The report further confirms that the ban will not extend to debit card customers of the banks, who will be able to continue
making cryptocurrency purchases with their bank accounts.
The decision to ban
cryptocurrency purchases with certain credit cards follows the sharp decline virtual coins have suffered after going through the roof at the end of last year.
Following the huge decline in 2018, the top 5 credit card companies have either banned or have announced a ban on
cryptocurrency purchases using credit cards.
Card issuers are worried that people who
charge cryptocurrency purchases to their credit card won't be able to pay it off due to the risk — resulting in losses for the card issuer.
If you're just looking to buy BTC, ETH, or LTC on the main Coinbase site, Coinbase charges a 3.99 % fee for purchases made with credit or debit cards (the money is available right away), or a 1.49 % fee
for cryptocurrency purchases made with bank accounts or Coinbase USD wallets (the funds are available in 5 to 7 days).
«At this time, we are not
processing cryptocurrency purchases using credit cards, due to the volatility and risk involved,» a J.P. Morgan Chase spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.
Some card issuers will
classify cryptocurrency purchases as cash advances, which means that you'll be charged a fee and the purchase will start accruing interest immediately, sometimes with a increased APR..
The government also put pressure on payment providers not to process transactions for cryptocurrencies, essentially putting an end to
cryptocurrency purchases in China.
Indeed, news begun to circulate over the weekend that Citigroup (via Bloomberg) had joined JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America (via CNBC) in
banning cryptocurrency purchases made with their issued credit cards.
However, the bank has been accused of inflating its fees for
cryptocurrency purchases by traders in America who used their credit cards to do so.
This latest controversy comes after multiple US banks, such as Bank of America, Citi, and Capital One, recently decided to
block cryptocurrency purchases made with their credit card (s).
It also said Visa had
reclassified cryptocurrency purchases, but the company said this was not true, and that it still «allows credit, debit and certain prepaid Visa products to be used to purchase cryptocurrency.»
Credit Card Declined With Bitcoin suffering one of its worst weeks since 2013, major US banks are putting a stop to Bitcoin and
other cryptocurrency purchases made using their credit cards.
The only apparent (albeit minuscule) exposure of banks, one mentioned in recent news reports, is via credit - card customers who charge such
large cryptocurrency purchases to their cards that a plunge in crypto prices might make them personally bankrupt and force them to default on card payments.
Coinbase — one of the most popular digital currency exchanges — has admitted to accidentally draining users» bank accounts by severely overcharging their
past cryptocurrency purchases.
The popular stock trading app Robinhood announced this week it will soon offer free a bitcoin and ether trading service, plus instant transfers for
cryptocurrency purchases worth more than $ 1,000.
Note that, this year, some of the credit card companies in the United States — i.e. Chase, Bank of America, Citibank — have
barred cryptocurrency purchases due to their volatility.
While anonymous account holders can continue to buy or sell cryptocurrencies using their holdings via virtual accounts, any
new cryptocurrency purchases or withdrawals in fiat will require compliance with the new KYC rules.
Royal Bank of Canada, Canada's second - largest bank also added that they allow credit cards to be used for
cryptocurrency purchases though this will only be allowed in limited circumstances.
While many new investors entering into the industry are focusing on their
initial cryptocurrency purchases, there is a digital gold rush taking place with high quality Blockchain domain names.
The World Gold Council believes Bitcoin could undermine central banks, and many major banks themselves have already taken measures to discourage or outright
prevent cryptocurrency purchases.
«At this time, we are not
processing cryptocurrency purchases using credit cards, due to the volatility and risk involved,» a J.P. Morgan Chase spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.
Indian HDFC Bank Warns Customers against Using Debit, Credit Cards for Cryptocurrency Purchases
To avoid these unexpected charges, call your card issuer and ask whether or not it classifies
cryptocurrency purchases as cash advances.
The news from India added to the existing pessimism in the cryptocurrency market on account of China's announcement of blocking foreign crypto exchanges, and the move by major banks such as JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, and Bank of America from the US and Lloyds Bank from the UK to ban
cryptocurrency purchases via their credit cards.
With Bitcoin suffering one of its worst weeks since 2013, major US banks are putting a stop to Bitcoin and
other cryptocurrency purchases made using their credit cards.
However, the company has made efforts to improve the customer experience, as evidenced by the addition of phone support and
instant cryptocurrency purchases — features that have undoubtedly contributed to its swelling user base over the past quarter.