratings, and regulation information.
- Don't store coins on the exchange. Already mentioned above but worth repeating.
Secure Bitcoin Hardware Wallets:
A lot of people have gone through our training on how to make their first purchase of Bitcoin, and then how to use that Bitcoin to buy other specific altcoins.
But there is one last piece to this puzzle missing.
And that is how to add Bitcoin to your offline or hardware wallet.
This step is extremely important.
When you first buy any sort of cryptocurrency, you most likely are using an exchange to do so.
There are other ways to purchase Bitcoin, like using a Bitcoin ATM machine, but 99% of people will be using an exchange to get their hands on this digital gold.
But there is a risk to this.
The Risk Of Leaving Your Bitcoin On An Exchange
The risk is that you are leaving your Bitcoin open to attacks from hackers and thieves.
What you must understand is that when you sign up to an exchange, your account is associated with cryptocurrency public addresses.
This means that you have your own destination that you can share with others to send and receive Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
How to find your public address is pretty much the same for every exchange, so if you know how to find it on one, you’ll easily be able to find it on any other one.
So, as an example, here is how you find your Bitcoin public address on Binance:
You go to the top right corner and hover over “Funds.”
Then click “Balances”.
This then brings you to a page of all of the cryptocurrencies available for purchase on the exchange.
Assuming we want to know our Bitcoin public address, type in “Bitcoin” in the search bar.
Then click “deposit”.
Here is where your Bitcoin public address is.
If you bought Bitcoin through Binance, this is where your Bitcoin would be sent.
If you also bought Bitcoin on another exchange – let’s say Coinbase – and wanted to send it to Binance so you could purchase another cryptocurrency with it, this is the address you would copy and paste to do so.
But there is a problem with this.
The problem is that you only have access to this address: your PUBLIC address.
But you DO NOT have access to your PRIVATE address.
This is why you NEVER want to leave your cryptocurrencies on ANY exchange.
Think of your private address as the password to your bank account – if someone knows what it is, they can simply login in and drain your account.
I’m not saying that anyone at Binance has access to your private key, but what I AM saying is that your private key is stored online.
And YOU don’t even have access to it.
And this is a huge problem.
You should never store your Bitcoin, altcoins, or any other cryptocurrency in a wallet that stores its private key online.
Especially not an exchange wallet.
So what you have to do is deposit your Bitcoins into an offline (hardware) wallet.
The first step in doing so is to actually get yourself a hardware wallet.
Bitcoin Hardware Wallets That Are Safe To Deposit Your Funds
The 3 most popular, highly-praised hardware wallets in terms of safety in adding Bitcoin to are:
These wallets are top of the line and are the highest-security hardware wallets money can buy.
What Information Do I Need To Add Bitcoin To My Hardware Wallet?
Okay, so now you bought a hardware wallet.
Great!
The next step to secure your Bitcoin is to add it to your hardware wallet public address.
The wallet that I personally use is the Ledger Nano S.
So I will use this as an example.
Now, before we get into how to actually do this, let’s understand one thing:
Sending and receiving Bitcoin between wallet addresses is universally the same process.
What I mean by this is that depositing your Bitcoin from your Kucoin exchange wallet to your Trezor wallet is the same process as depositing Bitcoin from your Cex.io wallet to your KeepKey wallet, which is the same process as depositing your Bitcoin from your Coinbase wallet to your Ledger Nano S wallet.
How To Deposit Money Into Someone Else's Bitcoin Account
This is because, in every instance, all you need are the same two pieces of information:
- Your login credentials
- The public address of the destination wallet
If you have both of these things, you can successfully add Bitcoin from your online wallet to your offline wallet.
Funding Your Bitcoin Account And Adding It To Your Wallet – The Entire Process
Now it’s time to figure this whole process out.
How do I go from having my money in hand, to buying Bitcoin with it, and then adding that Bitcoin to my wallet?
This is how you do it.
For this example, I’m going to use one of the most popular exchanges and one of the most popular hardware wallets.
We will be taking our Bitcoin from our online Coinbase wallet, and depositing it into our offline Ledger Nano S wallet.
How To Pay Money Into A Bitcoin Wallet
1. Buy Bitcoin On Coinbase.
So, obviously, the first thing you have to do is actually buy the Bitcoin.
There are many places you can buy Bitcoin from, but for the purposes of this example, let’s say we use Coinbase.
We actually have a full, step-by-step walkthrough of exactly how to buy Bitcoin on Coinbase.
We will continue on, assuming you have gone and read this article.
2. Locate Your Ledger Nano S Public Address.
Now that we have actually made our Bitcoin purchase, it is now time to take it off of the exchange and place it in our safe, offline wallet.
To do this, we must find the public address of our hardware wallet.
For the Ledger Nano S, this how you find it:
Go to the Ledger Wallet website and download the Ledger Wallet Bitcoin & Altcoins.
Then, plug in your Ledger Nano S.
When you plug the Ledger Nano S into your computer, this screen will show up:
Here, it will ask you if your Bitcoin address is Segwit or Legacy.
For fear of going too far down the rabbit hole here, simply select “I don’t know” for now.
We will explain the difference between Segwit and Legacy addresses in a future article.
Next you will see this screen.
Click “receive.”
Here, it will display your public Bitcoin address.
This is the wallet address that you will be adding your Bitcoin to.
3. Fund Your Wallet By Depositing The Bitcoin To This Public Address
Now that you have the public address of your destination offline wallet, you have to go to Coinbase and send the Bitcoin to it.
Note that I have bought $100 worth of Bitcoin in order to show you how this transaction works (a little less because of the transaction fees and volatility).
On your Coinbase dashboard, go to “Accounts”.
You’ll see the total amount of Bitcoin in your Coinbase wallet on the left.
We want to send the Bitcoin from this wallet to our Ledger Nano S wallet.
Click “send”.
Here is where you copy and paste your Ledger Nano S public address.
Keep in mind that, as I said, this process is the same for all exchanges.
You simply find the specific cryptocurrency you are trying to fund your offline wallet with, and then click either “send” or “withdraw”.
Most exchanges actually saw “withdraw”.
But the option is the same.
Two areas typically pop up when you do this:
- The destination public address
- The amount you are sending
That’s all the information your have to put it.
You just need to know the public address of the wallet you are funding, and the amount you wish to send.
In this case, I’m just going to send the entire amount.
Click “continue”.
4. Confirm This Transaction Via Email
Depending on the exchange, there may be a verification email sent to you in order to confirm this transaction.
This is simply an added security feature in order to make sure it is actually you that is sending the money.
Once you find this email and click “confirm”, the transaction is final.
Now all you have to do is wait for the funds to be added to your wallet!
This can take anywhere from a couple minutes up to an hour.
So don’t freak out or stress if you don’t see your wallet funded right away!
The funds are on their way and will be deposited shortly.
If you prefer video, here is a great video detailing the steps of transferring bitcoin between wallets:
Adding Bitcoin To Your Wallet: Closing Remarks
And that’s it!
You have officially sent, received, and successfully funded your Bitcoin wallet!
That wasn’t so hard, was it?
Admittedly, I was on the edge of my seat the first time I did it, too.
With this whole world being so new to me at the time, it took a while for me to actually summon the courage to actively send my Bitcoin from one place to another.
But after the first few times, I got used to it.
And you will, too!
Just be sure to take your time and follow this guide step-by-step.
Before you know it, you will have safely added your Bitcoin to your offline wallet!
Good luck!