Why your Coinbase Limit is Low & How to Increase It?

Coinbase allows you to buy and sell bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and is one of the biggest marketplaces in the world for doing so. The site allows you to maintain a digital wallet and connect various funding sources in order to make transactions. Coinbase puts limitations on certain accounts, and this can be frustrating if you want to buy in higher quantities.

The most common reason your Coinbase limit is low is due to a lack of verification. Coinbase imposes limits to ensure funding is from legitimate account users. You may also be restricted based on geographical location.

You can increase your limits by:

Waiting for increases over time
Completing personal verification
Adding multiple funding sources to your account
Simply requesting an increase

Coinbase is an easy to use platform to use, and Coinbase Pro has lower than industry average fees for alternative currency transactions. With limits, this platform can be a bit frustrating for users, but we have provided you with the necessary information to work around these limits and increase the number of alternative currency purchases you wish to make.

Why is My Coinbase Limit So Slow?

Coinbase is one of the most straightforward platforms for buying, selling, and trading cryptocurrencies, which makes it a popular site among users. When setting up your account, you’ll notice that your limits are often low in your ability to purchase cryptocurrencies if you have taken limited account actions.

There are two primary reasons your Coinbase limit is low:

Unverified Coinbase Account: This is the most likely reason your limit is low, and changes can be made to mitigate this problem.
Geographical Location: Your location can have an impact on your capabilities on the site as well as your limitations in funds.

We will cover both of these limitations so you can understand why they are happening and then offer you the solutions to increase your limits for more dynamic Coinbase usage.

Unverified Coinbase Account

For US users, the most likely reason that your Coinbase limit is so low is due to a lack of account verification. There are different account levels based on the amount of information you provide to Coinbase. Your limit could vary from account to account within the same level, but verified users have significantly greater capabilities and much higher limits.

There are three levels of accounts and each has different capabilities:

Level 1: The most basic with the strongest limitations on funding but does not require much personal information. You can make smaller purchases daily with increases over time.
Level 2: Allows for a $25,000 daily transfer limit and access to most Coinbase features.
Level 3: Fully verified users may be able to buy up to $50,000 per day, depending on their account.

What Are Limitations for Unverified Users?

For beginning users that are unverified, you may be limited to purchasing up to $50-100 per day. These limits can increase over time, but not providing verification information is the greater barrier to increasing your daily and weekly limits. The more information you provide, the higher account you will be able to achieve.

Coinbase will also increase your weekly or daily limit as time passes. This can be in arbitrary values depending on your account, and some accounts may not increase at the same rate. If you do choose to wait, you can expect to see a $1,000 increase per week in many countries.

Coinbase users at Level 2 are able to transfer up to $25,000 per day from their bank accounts (ACH), which is the current daily limit for most verified users. You can still use varying payment methods in order to transfer additional funds (we will cover this later).

Why Does Verification Matter?

Because Coinbase works with digital currencies exclusively, verification is necessary to prevent fraudulence and ensure payment methods are tied to the rightful owner. Verification aims to keep Coinbase secure and protect its users in the event of suspicious activities. This is another way that Coinbase works to provide safety to its users in buying and selling in cryptocurrencies.

Being a verified user gives you more privileges, including increased Coinbase limits. This increased limit reward is in exchange for personal information that provides Coinbase with higher levels of transparency among its account users. Requiring verification also establishes trust within the industry as a reliable marketplace.

Geographical Location

Depending on your geographical location, you may notice that you have different limits on Coinbase purchasing power. This applies to both the amount of money you can purchase with as well as the number of purchases you are allowed to make. The largest markets for Coinbase are North America and Europe, so we will cover these limitations in greater detail.

The United States and Europe

In the United States, you are able to purchase up to $25,000 worth of currency per day on Coinbase through your bank (with verification).
This is a cumulative value from your online bank accounts (ACH) that are connected to the account.
Debit and credit cards are limited up to $7,500 per week and there are currently no limits on wire transfers.

Policies in the United States are regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and EU law dictates limits and rules across many European countries.

In Europe, there may be limits placed on the number of ACH transfers per day (many users experiencing a maximum of three), and purchases can be made up to €30,000.

The limits imposed on accounts can be impacted by geographical location based on local bank regulations and capabilities related to various payment methods. With greater payment method options, you may increase your ability to purchase cryptocurrencies at increased levels.

You can trade in Euro and the British pound to avoid foreign transaction fees when making purchases of cryptocurrencies. Fees for buying will be applied to every purchase at varying rates based on location.

What Countries Can Use Coinbase?

Coinbase can be used in over 100 countries on 6 continents (excluding Antarctica) in varying capacities.

Certain countries only have the ability to convert funds into alternative currencies while others can purchase and/or sell currencies. Location also has a large impact on the varieties of payment methods that are accepted in order to perform these transactions.

Here are the general capabilities and features for different countries around the globe:

Africa: Coinbase is available in 13 African countries, and the only feature available is converting.
Asia: 20 Asian countries are supported with converting capabilities. Singapore is the only country that offers additional features, including buying cryptocurrencies. This is supported by credit or debit card.
Australia: You can convert in both Australia and New Zealand with Coinbase. In Australia, you can also buy cryptocurrencies with credit or debit cards.
Europe: You can use Coinbase in 41 European countries, with most offering converting, buying, and selling with a variety of payment methods.
North America: Conversion capabilities are available in many North American countries, but full capabilities and payment methods can be completed in the United States and Canada. You cannot sell in Mexico but converting and buying are available.
South America: You can convert in 8 South American countries but buying is also available by credit or debit card in Chile.

You can see the complete list of countries that are supported by Coinbase and their levels of capabilities and payment methods here.

North America and most of Europe have the greatest capabilities in using fully using the platform for converting, buying, and selling cryptocurrencies. European countries have the widest variety of accepted payment methods.

How to Increase Your Limit on Coinbase

With the increasing value of cryptocurrencies, you may want to transfer as much of your money into Coinbase as possible. If you fall into this category, the limits on your account may be holding you back! You will need to go through some additional steps in order to increase seemingly low limits.

There are a couple of options for increasing your limit on Coinbase:

Wait for Increases: This is the least effective way to increase your limit.
Complete Account Verification: This is the best way to increase your limit and take advantage of full Coinbase capabilities.
Add Multiple Funding Sources: You can further increase your purchasing power by diversifying your payment methods.
Simply ask: Sometimes all it takes is a request to customer service. My limit was raised in less than 8 hours a few years after requesting it.

Certain options may be better for your cryptocurrency needs and financial growth than others, giving you different methods for increasing your limits. We will go through why one method may be better than others for you and how you can go about raising your limits for each!

Wait For Increases

The longer you use Coinbase, the higher your limit will get. Limits may increase per week or after a 3-month period depending on your account level. Waiting for increases is one of the slowest ways for your limit to be increased, but also requires very little information on your part. You can purchase every day up to your limit, which may be in smaller quantities.

Why Wait?

Some people choose to use this method of increasing their limit and will deal with the smaller amounts because they do not want to be verified or hope to maintain their anonymity. Hiding your identity when making purchases is easier with cryptocurrencies than traditional online transactions. Many may choose to do this for increased identity security.

Providing the necessary information to confirm your identity is the best way to increase your purchasing limits on Coinbase. This will allow you to reach higher account levels and take advantage of maximum daily purchases.

There are multiple strategies for hiding your identity when using cryptocurrencies. You can still be linked to an IP address, but transactions are made on the blockchain, which protects a lot of your information. When you choose not to verify on Coinbase, your transactions are not easily tracked. If you don’t want to give your information, waiting for increases is your best call.

If you do choose to wait for increases, make sure you maximize your daily or weekly spending limits to get the most out of the service until your limits increase to a level you want. You must also keep in mind that cryptocurrencies can be volatile, and many don’t want to make purchases on high-priced days. This applies mostly to day traders.

Coinbase Complete Verification Process

To increase your account level, you will need to provide:

Phone number verification: Make sure you have a valid phone number in which you can easily be contacted with important account information.
Personal information: This includes name, date of birth, and address to allow for larger transactions. You may need to provide additional documents to verify your address.
Photo ID (this can be a state ID for US users): A valid photo identification is the most secure way to ensure the account belongs to you. Make sure your photo ID is current and in good condition. It can be uploaded from a desktop or using the mobile application.

Uploading your photo ID is one of the most effective ways to reach Levels 2 and 3. These levels allow you to hit the $25,000 daily spending limit, and Level 3 accounts can send and receive funding on the blockchain directly. While you may be more easily tracked with your purchases, this greater transparency keeps Coinbase secure and trusted among users.

Similar levels of verification and personal information are required for users in the United States and Europe. Coinbase is particular about the quality of the identification photo and wants to ensure all information is accurate. They have created a list of best practices, so you can easily verify your account. Verifying your information is the fastest way to increase your limit.

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Add Multiple Funding Sources

Verifying your account allows you to maximize your spending limit to $25,000 from bank transfers via ACH in the United States. If this value is still too low, you can supplement your purchasing power by linking other payment methods to increase your limit further.

The primary methods of funding for Coinbase in the United States are:

Credit Card / Debit Card: You can spend up to $7,500 per week instantly once your debit or credit card clears.
Bank Transfer: Once verified, this allows for the noted $25,000 daily limit to apply. You can make purchases of cryptocurrencies immediately but may not be able to take funds off Coinbase until the bank clears the funding.
Wire Transfer: There is no set amount you can wire to Coinbase. This money will appear in your digital wallet and can be used to make cryptocurrency purchases. This transaction is instant once the wire is cleared. The wallet can be held in most major currencies. Wire transfers are not available in all regions in the US.
PayPal: You can also use the PayPal platform to transfer money into your Coinbase account.
Instant buy: This can be accomplished with cards and bank accounts for verified users but may be limited based on location.

If you are based in Europe, there are additional secure cards and accounts that you will be able to use on Coinbase. A Coinbase debit card has been rolled out in Europe so you can even make retail and online purchases in your desired cryptocurrency (compatible with the app). The more options you have, the more funds you will be able to spend on cryptocurrencies.

Be mindful that some deposits are limited based on type, so you cannot exceed the bank account or card limits by using multiple accounts. For example, the $25,000 daily limit is not per account and is cumulative between all ACH transfers.

Placing multiple payment methods on your account is also an excellent way to increase your limits because it helps to confirm your identity for Coinbase to verify. This is one of the easiest methods to spend beyond your limit and purchase cryptocurrency from a diversified set of assets.

Low Coinbase Limits Can Be Changed

Now you know why you may be experiencing some low limits on your Coinbase account and how you should go about increasing it. By far, the fastest and most effective way of doing so is to verify your personal information and provide a photo ID to confirm that the funds and account belong to you.

For most people, this is an easy fix that allows them to increase their spending limits so they can buy larger amounts of cryptocurrency. Compared to other cryptocurrency marketplaces, Coinbase offers some of the highest spending limits once you are a verified user. This tied with the easy-to-use platform and low fees make it a reliable platform for these transactions.

If verifying your identity is not your desired method of increase, you can also wait for increases over time or add additional payment methods. These other funding methods may have higher fees associated with them. You will not be able to trade in the large quantities that a verified account will, but these can be effective ways to work around giving up your identity.

And by all means, don’t hesitate to just request a change. There is a form on Coinbase for doing exactly that. They don’t have the workforce necessary to handle every account manually, so they have algorithms in place. An account representative can review you account at your request and make changes. Remember, it never hurts to try.