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

Trying to choose between Coinstore 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

Coinstore

Yellow Card

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Europe

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

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Coinstore is ideal if:

If you value broad crypto exposure and early-stage token access, Coinstore gives you hundreds of assets, frequent launchpad listings, spot and futures markets, plus staking and IEO options.
If intuitive design and mobile-first trading matter, its sleek interface and fully featured app make it beginner-friendly yet functional for seasoned traders.
If security and operational reliability are top priorities, it employs strong safeguards—cold storage, multi-sig wallets, real-time risk controls—though some community reviews note occasional trust concerns.

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.

Coinstore isn’t ideal if:

If you want smooth fiat on-ramp/off-ramp capability, Coinstore’s crypto-only deposits and withdrawals limit seamless transitions with traditional currency.
If you expect fast, reliable customer support, multiple user reports highlight slow responses, unresolved tickets, and issues during high-volatility periods.
If you prioritize regulatory security, Coinstore’s limited licensing and operating in unregulated or gray jurisdictions may offer less legal protection and recourse.

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

Coinstore applies a flat 0.2% maker and 0.2% taker fee for spot trading regardless of volume, offering no stated discounts tied to holdings of a native token or tiered volume structure.

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

Perpetual futures trades charge maker fees of 0.02% (reduced from 0.025%) and taker fees of 0.06%, while funding rates apply periodically on open positions to align with spot market prices.

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

Though not published directly, Coinstore’s flat-fee structure and spot liquidity suggest spreads in major pairs remain competitive and tight—suitable for standard crypto trading.

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 access is enabled via third-party partners like Mercuryo, Banxa, or Paxful using methods such as card payments or bank transfers; Coinstore doesn’t charge for this, but the providers may, and fiat-to-crypto conversion times can range from minutes up to several hours.

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

Coinstore charges the network’s actual blockchain fee for withdrawals—dynamic and network-dependent (e.g., BTC, ETH, TRX)—with no fixed platform-added rate.

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 no reported inactivity fees or express-KYC charges, but conversion rates may differ subtly depending on the fiat provider; Coinstore itself does not layer on hidden surcharges.

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

Buying €500 worth of BTC via a fiat-crypto provider yields USDT/USDC credited—no Coinstore fee—then trading that for BTC incurs a 0.2% spot fee plus usual bid-ask spread; if withdrawing on-chain, you’ll also pay the dynamic network fee.

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

Coinstore lists roughly 380+ cryptocurrencies across 410+ USDT-denominated pairs, and its top 20 by 24-hour trading share include heavyweights like BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, SOL, XRP, BNB, DOGE, TRX, among others.

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 offers spot trading, perpetual futures with up to 100× leverage, Earn programs (staking), crypto Launchpad features, and API access; however, it does not support options, ETFs, margin beyond futures, copy trading, grid bots, DCA automation, or lending.

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

Recent data shows daily trading volume around $4B, with aggregated BTC/USDT volume surpassing $1.6B and ETH/USDT around $2B—demonstrating strong liquidity and depth for those core pairs.

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

Coinstore supports basic order types (market, limit), TradingView charts, and API/WebSocket trading, but lacks advanced order features like stop-limit, OCO orders, price alerts, or native order-management tools.

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

Certain features—including derivatives, Launchpad, and Earn—are restricted in regions such as Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, the U.S. (and territories), Iran, North Korea, and Syria.

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

Coinstore stands out with its Launchpad token sales, enabling early project participation, and an Earn program offering staking-like yield, often including both flexible and locked-duration options for yield seekers.

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

Coinstore is operated by COINSTORE PTE. LTD., a company incorporated in Singapore around 2020; its headquarters and legal operations fall under Singapore’s jurisdiction framework.

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

There’s no confirmed evidence that Coinstore holds formal VASP or MiCA registration, suggesting it’s not licensed under European or similar regulatory regimes.

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

Coinstore appears to manage assets in-house rather than through external custodians; no public proof-of-reserves, audits, or explicit cold storage percentages are provided on its platform.

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’s no indication that Coinstore offers any form of insurance coverage or dedicated protection fund for user assets.

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

Coinstore has no widely known history of hacks, regulatory suspensions, account freezes, or public fines, indicating a relatively clean incident record in the publicly available data.

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 employs standard security features such as 2FA, and may offer API permissions and anti-phishing safeguards, but lacks mention of features such as address whitelists or granular sub-account controls.

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

Coinstore does not publish monthly transparency reports or share public wallet addresses for client auditing, nor does it provide a formal SLA or guaranteed uptime documentation.

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

Coinstore enables fiat deposits through third-party providers like Mercuryo, Banxa, or Paxful—accessible via “Buy Crypto”—offering payment methods such as bank transfers, credit/debit cards, or e-wallets; transaction limits vary depending on the provider, with options typically starting at around $10, and completion times ranging anywhere from minutes to several hours or sometimes up to a day, depending on process and KYC timing

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)

Coinstore employs two KYC tiers—Basic and Advanced—which unlock progressively higher withdrawal limits; for example, Basic allows single withdrawals up to 4,000 USDT and daily totals of 10,000 USDT, while Advanced increases these to 50,000 USDT per transaction and 300,000 USDT daily

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 subject to your KYC level limits, are processed via standard blockchain networks (e.g., ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20), and typically complete in alignment with network congestion—Coinstore itself doesn’t impose fixed withdrawal fees but passes on the actual network charges, and transactions may include necessary memos or tags depending on the coin

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

Coinstore offers 24/7 customer support through email, a live chat interface, and ticket submission; however, a call center is not available, and user feedback frequently notes delays and drawn-out resolution times, despite live-chat access being technically continuous

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 and help center support multiple languages—including English, simplified and traditional Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia, and Korean—while displaying transaction amounts in local fiat formats where supported; however, localized regulatory disclosures vary depending on user region

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

Coinstore’s app utilizes TradingView integration for charting and appears to be regularly updated, offering a responsive mobile and web trading experience; although there’s no publicly available data on crash rates or explicit stability metrics, the platform does emphasize a seamless UI in partnership with TradingView tools.

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

Coinstore delivers a clean and intuitive interface tailored for newcomers, without separate “Lite” and “Pro” tiers; there’s no steep learning curve, making it especially approachable for casual or first-time traders, though advanced users may find some features limited.

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 tends to execute trades with acceptable speed, but during high-volatility spikes, users report occasional app lag and platform instability; bull-market KYC queues have sometimes delayed onboarding or higher-tier access.

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

Coinstore offers basic educational content and news via its platform, but lacks a dedicated academy, demo simulator, or Spanish-language learning materials—leaving room for improvement for non-English speakers and hands-on practice features.

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

Coinstore maintains official Telegram channels for updates and community interaction, and runs a referral program offering standard 30% trading fee rebates (up to 60% for affiliates) on spot and futures trades—though no web forums or Discord server appear available.

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 platform includes its own built-in charting tools and APIs for automation, but it does not support TradingView integration, external trading bots, or tax/accounting tool compatibility—limiting ease of integration with third-party trading ecosystems.

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

Coinstore is best suited for beginner to intermediate crypto traders who value simplicity, access to a wide asset range, and mobile-first convenience; it’s less ideal for advanced traders seeking deep analysis tools, full automation, or comprehensive educational modules.

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.