How to deposit money into Coinbase from a PC or mobile device

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Coinbase has recently established itself as one of the most popular exchanges for buying and selling cryptocurrencies. It offers a wide variety of coins at decent prices with high liquidity, making it easy to trade between digital currencies or withdraw cash.

But what if you want to put fiat currency (USD) into your Coinbase account? How do you do it?

This article will walk you through the process of funding your Coinbase account and properly prepare you for trading.

How to deposit money into Coinbase on PC

If you’re in the US, you can fund your Coinbase account with money via wire transfer, ACH transfer, or PayPal. Let’s see how each option works:

(a) Bank transfer

A bank transfer is the electronic transfer of money from one bank account to another. When you execute a bank transfer, you are effectively telling your bank to transfer the cash from your account to your Coinbase account.

Here’s how to start a bank transfer from your bank account to your Coinbase account:

1. Open your browser and visit the official Coinbase website.
   
2. Enter your credentials to log in.
   
3. Once you are logged in, click “Trade” to navigate to the trading section of your account.
   
4. Under “Wallet Balance,” click “Deposit.” The “Wallet Balance” tab is on the left side of the screen.
   
5. Click “Currency Type” and select “USD” from the drop-down menu.
   
6. Click “Bank Transfer.” You will then be provided with a unique reference code or personal account number to help you initiate the transfer.
   
7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

Once you’ve initiated a bank transfer, the money will be credited to your Coinbase account within 24 hours. In fact, if you start the process before 1 pm Pacific Time, the money will arrive in your account the same day.

On the downside, each wire transfer will cost you $10.

Additionally, Coinbase will only accept transfers if the following conditions are met:

• The wire transfer name must match your Coinbase account name. This means that you cannot initiate a bank transfer from someone else’s account.
• The transfer must be initiated from a US-based bank account.
• The transfer must be initiated from an account already linked to your Coinbase account.
• The banking transaction must include your Coinbase preference code or account number.

(b) ACH Bank Transfer

If you are not comfortable paying $10 to fund your Coinbase account via bank transfer, you can try an ACH bank transfer that is 100% free. But what is it and how does it work?

An ACH (Automatic Clearing House) bank transfer is an electronic system used to move money between banks. Unlike a bank transfer, an ACH transfer does not use your bank’s internal transfer system. Instead, the money flows through an authorized third-party clearinghouse.

1. Open your browser and visit the official Coinbase website.
   
2. Enter your credentials to log in.
   
3. Link your bank account to your Coinbase account.
   
4. Click “Trade” to open the transaction management section.
   
5. Select “Deposit” in the “Wallet Balance” submenu.
6. Click “Currency Type” and select “USD” from the drop-down menu.
7. Click “Bank Account.”
8. Select your bank account from the dropdown menu. Please note that the bank account will only appear here if it is already linked to your Coinbase account.
9. Enter the amount you wish to deposit.
10. Click “Deposit USD” to complete the process.

And that is. The only drawback is that ACH bank transfers take three to five days. This method will not work if you want to deposit funds and start trading on the same day.

(c)PayPal

Coinbase initially allowed customers to replenish their accounts using a bank transfer or ACH transaction. Nowadays, you also have the option to add funds directly from your PayPal account.

Is that how it works:

1. Link your PayPal account to your Coinbase account.
2. Click “Trade.” This will open your transaction management section.
3. Click “Deposit” in the “Wallet Balance” submenu.
4. Click “Currency Type” and select “USD.”
5. Click “PayPal.”
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

How to deposit money into Coinbase from an iPhone

If an iPhone is your mobile device of choice, you can use it to fund your Coinbase account. iOS devices support the following deposit methods:

(a) Bank transfer

To transfer funds to your account:

1. Open your Coinbase mobile app and sign in.
2. Link your bank account to your Coinbase account.
3. Open the “Portfolio” page.
4. Tap your USD wallet.
5. Tap “Add Cash.”
6. Select “Bank Transfer” from the available options.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

(b) ACH Transfer

The Coinbase iPhone app also supports ACH fund transfers. This is how this option works:

1. Open your Coinbase mobile app and sign in.
2. Link your bank account to your Coinbase account.
3. Tap “Wallet.” This should open a new section where you can manage your fiat wallet.
4. Tap your USD wallet.
5. Tap “Add Cash.”
6. Select “Bank Account” from the available options.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

(c)PayPal

To deposit through PayPal:

1. Open your Coinbase mobile app and sign in.
2. Link your PayPal account to your Coinbase account.
3. Open the “Portfolio” page.
4. Tap your USD wallet.
5. Tap “Add Cash.”
6. Tap “PayPal.”
7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

How to deposit money into Coinbase from an Android phone

If you have opened a Coinbase account through their dedicated Android app, you can easily add cash to your account in preparation for crypto transactions. As with iPhones, you can do this via bank transfer, ACH transfer, or PayPal.

(a) Bank transfer

To add cash using a bank transfer, here’s what you need to do:

1. Open your Coinbase mobile app and enter your credentials to log in. If you don’t have the app, you can get it Google App Store free.
2. Link your bank account to your Coinbase account.
3. Once you have linked your bank account, open the “Wallet” page.
4. Tap your USD wallet.
5. Tap “Add Cash.”
6. Select “Bank Transfer” and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

(b) ACH Transfer

Coinbase is also available for Android devices. The app supports ACH fund transfers, meaning you can move money between your bank account and Coinbase in seconds. That is how:

1. Open your Coinbase mobile app and sign in.
2. Add your bank account as a payment method to your Coinbase account.
3. Tap “Wallet.”
4. Tap “USD.”
5. Tap “Add Cash.”
6. Select “Bank Account.”
7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

(c)PayPal

To add cash through PayPal:

1. Open your Coinbase mobile app and sign in.
2. Link your PayPal account to your Coinbase account.
3. Tap “Wallet” to open your cash management section.
4. Tap your USD wallet.
5. Tap “Add Cash.”
6. Tap “PayPal.”
7. Follow the on-screen guide to complete the process.

How to link a payment method on Coinbase?

As you may have noticed, you must link your preferred payment method to your Coinbase account before you can successfully make a deposit. For bank transfers and ACH, you must link your bank account, while for PayPal deposits, you must link your PayPal account.

The good thing is that adding any of these payment methods is easy.

To add a payment method while using a PC, do the following:

1. Open your browser and visit the official Coinbase website.
   
2. Log in to your Coinbase account and click “Payment Methods.”
   
3. Click “Add a payment method.”
   
4. Select the type of account you want to add and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
   

To add a payment method through the Coinbase mobile app:

1. Open your app and navigate to settings. To do this, click on the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner.
   
2. Tap “Payment Methods.”
   
3. Select the type of account you want to link from the list of available options.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to verify your new payment method.

Additional FAQs

Is there a fee for depositing money at Coinbase?

Some payment methods incur a fee, but others do not. For example, adding cash via a bank transfer incurs a flat fee of $20, but there is no charge if you deposit via an ACH or PayPal transfer.

How long does it take to deposit to Coinbase account?

Bank transfers are processed within 24 hours, but if you start the transfer before 1 pm Pacific Time, the money will be deposited into your account the same day.

ACH transfers take three to five days, but PayPal deposits happen instantly.

Does Coinbase allow credit card deposits?

Currently, the Coinbase-PayPal transfer system does not support deposits to credit cards, prepaid cards, or merchant account cards. But fortunately, nowadays you also have the option to add funds directly from your PayPal account. However, your PayPal account must be linked to your bank account.

Add cash and unlock orders

Coinbase offers an easy way to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies. If you are interested in investing or trading Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin or any other digital currency on the market today, you just need to add some cash to your account and start placing orders.

Do you have a Coinbase account? Have you tried adding cash using any of the methods described in this article? We’d love to know how it all went.

Feel free to share your experience in the comments section below.