Coinjar vs Yellow Card: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Coinjar and Yellow Card This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on August 16, 2025

Coinjar

Yellow Card

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Europe

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

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Coinjar is ideal if:

Best for beginners: Its intuitive interface and built-in wallet features make buying, holding, and sending crypto simple—even if you’re new to the space
Great mobile experience: The sleek iOS and Android apps let you manage crypto conveniently on the go, with dependable support and solid security
Option for power users: The CoinJar Exchange platform delivers advanced, customizable trading layouts and tools for those who need greater control

Yellow Card is ideal if:

Ideal if you prioritize local African access – it supports fiat on-ramps and local payment methods like mobile money, cash agents, and bank transfers across many African markets.
Perfect for simplicity and security – the user-friendly interface, strong AML/KYC processes, and embedded compliance make it approachable and trustworthy for new users.
Great for businesses needing robust infrastructure – with tools like embedded widgets, a Payments API, and invoice settlement, it's tailored for seamless crypto-fiat integration in emerging markets.

Coinjar isn’t ideal if:

Not for advanced traders: It lacks sophisticated tools like margin trading, futures, lending, or staking that power users often look for.
Limited crypto variety & regions: Offers fewer coin options and full functionality only in Australia and the UK, so global reach is constrained.
Suitable only for simpler needs: No demo accounts, investment advice, or educational overlays—so beginners seeking guided learning might not find that support.

Yellow Card isn’t ideal if:

Not for variety seekers – the platform offers a narrow range of cryptocurrencies, making it unsuitable if you want exposure to many or newer digital assets.
Limited advanced tools – lacking features like futures, staking, or analytic dashboards, it’s less suited if you're into sophisticated trading strategies.
Not ideal for non-African users – it’s built around African markets and local payment methods, so those outside this region may find it inconvenient or inaccessible.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

CoinJar Exchange charges tiered maker/taker fees for fiat-to-crypto pairs—starting around 0.10% for both and reaching as low as approximately 0.02% maker / 0.06% taker at high volume—with zero maker fees on crypto-to-crypto and very low taker fees; there is no native-token discount system.

Yellow Card does not use traditional maker or taker fees—instead, it applies a modest spread on spot trades, keeping the user experience simple without volume-based tiers or discounts tied to any native token.

Futures/Derivatives

CoinJar does not support futures or derivative trading, so there are no associated maker/taker or funding costs.

Yellow Card doesn’t offer futures or derivative trading, so there are no associated maker/taker fees, funding charges, or leverage costs to consider.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Spreads aren’t published explicitly, but CoinJar Exchange advertises razor-thin spreads on liquid pairs backed by deep liquidity, catering especially to institutional traders.

The platform’s spread-based model keeps spreads consistently small for popular pairs, designed for clarity and predictability rather than frequent fluctuations tied to liquidity.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Fiat deposits and withdrawals via common routes (such as Faster Payments, SEPA, PayID) are typically free and fairly fast (ranging from minutes to a few business days), though wire transfers (especially USD via Fedwire) may incur a fixed fee (e.g., around USD 10/20) with processing times of several business days.

You can fund your account using bank transfers, mobile money, or cash-agents—with service fees that vary by channel (typically around 1–2%) and settlement times ranging from near-instant (in local mobile networks) to same-day for bank transfers.

On-chain Withdrawals

External crypto withdrawals are charged a dynamic network fee, recalculated every ~15 minutes based on blockchain congestion and transaction size, differing per coin (e.g. BTC, ETH, TRX), rather than a flat fixed fee.

Transfers on alt-chains like Polygon or Solana are free, while ERC-20 and TRC-20 stablecoin withdrawals carry a modest flat fee (about 1.5 USDT), and crypto withdrawals like BTC or ETH incur standard miner fees that adjust with network congestion.

Hidden Costs

CoinJar applies straightforward conversion fees (e.g., converting between fiat and crypto typically carries a flat 1%), and while there are no inactivity or express KYC fees, dispute or investigation requests can incur extra charges; currency conversion rates may also implicitly impact cost.

There are no obscure charges like inactivity or express KYC fees; costs are transparent and tied to the payment method or network chosen, with currency conversions integrated into the pricing or spread rather than applied as additional hidden fees.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

Suppose you use €500 to buy BTC

If you purchase €500 worth of BTC, your cost combines a small spread on the BTC price plus a service fee for converting your fiat (around 1–2%), and if you withdraw on-chain, a standard network fee applies—altogether designed to stay straightforward and avoid unexpected charges.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

CoinJar supports around 60 to 70 cryptocurrencies on the main platform, while the CoinJar Exchange offers roughly 380 to 390 trading pairs—many of which involve top-volume coins like BTC, ETH, ADA, DOT, LINK, SOL, and XRP depending on market dynamics.

Yellow Card supports a limited selection of core assets—Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT), Cardano (ADA), Solana (SOL), USD Coin (USDC), Polygon (MATIC), Celo Dollar (cUSD), Tether Gold (XAUt), and PayPal USD (PYUSD)—but does not provide a wide array of trading pairs or a ranked list by volume.

Product Range

CoinJar provides spot trading, recurring buys (DCA), and thematic crypto bundles, plus a crypto-linked Mastercard; however, it does not support derivatives like margin, futures, options, ETFs, copy trading, grid bots, or lending—staking isn’t yet officially offered via the platform.

The platform specializes solely in spot buying and selling; it does not offer margin, perpetuals, options, crypto ETFs, staking or lending programs, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA features.

Liquidity

CoinJar Exchange handles moderate daily trading volume in the low-millions of USD, and touts “ultra-deep liquidity” and a low-latency matching engine for its top pairs, ensuring narrow spreads and reliable order execution.

While there’s basic liquidity for BTC and ETH via spot trades and commercial OTC access, the platform does not publish typical 24-hour volume or book-depth metrics, so these indicators remain undisclosed.

Tools

The platform supports standard order types—limit, market, stop, and OCO-style (time-enforced)—alongside customizable dashboards with chart overlays; it also offers documented APIs and WebSocket feeds for integration, though there’s no built-in TradingView interface.

Yellow Card provides simple buy/sell workflows with minimal advanced order types—no stop, limit, OCO, alert systems, in-app charts, or TradingView integration—but does offer an API and embeddable widget for businesses to integrate fiat-crypto on-ramps.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

CoinJar’s advanced trading tools (like CoinJar Exchange) are fully available only in supported jurisdictions (e.g. Australia, UK, select European countries), while derivative products are not offered anywhere—restricting professionals to spot and bundle offerings.

As derivatives and advanced trading products are not offered anywhere, there is effectively no geographic variation—only basic spot services are accessible across supported African markets.

Innovation

CoinJar continues innovating with features like auto-DCA via recurring buys and themed crypto bundles, but does not currently offer offerings such as launchpads, launchpools, or both flexible and locked earn programs.

The platform does not feature launchpads, launchpools, or different earn modalities; its innovation focus lies in seamless cross-border payments via Stablecoins, API integrations, and improving fiat on-ramp infrastructure.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

CoinJar was founded in 2013 in Melbourne, Australia, and operates under CoinJar Australia Pty Ltd; it also maintains a registered presence in the UK through its London-based subsidiary.

The parent company, Yellow Card Financial Inc., was established in Delaware in 2016 and later converted into a C-corporation, with registered offices in Delaware and Alabama; it also operates through local subsidiaries across Africa to meet regional legal and tax obligations.

Licenses/Registration

CoinJar is officially registered with AUSTRAC in Australia and is also recognized by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority as both a Cryptoasset Exchange Provider and Custodian Wallet Provider.

Yellow Card holds a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Botswana and a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) license in South Africa, reflecting its commitment to working under formal regulatory frameworks in key African markets.

Custody

Customer assets are held via trusted third-party custodians (BitGo and Fireblocks), with over 90% stored in cold, multi-sig or MPC wallets; CoinJar maintains full backing of customer balances and undergoes regular security audits.

Customer cryptocurrencies are securely held via Fireblocks infrastructure, using MPC-CMP to safeguard private keys and equipped with high-level security certifications and regular penetration testing; the platform itself does not engage in staking or borrowing with user assets.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Institutional-level custody solutions include optional insurance coverage up to US $250 million for eligible clients; retail customer protection is built through secure infrastructure and audit readiness.

Yellow Card does not offer explicit insurance or dedicated protection funds for user assets; instead, its security emphasis lies on institutional-grade custody and compliance rather than insurance-based safeguards.

Incident History

CoinJar has a strong safety track record with no known major hacks, system-wide suspensions, or regulatory fines, and has provided uninterrupted service since its founding.

There are no known reports or record of hacks, platform suspensions, asset freezing, or regulatory fines associated with Yellow Card, which suggests a clean operational history to date.

Risk Controls

The platform enforces robust security measures—mandatory 2FA, machine-learning based fraud detection, whitelists for trusted devices, encrypted API access with granular permission settings, and anti-phishing safeguards.

Security controls include mandatory multi-factor authentication with options like 2FA and OTP, strong internal training and encryption protocols, real-time threat monitoring with auto-lock features, and robust anti-phishing guidance embedded in the platform experience.

Transparency

CoinJar offers real-time system status updates, maintains customer-friendly incident reporting, and operates with clear internal infrastructure processes—but does not publish public wallet addresses or monthly reserve reports.

While Yellow Card offers secure embedded infrastructure and compliance transparency, there is no indication that it publishes public monthly reports, maintains a viewable public wallet, or guarantees formal service levels (SLA) beyond its regulatory obligations.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

CoinJar accepts deposits via bank transfer (wire in the US, PayID, FPS, or SEPA in supported regions), credit/debit card in some countries, and e-wallets where enabled; minimums and maximums vary by region and identity-verified status, and processing times range from near-instant (e.g. PayID, Faster Payments) to a few business days for standard transfers.

Yellow Card enables deposits via mobile money, bank transfers (manual), and cash agents, with minimum amounts varying by country and reflecting local currencies; mobile money deposits are typically instant, while manual bank transfers may take up to 48 hours to reflect.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Accounts must complete identity verification to unlock any transaction limits; before verification, deposit, withdrawal, and trading capabilities are restricted to zero, while verified accounts gain rolling daily and monthly limits tailored to their region.

Users begin at an introductory tier with basic identity information and limited functionality, with higher tiers unlocked through document and funding verification—each providing progressively higher deposit, withdrawal, and trading limits.

Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals are subject to dynamic network fees varying by blockchain; withdrawal limits and processing speeds align with verification status, and supported networks align with each coin (e.g., ERC-20, TRC-20) as shown post-login under account limits.

Withdrawal options mirror deposit methods and differ by country; mobile money withdrawals tend to be quick, while bank transfers are slower, and on-chain crypto withdrawals use networks such as ERC-20 or TRC-20 where available, with specific limits tied to your KYC tier and jurisdiction.

Customer Support

CoinJar provides support via email and a detailed self-help knowledge base, with availability during extended hours (typically local business hours into late evening), and generally responds within a business day—no 24/7 live chat, but clear help articles for common questions.

Support is accessible via in-app chat 24/7 throughout the African operating regions, complemented by email assistance and a knowledge base to guide users through common issues or questions.

Languages & Localization

The platform operates in English (with localized versions like US, UK, AU), displays fees in local fiat (e.g. EUR, USD, GBP), and tailors regulatory compliance messaging according to jurisdictions.

The app is localized in multiple African languages (Hausa, Swahili, Zulu, Yoruba, etc.), and displays amounts in both local fiat and USD, ensuring it fits the region’s linguistic and regulatory contexts.

App Quality & Stability

The CoinJar mobile app is stable and regularly updated across iOS and Android, with few reported crashes; although exact crash rates aren’t published, user feedback indicates a smooth experience and frequent updates for performance and UI enhancements.

The core experience is delivered through native mobile apps on Android and iOS, optimized for stability and security; as of August 1, 2025, legacy access via web and older operating systems will be phased out to improve performance and maintain high reliability.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

CoinJar offers a polished and intuitive interface that scales from beginner to professional use—while there’s no formal “Lite/Pro” toggle, the platform’s clean design adapts seamlessly from simple recurring buys to a fully customizable trading dashboard tailored for advanced users.

Yellow Card offers a clean, mobile-first interface designed for quick onboarding, especially for new users in Africa, with no “Lite” or “Pro” toggles—though businesses can use a more advanced API and widget for integration, while the app remains streamlined.

Performance

The platform’s upgraded matching engine ensures swift order execution and noticeably smoother performance during volatile periods, without documented service interruptions or KYC backlog issues—even during high-traffic bull markets.

The app is optimized for fast fiat-to-crypto conversions, even during peak demand, without reported crashes or slowdowns in high-volatility periods; KYC processes are integrated into the flow to minimize manual queues, particularly benefiting active markets.

Education

CoinJar does not currently offer a dedicated academy, trading simulator, or demo mode, and educational materials remain primarily in English—Spanish-language support and interactive learning tools are not yet incorporated.

Yellow Card provides structured learning through its Academy initiative, boosted by Tether-powered financial literacy campaigns across African universities, though it does not currently offer interactive demos, simulators, or Spanish-language content.

Community

While CoinJar lacks public forums or an official Discord/Telegram community, it does support engagement through its blog, in-app news feed, and a referral program that encourages users to invite friends—though direct peer-to-peer community hubs are limited.

A vibrant presence on platforms like social media complements their knowledge base, and they run targeted ambassador programs and referral campaigns—but there are no official community forums or Discord servers listed publicly.

Integrations

The mobile app now features integrated TradingView charts for enhanced technical analysis; additionally, CoinJar supports external tax and portfolio tools like CoinTracker, Koinly, and CryptoTaxCalculator via API or CSV integration—but there’s no formal marketplace for trading bots or accounting plugins.

The platform emphasizes business integrations via its widget and Payments API for seamless fiat-crypto flows; however, it does not integrate with charting tools like TradingView, external trading bots, tax software, or accounting platforms.

Who Each One Is Best For

CoinJar excels for casual investors and beginners who appreciate recurring buys, clean design, and mobile-friendly tools, while also meeting the needs of intermediate traders through its adjustable interface and integrated charting—though it may feel limited to users seeking demo accounts, Spanish-based learning, or vibrant community forums.

Yellow Card is ideal for individuals and businesses in Africa seeking simple, secure, and compliant fiat-to-crypto on-ramps using local payment methods—but not for users looking for advanced trading features, educational simulators, or broad third-party tooling.