How to buy Bitcoin: compare your options
Buying Bitcoin online comes down to how you pay, where you buy, and where the BTC goes afterwards. The table below covers the payment routes; for a fuller comparison of buying methods across crypto generally, see our page dedicated to buying crypto. What follows covers the parts specific to Bitcoin.
Payment methods compared
| Peer-to-peer | Varies | Varies | Sometimes | Escrow, then your wallet |
Buy Bitcoin with a credit card or debit card
Cards are the fastest route on this page. You enter an amount, pick your card, and the BTC is sent to the wallet you selected once the payment clears, which is usually straight away. Delivery still depends on the Bitcoin network transfer described below, so the coins become spendable once the transaction has confirmed. Apple Pay and Google Pay are offered in some regions and settle the same way a card does.
Your bank may ask you to approve the payment with a 3-D Secure check, and some credit card issuers treat cryptocurrency purchases as a cash advance rather than an ordinary purchase. Both are decisions made by your bank or card issuer rather than by Bitcoin.com. How card fees, issuer limits and cash-advance charges compare with other payment methods is set out on our page dedicated to buying crypto.
How your Bitcoin payment is handled
A Bitcoin purchase needs two separate systems to work together: the payment rails your money moves on, and the Bitcoin network the coins move on. They are run by different parties, each of which sees something different about the transaction. Knowing which party does what tells you who can actually fix a problem, and who holds which piece of your information.
Who handles what
- The payment provider takes the payment, carries out the identity check and sends the Bitcoin. Card and bank payments are processed by a regulated payment provider rather than by Bitcoin.com, and which provider handles your purchase depends on your country and the payment method you choose.
- Your bank or card issuer decides whether the payment is approved at all, and may put the 3-D Secure step described above in front of it. A declined card is its decision, not the provider's and not ours.
- The Bitcoin network settles the transfer. Once the transaction has been broadcast, no company decides whether it goes through: it is confirmed by miners, as described in the next section.
- Bitcoin.com provides this page, the quote you see and a wallet you can have the coins sent to. We do not process the payment, we do not receive your card details, and we do not hold your Bitcoin at any point.
What happens to your card details
Card payments run under PCI-DSS, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, which sets the rules for how card data is transmitted, processed and stored. In practice your card number is typed into the payment provider's own checkout rather than into a Bitcoin.com form, and it stays inside the provider's environment. The 3-D Secure step happens between you and your bank, so the one-time code or app approval you give there is not visible to the provider or to us.
On our side, Bitcoin.com is ISO 27001 certified, the international standard for information security management, and what we collect when you use the site is set out in our privacy policy.
Why you are asked for identification
Exchanging money for crypto is a regulated activity in most countries, and a provider that does it has to establish who its customer is before processing a purchase. That obligation sits with the payment provider rather than with Bitcoin.com, which is also why the identity documents you supply go to the provider and not to us.
There is a second reason, and it is specific to crypto. A card payment can be reversed by the cardholder long after it has cleared, while a confirmed Bitcoin transaction cannot be reversed by anyone. The provider is taking an irreversible action on the strength of a reversible payment, which is why a crypto purchase asks for identification when an ordinary online checkout does not, and why what is asked for changes with the amount, the payment method and where you live. The provider tells you what it needs while you are buying.
Checking the purchase yourself
You do not have to take anyone's word for the delivery. When the provider sends your Bitcoin it creates a transaction on the public blockchain, and that record is open to anyone. Put the transaction ID, or the address you had the coins sent to, into a block explorer and you can see the amount, the fee that was paid and how many confirmations it has so far. The Bitcoin.com block explorer is free and needs no account. If the transaction is not there yet, the coins have not been sent, and the provider that took your payment is the one who can say why.
Bitcoin network fees and confirmations
Bitcoin transactions are settled by the network rather than by whoever sold you the coins. That affects both what a transfer costs and when the BTC becomes usable.
How Bitcoin network fees work
A network fee is attached to each transaction and goes to the miners who include it in a block. The fee is based on the size of the transaction in data terms rather than on the amount of BTC being sent, so moving a large amount does not automatically cost more than moving a small one. Fees rise when more transactions are competing for space in a block.
When sending BTC from a self-custody wallet, the fee rate you choose can affect how quickly miners are likely to include the transaction when the network is busy.
Confirmations
A Bitcoin transaction is confirmed when it is included in a block, and each block added afterwards counts as a further confirmation. Wallets and services differ in how many confirmations they wait for before treating a balance as settled, which is one reason delivery times vary between providers.
Checking the address
Bitcoin addresses have their own formats, and a confirmed transaction generally cannot be reversed by the sender. Check the destination before confirming, and make sure it is a Bitcoin address rather than one belonging to another asset or network.
Where does your Bitcoin go after you buy it?
When BTC is delivered to a self-custody Bitcoin wallet, you control the keys and can send or spend it once the transaction has confirmed. If you buy through a custodial exchange or app instead, the provider controls the BTC until you withdraw it to a Bitcoin address you control. Self-custody puts backup and key management on you, while custodial holding makes you dependent on the provider.
Comparing what you pay for Bitcoin
Beyond the processing fee shown at checkout, the cost of buying BTC includes the spread built into the quoted rate and the Bitcoin network fee when the coins are delivered or later moved. If you buy on an exchange and withdraw afterwards, a withdrawal fee may apply as well. The final amount of BTC you receive is the most useful comparison, because it reflects the quoted rate and the costs included in the purchase.
Buying Bitcoin at an ATM, on an exchange, or peer-to-peer
The buy flow on this page is one route. Others differ in custody, cost and verification.
Bitcoin ATMs
Bitcoin ATMs let you buy with cash or a card. You scan a Bitcoin address from your wallet so the machine knows where to send the coins, and the BTC arrives after you pay. They go directly to a wallet you control. ATM fees can be higher than other buying routes, so check the rate and total cost before confirming, and note that verification requirements vary by operator and amount.
Bitcoin exchanges and peer-to-peer
These work for Bitcoin as they do for any asset: a Bitcoin exchange holds the BTC until you withdraw it, and a peer-to-peer marketplace matches you with a seller, often using escrow. Both routes, and the risks that come with them, are covered on our page dedicated to buying crypto. If you withdraw BTC from an exchange, check the address and expect a withdrawal fee.