What a crypto ATM really costs
Fees often run from around 10% to more than 20%, and most machines don't post theirs. Here's how to see the real price before you put cash in.
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A crypto ATM's fee is rarely a line on the screen. Most of it is in the price: the machine sells you bitcoin above the market rate, and the difference is the fee. Some machines add a flat charge per transaction on top.
Do the math in dollars
Before you insert cash, look at two numbers on the screen: how much you're paying and how much bitcoin you'll get. Compare that bitcoin amount with the market price on any exchange app. If $100 gets you $85 of bitcoin, you paid about 15%.
Bitcoin Scouts does that math for you on every listing that reports a fee: "$100 in → about $X of bitcoin", with where the number came from and how old it is.
What's normal
- Many machines charge between 10% and 20% to buy. Some charge less; a few charge much more.
- Selling (bitcoin for cash) usually costs less than buying, and few machines do it.
- A flat fee of a few dollars matters most on small amounts: $3 on $20 is another 15%.
Our monthly Fee Index shows the median fee in each state, and how many machines report one at all.
How to pay less
- Search near you and sort by Lowest fee. Machines that don't report a fee sort last, so you know what you're comparing.
- If the price on the screen doesn't match what you expected, cancel. You haven't paid anything until you insert cash.
- If you can, buy on an exchange app instead: it's usually far cheaper than any machine.