Changelly is one of the most well-known cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, although it has only been around for four years. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in the crypto-friendly island nation of Malta. Our review of Changelly will take you through the pros and cons and all you need to know before you sign up.
It is one of the few remaining exchanges that allow the purchase of cryptocurrency without the need to register or verify your identity. In addition to its website and mobile apps, Changelly is available through several third-party wallet services including Coinomi, Ledger and Trezor.
Pros:
- Instant credit card purchases
- Wide range of cryptocurrency pairs available
Cons:
- Customers have complained of exceptionally high fees
- Initial spending limits are low
Main Benefits
One of Changelly’s strongest selling points is that users can buy cryptocurrency instantly with any VISA debit or credit card using British pounds (GBP), Euro (EUR) or U.S. dollar (USD). Not only that, but the site supports over 140 cryptocurrencies including all the most popular coins like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC), EOS, Tron (TRX), DASH, Zcash (ZEC), Digibyte (DGB), TrueUSD (TUSD) and XEM (NEM).
You can also purchase any cryptocurrency using existing funds from your digital wallet or easily exchange any coin with any other coin on the site once you’ve made a purchase. This is quite unique as most smaller exchanges offer only limited trading pairs.
Interface
Through our extensive use and testing for this Changelly review we found their website to be simple, straight-forward and easy to use. Simply select how much of a specific coin you wish to buy, confirm the fees and enter your payment details – as quick and easy as drawing cash from an ATM.
The site uses automated bots to check conversion rates at several exchanges and provide the most up-to-date market information. Unlike some exchanges, a native digital wallet is not provided so users must use their own existing wallet. This may make things a bit more complex for first-time users but increases security in the long-term.
In addition, the site and associated mobile apps incorporate two-factor authentication (2FA) security to ensure user accounts are always secure.
Customer Support
Considering the amount of problems that can occur during a cryptocurrency purchase, its important to choose an exchange with excellent customer service. As with most other sites, Changelly offers a relatively good ticketing service that promises a response within 24 hours. It also hosts several useful documents and a detailed FAQ to assist with any queries.
It also features a very helpful pop-up chat window, although most responses are likely automated by a chat-bot, meaning any in-depth technical questions need to be logged and answered later. Changelly has quite a high score on Trustpilot, where most users indicate they were satisfied by the customer service.
Verification
Unlike the majority of cryptocurrency exchange platforms these days, Changelly doesn’t require any identity verification. Users can buy or trade cryptocurrency anonymously from their personal digital wallet.
However, when buying cryptocurrency with a credit or debit card, your identity would naturally be associated with the purchase.
Limitations
Changelly has no limit to the amount of cryptocurrency a customer can exchange but the following fiat limits are imposed:
If using U.S. dollars, customers are limited to $50 for the initial transaction, after which a further $100 can be made four days later. After seven days, up to $500 can be purchased.
If using Euro, customers can make a $100 purchase on day one, with $200 after four days and $500 after a week. These limitations are likely imposed to help reduce money laundering on the site.
Limits increase drastically for users in the Russian and Baltic states, with a $100 initial limit and $2000 week limit.
There are several countries and territories where Changelly’s service are restricted, including the United States and all associated territories. It is also banned in Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria.
Fees
Changelly charges a standard 0.5% on all crypto-to-crypto transactions made within the platform. Since it doesn’t supply a native wallet, there are no deposit or withdrawal fees as users cannot store cryptocurrency on the platform.
However, the site uses several third-party suppliers to complete its fiat-to-crypto trades and each one incurs its own fee. As with most sites, you are likely to pay around five percent commission for buying crypto with a credit card and possibly extra fees depending on the payment method and country.
In addition to this, the exchange doesn’t offer the best exchange rates, so even with low fees, you may end up paying a fair bit extra on purchases. Some users have reported paying up to 40 percent extra on purchases but this is considered to be rare.
Conclusion
Changelly is a fast and simple service for customers who want to buy almost any cryptocurrency in the easiest way. It’s a great option for less-seasoned cryptocurrency investors who don’t mind paying a bit extra to avoid complex exchange procedures.
However, considering the high fees involved, most professional crypto traders and investors may be deterred. For the most part, it would be cheaper to purchase cryptocurrency through one of the large exchanges like Binance or Huobi. In addition, Changelly doesn’t offer any advanced features like margin or derivatives trading.
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