If you have never bought Bitcoin before, this is the whole thing in five steps. It takes about fifteen minutes the first time, and a couple of minutes every time after that. You pay by card, the same as anywhere else.
What you need before you start
- A debit or credit card.
- A photo ID. Every service that sells Bitcoin for a card has to check who you are, by law. There is no way around it.
- Your order total from the checkout page. Keep that tab open.
Step 1. Open an account somewhere that sells Bitcoin
Any of these will sell you Bitcoin with a card. We are not paid by any of them and we have no connection to them. Pick whichever works in your country, because availability differs.
| Coinbase | The simplest if you have never done this. Widely available. Card fees are on the higher side. |
|---|---|
| Kraken | Lower fees than most, long track record. Verification can take a little longer. |
| Binance | Available in many countries. The interface shows more than you need, so look for “Buy Crypto”. |
| MoonPay | Card first, no full exchange account. Good if you only want to do this once. |
| Cash App | United States. If you already have it, this is the fastest route. |
Check the fee each one shows you before you confirm. Buying with a card always costs more than funding by bank transfer, so if you are not in a hurry, a transfer is cheaper.
Step 2. Verify your identity
You will be asked to photograph your ID and sometimes your face. This is standard and it is a legal requirement for the service, not a choice they made. It usually clears in a few minutes, occasionally within a day.
Step 3. Buy slightly more than your order total
Two things eat into the amount that arrives: the service’s fee, and the network fee when you send it. Buy a little above your order total so the amount that reaches us still covers it. Five to ten percent more is a safe margin, and whatever is left over stays in your wallet for next time.
Step 4. Come back and choose Bitcoin at checkout
Place your order here and pick Bitcoin as the payment method. The next screen shows you two things:
- An amount in BTC, worked out from your order total at that moment’s exchange rate.
- An address, a long string of letters and numbers. That is where you send the Bitcoin.
Copy the address with the copy button rather than typing it. Never retype an address by hand.
Step 5. Send it
In the app where you bought your Bitcoin, choose Send or Withdraw, paste the address, enter the amount shown on your order screen, and confirm. Then leave it alone.
Your order sits as on hold until the payment has two confirmations on the Bitcoin network. That usually takes ten to thirty minutes. You do not need to do anything while you wait, and you will get an email when it clears.
Things that go wrong, and what to do
| The card was declined | Some banks block crypto purchases by default. Call them and ask, or use a different card. It is rarely a problem with the service. |
|---|---|
| The price moved while I was paying | The amount on your order screen is what we expect. Small movements are fine. If a lot of time passed and you are unsure, send us the transaction ID and we will check. |
| I sent slightly too little | Send the difference to the same address. It adds up. |
| I sent too much | Tell us and we refund the difference, or leave it as credit. Your choice. |
| It has been over an hour | Send us the transaction ID from your wallet. We can see exactly where it is on the network. |
Why we ask for Bitcoin
Card processors will not handle several of the categories we sell, which is the plain reason. It also means no processor sits between you and us, and nothing on your card statement says what you bought. We pass part of the saving back: paying in Bitcoin takes 3% off the whole order.
If you get stuck at any point, write to support@rootandmineral.com with your order number and we will walk you through it.