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In a hurry?
If there’s a bitcoin ATM near you, that’s probably the quickest way to buy bitcoin.
To buy bitcoin fast, the main thing to know is that verification is almost always the slowest part.
The fastest way to buy bitcoin is to do one of the following:
There are three main ways to buy bitcoin without verification. If any of them work for you, that might be one of the fastest ways to buy bitcoin.
Other than verification, you also need to consider any applicable transfer times.
To buy fast, the main transfer to worry about is your deposit. This is where you send money to the seller.
The transfer times are mostly down to your preferred payment method. Different exchanges will support different payment methods.
Payment method | How long it usually takes |
---|---|
POLi bank transfer | Next business day |
Credit card | 0-3 business days depending on the card, the bank and the bitcoin service |
Cash at a newsagent (blueshyft) | Instant |
Cash at a bank branch or ATM | Next business day |
Flexepin voucher | Instant |
BPAY | 1-2 business days |
Money transfer service (eg, Western Union or MoneyGram) | 1-2 days (may vary by destination country) |
Wire transfer | 1-2 business days |
At their fastest, bitcoin can be sent and received within minutes. However, it depends on the network load and your transaction fees.
Fortunately, once the deposit is received, you’ve locked in the order for the cryptocurrency. Even if it takes a while to arrive, it’s on its way.
Once you’re verified and your deposit has arrived on the exchange, you can typically buy at market rates almost instantly.
To make near-instant purchases as needed and at a decent price, you might want to maintain a verified account on an exchange, with money ready to go.
When you want to buy fast or with no verification, you’ll often need to pay premium prices. You will typically find the best value for money on large low-fee exchanges.
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