When you log onto your Coinbase account, you’ll want to see that the transactions you’ve made and the money you’ve invested into different coins are ready to use. There are a couple of situations you may find that make it appear as though your Coinbase account is empty. This can be quite scary when you know you have followed proper protocol in buying and selling coins.
Is your Coinbase account empty? Here are some potential reasons why:
- Updating Coinbase user interfaces
- Need to confirm ownership with payment method
- Debit or credit card transaction needs to be cleared
- Upgrade to a Coinbase Pro account
We will dive into each of these issues that could be responsible for your Coinbase account appearing empty. Especially if you know you have transactions that would result in coins in your account, this can be a challenging thing to understand. We’ll simplify it for you so you can get back to buying and selling cryptocurrencies.
My Coinbase Account is Empty
We want to know that the transactions we make with Coinbase will show up when we make them. When your wallet appears to be empty when you have recently made purchases, our minds may be drawn to the worst-case scenario: hacking and security breaches that would result in lost funds. Fortunately, there are some things you should check out before that!
We are going to break down the following reasons that your Coinbase wallet is showing you it is empty:
- Updating Coinbase user interfaces
- Need to confirm ownership with payment method
- Debit or credit card transaction needs to be cleared
- Upgrade to a Coinbase Pro account
Understanding these issues in more detail will give you steps to fix the problem and prevent this issue from happening again in the future.
Coinbase User Interface
When Coinbase updates its user interface, there may be a glitch or need to update your application or browser. This is a simple fix that could be responsible for no money showing up in your wallet. It may also result in a blank screen when you try to open your account. We recommend keeping your software up to date so that this issue does not occur.
User interface updates are designed to make the platform easier to use as well as safer for Coinbase accounts. Increased levels of security are put in place with new updates as privacy and safety are important for cryptocurrency wallets. Updating your devices will help to ensure you are taking advantage of these security measures and seeing the correct wallet values.
Each transaction you make on Coinbase will also provide you with a link to view the transaction. These links can be generated with each new transaction (which can heighten privacy), and some may appear to be empty when you click on them. This does not mean your wallet is empty, just that you may need to generate a new address for the funds from a transaction to appear.
Confirm Ownership with Payment Method
Your wallet may also appear to be empty because there was a hold placed on your cryptocurrency buys and deposits. Coinbase will do this is an attempt to uphold security and prevent fraud if it thinks your account is not confirmed with a legitimate payment source. These holds can be released when you confirm the necessary information.
You should make sure all of your account information is up to date, including:
- Valid ID: This helps to speed up the process, and every account should be tied to a valid government or official ID in order to maintain a verified account.
- Payment Method Verification: All of the payment information should be easily tied to the owner of the account. Make sure all of your payment information is correct and up to date.
An account may also have disabled buys and deposits if there are any chargebacks, which returns the money spent on buying cryptocurrencies to the owner. This can delay future trades until that transaction is processed.
Debit or Credit Card Transaction Clearance
There are a variety of payment methods that can be used to purchase cryptocurrencies on your Coinbase account, including a debit or credit card. If you don’t have a bank account attached that you can easily pull from, this can be a simple way to make a purchase. When you do buy the coins, it will take time for them to show up in your wallet.
Debit or credit card transactions need to be cleared with the bank before they can be ready to use in your cryptocurrency wallet. These transactions can take upwards of 5 business days to complete. While it may show that the transaction occurred, the coins may be delayed in showing up in your digital wallet.
The solution for this issue is to be patient and wait for the funds to be cleared. This is done to ensure that the transaction is legitimate and completed safely. If you want to receive funding more quickly in your wallet, we recommend using a bank account transfer (through ACH), or you can also wire money without waiting.
Processing time between banks can vary in length and may show that you have paid for something from your bank, but the digital currencies have not shown up yet. It not only takes a day or two to clear at the bank, but Coinbase also does the diligence of monitoring transactions, which can delay it a few more days. This may cause a delay in an updated wallet value.
Upgrade to Coinbase Pro Account
Coinbase offers its simplified Coinbase accounts for beginners as well as Coinbase Pro for professional traders or those who are experienced in trading cryptocurrencies. The primary differences between the two platforms are the increased complexities and features offered on Coinbase Pro as well as the lower fees.
Because you can only have one Coinbase account, you may find yourself switching from the standard account to a Pro account. When this happens, your wallet will be transferred to Coinbase Pro. If you log onto your old account, the wallet will show as empty. You will simply need to go to the Pro site and log in to see your new wallet.
You will want to use and refer to your new Coinbase Pro account for all future transactions, as this is where the most up-to-date information will be located. Be aware that when you are switching to a Coinbase Pro account that all the funds in your Coinbase account will need to be cleared before you can transfer them over.
Empty Coinbase Accounts
The various reasons mentioned above are the most common as to why your Coinbase account appears to be empty. Consider going through each of the steps mentioned to solve this problem. Fortunately, all of them are easy fixes or at least provide you with more information as to what may be causing the delay.
If none of those seem to work, we recommend contacting the Coinbase support team or consider more serious problems with your account. In the worst of situations, your account may have been compromised due to your keys being discovered or by hackers. Be sure to keep all personal information, including your private blockchain keys, secure.
These serious situations are rare, but extra precautions and vigilance are important when dealing with digital currencies. Make sure you protect your account and secure your funds to the best of your abilities. In most cases, your empty wallet will be the result of one of the issues we’ve mentioned, requiring simple fixes so you can go back to buying and selling.
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