CoinJar review

• CoinJar makes it easy for Australians to trade crypto.
• Top up your account with a debit or credit card.
• Excellent native apps for both iOS and Android.

When it comes to cryptocurrency exchanges specifically tailored towards an Australian user-base, CoinJar is one of the oldest and most well-established ones out there. It’s simple and easy to use for beginners and has excellent mobile support.

Considering CoinJar to trade crypto? Find out what it offers and how it compares against the market.

What is CoinJar?

CoinJar is owned and operated by CoinJar Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 75 648 570 807). It is an established cryptocurrency exchange with headquarters in Melbourne. It was established in 2013 by co-founders Asher Tan and Ryan Zhou with its main focus originally being on the domestic Australian market. Since then it has expanded internationally into the UK, Europe, and several other countries.

The exchange allows users to instantly buy cryptocurrencies with a credit or debit card, has no deposit fees for BPAY and PayID, has low trading fees, plus there are no fees when you withdraw AUD to your bank account.

Is CoinJar safe?

90% of all user funds are stored in offline wallets located at geographically redundant locations. As far as we could tell, CoinJar’s servers have not been compromised.

CoinJar uses various industry standard security policies including two-factor authentication (2FA), data encryption, Transport Layer Security (TLS), and periodic security audits by a third party.

Interestingly, they also use machine learning to detect suspicious behaviour, for example, fraud and account takeovers.

Who is CoinJar aimed at?

Given the fact that there are no fees when you withdraw AUD to a bank account, CoinJar is a strong proposition for Aussie traders. More specifically, CoinJar is tailored towards investors who are new to crypto and want an easy way to dabble in the market.

The fact that your crypto assets can also be spent using the CoinJard Card is an additional benefit — one that makes crypto a more active part of your everyday financial life.

Tradable coins

CoinJar’s exchange supports a substantial number of coins. In addition to favourites like Bitcoin (BTC/AUD), Ethereum (ETH/AUD), and XRP (Ripple) are altcoins like Chainlink (LINK/AUD), Stellar (XLM/AUD), Uniswap (UNI/AUD), and Basic Attention Token (BAT/AUD), among others.

If you want access to trade even more altcoins, consider another exchange like Swyftx.

Funding your account

Once you have created and verified your account, you can deposit Australian dollars via PayID/NPP.

BPAY is also available, but funds can take up to 3 business days to clear. CoinJar is one of the few exchanges that accept credit card and debit card deposits, although American Express is not supported. Thankfully, there are many Visa and Mastercard cards that earn rewards points.

Notable features

CoinJar has several standout features. One of the notable mentions here is the fact that it allows for multi-currency deposits, which means that users can make their deposits in both cryptocurrencies and FIAT currencies, and they can even trade in different pairs of crypto to FIAT money. Furthermore, this is built upon by the mobile trading application, where traders have the opportunity to trade while they are on the move and access all of the features of the exchange on Android and iOS. CoinJar also has a reputation for its reliable customer support, custody and security, and customisable interface and layout.

CoinJar Bundles

CoinJar Bundles are collections of popular digital currencies, which you can purchase as a group. It is a feature aimed at beginners, or traders interested in passive portfolio diversification.

CoinJar Card

CoinJar has a crypto debit card product that can be used to buy goods and services from merchants that accept EFTPOS payments within Australia. Users can also use it to withdraw cash at ATMs.

For every dollar in transaction fees, you’ll earn 100 CoinJar points, which you can use to fund future trades.

A word of warning: being able to spend your crypto is useful, but it also means you can quickly deplete your position and lose out on potential gains for HODLing.

OTC trades

CoinJar supports OTC trades, giving users and institutions the opportunity to make off-exchange, over-the-counter (OTC) trades of AUD 50,000 and above.

Fees

Deposit fees are non-existent except for Blueshyft cash deposits (1.5% fee) and Instant Buy with Visa or Mastercard (2% fee).

There is a 1% conversion fee between digital currency accounts or between digital currency accounts and cash accounts.

In terms of withdrawal fees, a digital currency account to BPAY Biller has a 0.5% fee. There is a dynamic fee structure for sending Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and other cryptocurrencies.

Pros and cons

Alternatives

CoinJar is operates in a highly competitive market, with plenty of alternatives.

• Swyftx. Provides a wallet for its users to store and hold cryptocurrency assets and is Australian-owned and operated.
• Coinbase. Makes it easy for users to be able to buy, store and sell cryptocurrencies and is based in the USA.
• Cointree. Cointree is an Australian-owned cryptocurrency exchange that is fully regulated and safe, founded in 2013.
• eToro. Offers zero-commission cryptocurrency trading, and is fully regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
• Independent Reserve. Australian exchange with a reputation for a high level of security, support, and availability.
• CoinSpot. Trade, buy and sell hundreds of cryptocurrencies. Extremely popular with Australian crypto traders.

Comparisons

Compare what CoinJar offers side-by-side with competitors.

• Binance vs CoinJar
• BTC Markets vs CoinJar
• Coinbase vs CoinJar
• CoinJar vs Coinstash
• CoinJar vs Cointree
• CoinJar vs Easy Crypto
• CoinJar vs Gemini
• CoinJar vs KuCoin
• CoinSpot vs CoinJar
• eToro vs CoinJar
• Independent Reserve vs CoinJar
• Kraken vs CoinJar
• Swyftx vs CoinJar

FAQs

Is there a demo account?

No. CoinJar does not offer a demo account.

Do I need a crypto wallet with CoinJar?

CoinJar provides users with a cryptocurrency wallet on the platform itself. You are not required to have your own wallet prior to signing up.

How do I withdraw crypto from CoinJar?

Sign in to your CoinJar account, find the three dots on the top right corner of the screen, and select the Withdrawal menu there. Once you select the account you would like to withdraw from, you need to select the linked bank account and enter the amount you want to transfer.

Verdict

CoinJar covers the bases, but its range of tradable altcoins is smaller than what’s available on several of its Australian competitors.

For Australians who are new to crypto, CoinJar will get the job done, and being able to use your crypto to spend with the CoinJar Card is an added bonus.