Coins.Ph vs Yellow Card: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Coins.Ph 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

Coins.Ph

Yellow Card

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

United States

Europe

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

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Coins.Ph is ideal if:

Beginners & Everyday Users: Ideal for users seeking a safe, intuitive mobile wallet that integrates crypto trading with daily tasks like bill payments and mobile top-ups.
Philippines-Based Users: Perfect if you're operating primarily in the Philippines and want a regulated, locally compliant hub for both crypto and fiat transactions.
Casual to Moderate Traders: Great for casual or moderate trading needs with straightforward tools—Coins Pro adds more control, but advanced features remain limited.

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.

Coins.Ph isn’t ideal if:

Global Traders & Non-Regional Users: Limited availability—primarily restricted to the Philippines and Thailand—so it's not a fit if you're outside those markets.
Advanced Traders: Lacks advanced tools like margin trading, passive income options, or demo features, which may limit strategic trading capabilities.
Users Needing High Trust: Some users report frequent negative feedback and unresolved support issues, potentially affecting reliability.

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

Coins.ph uses a tiered maker-taker model where fees decrease as your 30-day trading volume grows, and there is no native token to grant additional fee discounts—just volume-based VIP tier reductions.

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

At present, Coins.ph does not offer any futures or derivatives trading, so there are no maker/taker or funding fees associated with these instruments.

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

While you can use the “Convert” feature for zero headline fees, spreads still apply and reflect global market conditions, and such spreads may be wider on liquid pairs like BTC/USDT or ETH/USDT.

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

You can deposit and withdraw Philippine Pesos using methods like InstaPay, PESONet, or over-the-counter remittance centers, each with its own handling fee structure and typical processing times ranging from near-instant for e-wallets to same-day or next-day for cash pickups.

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

Cryptocurrency withdrawals are subject to network fees that are dynamic per blockchain—displayed clearly before you confirm a withdrawal—and these vary by coin (e.g., BTC, ETH, TRX) and network congestion, rather than being fixed by the platform.

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

There are minimal hidden costs—currency conversions happen at market-informed rates, there’s no explicit inactivity fee or premium for faster KYC, but conversion spreads may still subtly affect your effective rate.

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

If you were to buy around €500 worth of BTC using the Convert tool, you’d see no trading fee but an implicit spread in the exchange rate, and when withdrawing on-chain you’d pay the network fee displayed—so your total cost would be the combined effect of that spread plus the network fee on top of your purchase.

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

Coins.ph offers support for over 50 cryptocurrencies in its basic offering, alongside more than 90 spot trading pairs on Coins Pro, including the top 20 by liquidity in leading crypto-to-PHP and USDT combinations.

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

The platform provides straightforward spot trading and “Convert” functionality, and includes features like crypto-leveraged lending; however, it does not support margin, perpetuals, options, crypto ETFs, copy-trading, grid bots, automatic DCA, or staking/earn products.

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

While exact 24-hour volume and order book depth figures are not publicly shared, the platform handles robust local trading activity in key pairs like BTC and ETH, supported by competitive pricing, though it is not designed as a deep-liquidity venue like major global exchanges.

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

Coins Pro offers essential tools including limit, market, stop-limit, and stop-market order types, and integrates TradingView charts; it also provides REST/FIX APIs, although alerting, OCO orders, or more advanced charting remain limited.

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

Several advanced trading features such as derivatives or earning products are unavailable outside the Philippines and Thailand, as the platform’s expanded offerings are geo-restricted based on regulatory boundaries.

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

Coins.ph includes features like Launchpool for new token projects and supports flexible or locked crypto-leveraged lending, but currently does not offer formal staking launchpads or earn-program variations commonly found on global platforms.

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

The platform is operated by Betur Inc., also associated with DCPay Philippines Inc., legally registered and headquartered in the Philippines, with operations dating back to its virtual asset and e-money licensing between 2016 and 2017 under BSP oversight.

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

Coins.ph holds multiple licenses under Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas—including remittance agent, electronic money issuer (EMI), and virtual asset service provider (VASP)—and complies with the Anti-Money Laundering Act, ensuring full regulatory alignment.

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

Custody of fiat-backing assets, particularly for its PHPC stablecoin, is handled via segregated local bank accounts, supported by internal audit-based proof of reserves attestations showing assets meet or exceed liabilities.

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

There is no formal insurance protection or deposit insurance for cryptocurrency holdings—virtual assets are not covered by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation, underscoring the importance of regulatory compliance but no insured guarantee.

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

The exchange faced a notable incident in late 2023 when a hack led to an XRP shortfall, which was flagged in their audited financial statements as a “going concern,” though recovery efforts are underway and capital solutions are being pursued by management.

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 implements standard security measures such as SSL encryption and AES-256 data protection, along with user-controlled risk mechanisms including two-factor authentication and biometric logins, though advanced features like API permissions or sub-account segregation are limited.

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

Coins.ph is subject to regular BSP audits, especially for proof of reserves and operational security, but does not publish public monthly financial reports or provide transparent SLA details—suggesting strong regulatory visibility but modest public reporting.

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

Coins.ph lets users cash in via bank transfers (InstaPay, PESONet) or over-the-counter outlets; minimums and maximums vary by method and verification level, with near-instant timing for e-wallets and same- or next-day processing for banks or OTC.

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)

There are tiered verification levels—Basic (limited access, small buy/sell only), Identity Verified (ID + selfie), and Enhanced (adds income proof)—each unlocking progressively higher deposit and withdrawal limits based entirely on your verification status.

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

Withdrawals are available once Identity Verified, subject to daily/monthly caps; timing and network options vary by method (e.g. blockchain networks for crypto or bank/OTC for fiat), and network choice must match to avoid loss.

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

Support is offered via in-app chat (around 7 AM–9 PM daily), email/contact forms, and phone lines, alongside a robust help center—response times are typically same-day, supported by a detailed knowledge base for self-service.

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 interface is primarily in English, with fees and balances displayed in Philippine Peso (₱)—users won’t see €/USD unless using external conversion tools; the platform is tailored for local regulatory and user context.

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 mobile app receives regular updates and improvements, with stable performance and few reported crashes, ensuring users enjoy a smooth experience on both iOS and Android.

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

The app offers a clean, intuitive interface that’s ideal for beginners, with a seamless transition into a more advanced Coins Pro mode offering richer trading tools once you’re ready to level up.

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

Order execution is smooth in most conditions, though during high-volatility or promotional periods slight delays or temporary spikes in KYC processing may occur, though system stability remains largely consistent.

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

Coins.ph features an in-house “Academy” with clear educational materials and crypto basics, but it lacks live demo trading or simulators and does not currently provide Spanish-language content.

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

The platform supports an active community via its official Telegram channels and social media, and it also runs a referral program that rewards users for inviting friends, though it does not host independent public forums.

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

Coins.ph integrates TradingView-style charts, but lacks support for external trading bots, tax reporting tools, or formal accounting integrations—making it lightweight but less extensible for advanced workflows.dates

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

Coins.ph is best suited for newcomers, casual users, and Filipino-based everyday users who want a user-friendly ecosystem combining crypto, payments, and digital finance in one app.

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.