Trading in a digital platform like Coinbase comes with many opportunities for both beginners and seasoned traders. The cryptocurrency exchange was established in 2012 and has since become one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. The platform currently hosts over 73 million verified users, with the numbers increasing by the day.
So what makes Coinbase so attractive? Many users love the user-friendly interface and the ease of transactions in the exchange. Much has been talked about the trading fees of Coinbase, and the trading fees on Coinbase are indeed slighter higher than most of its competitors. However, despite its fees, Coinbase remains the top trading platform among beginners.
Coinbase has another platform that is mostly meant for professional traders known as Coinbase Pro. The transaction fee/ trading costs between the two vary greatly, and Coinbase Pro is regarded as a cheaper platform with lower transaction costs. This Coinbase fees guide looks into the fees and everything related to the trading costs.
What are the Coinbase fees?
Coinbase charges fees to all its users during the process of buying, selling, or converting cryptocurrencies. The charges on these transactions depend on a number of factors such as:
- Size of the order
- Payment method selected
- Current market conditions
You will get a trade preview of the transaction fees involved before going forward with the transaction. Coinbase charges a flat fee for transactions up to $200, and any transaction above $200 incurs a percentage-based fee that varies based on certain factors.
A breakup of the flat fee on transactions is given below
Transaction Amount | Transaction Fee |
---|---|
>$10 | $0.99 |
More than $10 but less than or equal to $25 | $1.49 |
More than $25 but less than or equal to $50 | $1.99 |
More than $50 but less than or equal to $200 | $2.99 |
The above-mentioned fees may differ according to the region of the transaction.
Another fee charged by Coinbase is the spread-based fee of 0.5%. There are additional fees depending on the payment method used. For example, if you are using a credit or debit card, then a 3.99% fee is added; if a USD wallet or bank account, then a 1.49% fee is added, and the fees can be as high as $10 for wire transfer. All ACH transfers do not incur any additional fees.
Coinbase Pro Fees
The Coinbase Pro platform follows a maker-taker fee model while determining its trading fees. Those orders that add liquidity are charged different fees (maker fee) than those that take liquidity (taker fee).
Coinbase has different levels of pricing tiers based on the trading amount with varying maker and taker fees. All fees will be calculated based on the tier you belong to when you place an order. It is always recommended to check your fee tier before you begin trading.
If you place an order at a market price that gets filled immediately, then your order will incur a taker fee between 0.05% to 0.60%. However, if your order is not matched by an existing order immediately, and it matches the order of another customer later, then your order will incur a maker fee between 0% to 0.4%
Here is a full breakdown of the maker and taker fees in Coinbase.
Pricing Tier | Maker fee | Taker fee |
---|---|---|
$0-10k | 0.40% | 0.6% |
$10k-50k | 0.25% | 0.04% |
$50k-100k | 0.15% | 0.25% |
$100k-1M | 0.10% | 0.20% |
$1-20M | 0.08% | 0.18% |
$20M-100M | 0.05% | 0.15% |
$100M-300M | 0.02% | 0.10% |
$300M-500M | 0.00% | 0.08% |
$500M+ | 0.00% | 0.05% |
What are miner fees?
To ensure faster transaction time and a smoother transaction experience, Coinbase charges a fee, known as the miners’ fee or network fees. These fees are paid to the miner for securing the respective network and processing the crypto transactions. Coinbase does not take the fees, and all fees are disclosed at the time of the transaction.
Why are Coinbase fees so high?
Coinbase has built a reputation for being one of the largest online crypto platforms in the world. Their name itself gains many of their customers, whether beginners or professional traders. Because the platform provides innovative products and features unlike any other trading platform, they take the liberty to charge a higher fee than other platforms.
Coinbase has become a popular retail brand that continues to have its user base increase on a daily basis. Their incredibly high transaction fees start from a whopping 1% and go up to 4% if you are using a credit or debit card on the platform.
Most of the fees are also charged due to the high miner’s fee. This is especially true for the Bitcoin blockchain, which entails high bitcoin miner fees. Despite the platform’s high fees, users still prefer Coinbase over other trading platforms due to its high daily trading volume, robust security features, and advanced trading products.
How to avoid Coinbase fees?
Coinbase platform is known for its high trading fees among all other crypto exchanges in the world. However, you may have a chance to minimize your Coinbase fees by making use of features that Coinbase itself provides. Not with a Coinbase referral code fee reduction like many other exchanges are doing, as that code is used to earn crypto, but you can reduce the fees by doing something else:
One way of avoiding the exorbitant Coinbase fees or minimizing them is by using Coinbase Pro. Coinbase Pro, as the name suggests, offers an advanced form of trading platform that is better suited for seasoned traders or professionals. However, don’t let the name intimidate you because the trading system and the process of trading on Coinbase Pro are as simple as the standard Coinbase.
The fees in Coinbase Pro work on the taker and maker model, which is explained later in the article. But for now, you should know that the trading fees in Coinbase Pro are based on the transaction amount, which means you pay less for trading a higher amount.
Because of its lower fees and advanced trading options such as setting your limit price and more, Coinbase Pro offers a cheaper platform to trade your digital assets. Also, all transactions between your Coinbase and Coinbase Pro account are free, the transfers are instant free, and there are no limits to the number of deposits you can make on Coinbase.
Coinbase Pro also allows users to manage multiple portfolios under one original account. All transactions or transfers between these accounts come free of charge with instant transfers. Such a feature enables professionals to execute different trading strategies using multiple portfolios and balance their loses and gains on the platform.
Therefore, to truly avoid paying high fees in Coinbase, you should use Coinbase Pro. Here’s how you can set up a Coinbase Pro account. Remember that Coinbase and Coinbase Pro are under the same company, and hence you can use the same Coinbase username and password to log into Coinbase Pro.
- Enter your registered Coinbase E-mail and password to log in.
- An OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number to verify the account.
- Next, you will have to give more details about yourself, such as your “First Name“, “Your address,” and “Pin Code,” among others. Fill in the details and click “submit.”
- To comply with financial regulations, Coinbase Pro will ask you a couple of questions such as your “Current occupation,” “Source of funds,” and more.
- The next step is to verify your Coinbase account using a Government-issued ID card. Choose the ID card you wish to submit and keep it ready next to you.
- Coinbase Pro will now ask you to click a picture of both the front and back sides of your ID card. Click “Submit“
- The verification process may take some time, and Coinbase Pro will inform you about the approval through an E-mail.
Coinbase Fees FAQ
You can avoid paying high miner fees on the Coinbase wallet through the adjustment option the wallet provides. You can adjust the miner fee and choose the speed at which your transaction will be processed and confirmed by the network.
Coinbase charges transaction fees for smooth and reasonable transaction processing based on the estimate of the network. The Coinbase fees also have miners’ fees included, which are added together.
Copy your Bitcoin address on Binance and paste it onto the “Send” or “Receive” option on Coinbase. Click on “Send Now” or “Continue.”
Conclusion
Coinbase fees are higher than other trading platforms, but its reputation supersedes its high transaction fees. However, Coinbase excels in terms of performance and customer service; hence users are increasingly becoming part of the trading platform.