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

Trying to choose between Yellow Card and Bitbns 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

Yellow Card

Bitbns

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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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.

Bitbns is ideal if:

Best for exploring diverse altcoins — If you're looking to access both mainstream and niche cryptocurrencies with ease, Bitbns offers a standout range that supports broad portfolio experimentation.
Great for building passive income — Offers features like staking, crypto-backed loans, and systematic purchasing plans for growing your holdings over time without day-to-day trading.
Ideal for beginners in accessible markets — Its intuitive interface, learning materials, and support across multiple fiat channels make Bitbns particularly beginner-friendly—especially in Asia.

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.

Bitbns isn’t ideal if:

If you require fast, reliable withdrawals — Users have reported cases of prolonged pending withdrawals or frozen funds, raising concerns around liquidity and operational consistency.
If you prioritize strong international regulation — Regulatory clarity and oversight are limited outside of India, which could be a red flag for risk-conscious, globally-based users.
If you need responsive customer support — Multiple users, especially abroad, mention delays or difficulty in getting support, particularly for account issues or fund access.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

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.

Makers and takers both start at around 0.25%, but you can unlock lower rates—down to approximately 0.03%—if you reach high monthly trading volumes and hold enough BNS tokens while using the “Pay with BNS” option.

Futures/Derivatives

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

Bitbns currently offers an introductory futures fee of 0.1% for both makers and takers, but there’s limited transparency on ongoing funding rates or dynamic adjustments for hedging, so derivatives cost structure may evolve.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

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.

While Bitbns doesn’t publish exact spread percentages, markets like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT—given sufficient liquidity—are expected to have spreads comparable to global averages, often hovering within a hundredth to a few tenths of a percent.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

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.

You can deposit and withdraw INR via bank transfers (NEFT/IMPS), UPI, or P2P—with deposits typically free and withdrawals mostly quick—though some express options (like instant transfers) may carry small surcharges and slightly faster processing.

On-chain Withdrawals

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.

Withdrawal fees depend on the specific asset and blockchain; for example, BTC withdrawals cost around 0.0005 BTC, while others like ETH or TRX have their own fixed rates—generally lower than industry norms, with no dynamic gas-based markups.

Hidden Costs

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.

Bitbns avoids most sneaky charges—there’s no inactivity fee, minimal conversion impacts, and instant KYC services may be offered but don’t carry recurring fees—making the overall cost structure transparent.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 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.

If you spent €500 to buy BTC, your cost would include the spot fee (roughly 0.25%), a small bid-ask spread, and possibly a one-time withdrawal fee (for instance, 0.0005 BTC). The total cost remains modest while the fee structure stays predictable and evergreen.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

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.

Bitbns currently lists around 483 cryptocurrencies and approximately 191 trading pairs; its top 20 by volume also emphasize high-liquidity tokens like BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, and SOL, reflecting mainstream interest and active trading depth.

Product Range

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.

The platform supports spot and margin trading, offers systematic purchase tools like SIP and fixed deposits (Bitdroplet, Ascent), APIs for algorithmic strategies, and features like bracket orders, but doesn’t currently provide formal futures, options, ETFs, copy trading, DCA bots, or DeFi yield products.

Liquidity

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.

Average 24-hour spot volume fluctuates around USD 1–2 million, with ETH/INR and BTC/INR among the most active pairs, while order book depth for these pairs remains modest compared to global giants—indicating sufficient retail liquidity but limited institutional-scale depth.

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.

Bitbns supports limit, stop-limit, and advanced bracket (OCO-style) orders, offers real-time alerts and charting tools within its interface, and provides API access for external automation, though it does not include embedded TradingView or WebSocket charting out-of-the-box.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

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.

While spot trading is broadly accessible, certain advanced features like margin or fixed-savings may be limited in specific regions due to regulatory constraints—especially for users outside India, though exact restrictions depend on local laws.

Innovation

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.

Bitbns brings innovation through features like fixed-deposit products (Bitdroplet, Ascent) and systematic investment plans, but it doesn’t currently host a launchpad or launchpool for new tokens, nor does it differentiate between flexible and locked earn tiers.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

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.

Bitbns operates under Buyhatke Internet Private Limited, legally incorporated around 2015 with its platform launched in December 2017, and it’s headquartered in Bengaluru, India—placing it firmly within Indian jurisdiction.

Licenses/Registration

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.

As of now, Bitbns does not appear to hold explicitly designated crypto-licenses like VASP or MiCA registration, and it operates under the evolving regulatory framework in India without formal licensing akin to European or global standards.

Custody

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.

The exchange manages custody internally, employing a mix of hot and cold storage, but it does not publish any Proof-of-Reserves or independent audit data detailing cold-wallet holdings or reserve coverage, limiting external verification.

Insurance & Protection Funds

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.

There’s no public record of insurance policies or user-protection funds backing customer assets on Bitbns, suggesting assets rely on operational safeguards rather than dedicated financial buffers.

Incident History

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.

Bitbns has faced scrutiny for a cyber-incident in early 2022 that led to extended withdrawal freezes; this prompted a legal petition in India’s Delhi High Court seeking investigation into the handling of funds and transparency during that period.

Risk 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.

The platform supports standard security features such as two-factor authentication, likely uses encryption for account safety, and offers API access, though details on whitelists, anti-phishing tools, sub-accounts, or granular API permissions remain unclear or limited in scope.

Transparency

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.

Bitbns does not publish regular proof-of-reserves reports, wallet addresses, or SLA metrics publicly, and while it provides some training and documentation, its external transparency regarding audits, operational standards, or public asset reporting is minimal.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

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.

Users can deposit Indian Rupees via UPI, NEFT, IMPS, or RTGS bank transfers, with a minimum deposit of around ₹100 and a high daily limit; processing times align with standard banking protocols (usually minutes to a few hours depending on the method and bank).

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

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.

A valid national ID (like PAN, Aadhaar, passport) and bank account linkage are required to complete full KYC; trading and fiat withdrawals aren’t possible without verification.

Withdrawals

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.

Crypto withdrawals are generally unlimited per policy for cryptocurrencies, but INR withdrawals are capped (e.g., ₹25 lakh per day), and completion time varies by network congestion; supported fiat networks include Indian domestic banking rails only.

Customer Support

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.

Support is available 24/7 via a ticketing system (email-based), and users also benefit from FAQs and knowledge base; however, response speeds vary, with some user feedback highlighting slower resolution in complex cases.

Languages & Localization

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.

The platform is fully localized for Indian users (INR-denominated, English- and Hindi-friendly), showing fiat amounts in INR by default; international regulations or multi-currency displays are not implemented.

App Quality & Stability

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.

Bitbns offers native Android and iOS apps alongside a web platform; user feedback notes a user-friendly experience but also occasional glitches, login issues, and withdrawal delays on the mobile app.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

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.

Bitbns delivers a clean, intuitive interface that’s gentle enough for newcomers but lacks a structured “Lite vs Pro” mode tier, instead favoring a unified experience where users gradually adapt to its functionality without mode switching.

Performance

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.

Order execution feels responsive under normal market conditions, though some users note slower responsiveness or minor lag during high volatility or trading surges—especially when KYC backlogs spike during bull markets.

Education

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.

While Bitbns provides platform guidance, FAQs, and basic blog content, it doesn’t offer a dedicated crypto academy, trading simulator, demo account, or Spanish-language education materials—making self-directed learning a must.

Community

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.

The platform supports a growing user base through referral programs and occasional contests, but lacks an official Discord or actively maintained community forum—even though there are unofficial Telegram groups and social media presence.

Integrations

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.

Bitbns doesn’t embed TradingView charting or allow external bot connections; nor does it offer built-in tax tools or accounting integrations—leaving such needs to third-party solutions that users must integrate manually.

Who Each One Is Best For

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.

Bitbns suits Indian-based traders who value a straightforward interface, INR accessibility, and moderate-feature richness—but may feel restrictive for users seeking advanced UI flexibility, simulation, or integrated ecosystem tools.