How to Buy Bitcoin with USD (for Total Beginners)

If you live in the US, the easiest way to buy Bitcoin is through a website called Coinbase.


Overview

  1. Sign up for Coinbase.
  2. Connect your bank account or credit card.
  3. Purchase Bitcoin.

Step by Step

1. Sign up for Coinbase
  • Go to Coinbase and sign up.
    Coinbase-sign-up
  • You will need to verify your email, phone number, and identity.
2. Connect your bank account or credit card
  • Bank account:
    • Fees are less.
    • Bitcoin available in 4–5 days[1].
  • Credit card:
    • Fees are more.
    • Bitcoin usually available instantly.
3. Purchase Bitcoin
  • Go to Coinbase.com/buy.
  • Choose your payment method, and enter how much you want to buy (in the box circled below).

Buy-Screen-annotated

  • Click Buy Bitcoin.

Best of luck in all of your cryptocurrency pursuits!


  1. Although bank account purchases take 4-5 days, you pay the current Bitcoin price (regardless of the price in 4-5 days). ↩︎