SpectroCoin review 2024
SpectroCoin review Summary
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SpectroCoin is a UK-based company founded in 2013 that offers a cryptocurrency brokerage, an online wallet, and the option to get a prepaid card. The brokerage and wallet services are available in over 150 countries, and offer the buying and selling of various fiat currencies and cryptocurrencies. SpectroCoin’s prepaid card is only available in Europe. We’ll take you through all the services offered by the exchange in this review.
What can I do on SpectroCoin?
SpectroCoin operates as currency brokerage platform that is paired with an online wallet. Users can also opt for physical or virtual prepaid Bitcoin cards on a separate basis. These are explained fully explained below, and here’s a quick summary:
- Multi-currency brokerage. SpectroCoin’s brokerage platform allows for the trading different fiat currencies, cryptocurrencies, and even gold.
- Digital currency wallet. All the currencies associated with the brokerage platform can be stored through SpectroCoin’s online wallet.
- SpectroCoin prepaid card. Users who want to spend their bitcoins in shops can get a prepaid card that works exactly as your regular debit card does. These are available as either a physical or virtual prepaid card, which can be loaded with bitcoin.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Cons:
Can I open an account with SpectroCoin?
What cryptocurrencies are supported?
Payment methods
Users can deposit money through a variety of options, including cryptocurrency or even gold. However, fiat currency deposits can only be made in euros. This means that if your bank account or electronic wallet account is denominated in another currency, you may incur additional brokerage fees when making deposits or purchases.
Bank transfer
It allows users to make a deposit with a bank wire transfer. It could take 5 business days for the funds to be deposited onto the account.
Cryptocurrency
Users can deposit any of the supported cryptocurrencies into the wallet address of SpectroCoin, in order to use these cryptocurrencies to transfer into other currencies. Deposits of this nature should usually appear in your wallet within 30 minutes.
Debit/Credit card
Deposits can be made with a regular VISA/MasterCard credit card or debit card. Funds will arrive on your account immediately. However, there is a slightly high (5.5%) additional fee for using this as a deposit option.
Electronic wallet
Electronic wallets work the same way as regular credit or debit card deposits do. However, there is usually a lower associated fee. Users who use GiroPay, Skrill, or Neteller can make deposits, with fees ranging from 2-3%. However, PayPal is not currently accepted, but you can check our list of top Bitcoin brokers that accept Paypal and Ethereum brokers that accept PayPal.
Gold
SpectroCoin does list gold as one of their available deposit methods, but there is currently no option for this available in its deposit menu.
What devices can I use SpectroCoin on?
SpectroCoin can be accessed through any device that can access a web browser. In addition to this, they have their own native mobile app. Therefore, you can use it on the following devices:
- Laptops
- Desktops
- Smartphones (iOS and Android)
- Tablets (iOS and Android)
How easy is it to use SpectroCoin?
Very easy. The SpectroCoin website and mobile app both have an intuitive user interface that is easy for all levels of users to operate. It is easy to navigate between the brokerage and the wallet, or even sign up for a prepaid card. However, users have previously complained about the mobile app being slow at times.
Countries supported
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- American Samoa
- Andorra
- Angola
- Anguilla
- Antarctica
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Bolivia, Plurinational State of
- Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Bouvet Island
- Brazil
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Brunei Darussalam
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Cayman Islands
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Christmas Island
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo
- Congo, the Democratic Republic of the
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- French Polynesia
- French Southern Territories
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Guernsey
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Heard Island and McDonald Islands
- Holy See (Vatican City State)
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jersey
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of
- Korea, Republic of
- Kosovo, Republic of
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lao People’s Democratic Republic
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Martinique
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Micronesia, Federated States of
- Moldova, Republic of
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Montserrat
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Niue
- Norfolk Island
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestine, State of
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Pitcairn
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russian Federation
- Rwanda
- Réunion
- Saint Barthélemy
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Martin (French part)
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- Swaziland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syrian Arab Republic
- Taiwan, Province of China
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania, United Republic of
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tokelau
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- United States Minor Outlying Islands
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
- Viet Nam
- Virgin Islands, British
- Virgin Islands, U.S.
- Wallis and Futuna
- Western Sahara
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Åland Islands
Account verification
Most services on SpectroCoin require account verification. For this, you’ll have to upload an image of a valid government-issued national ID document, passport, or driver’s license. The verification process can take up to 3 working days.
Customer support
SpectroCoin offers 4 options for customer support. They claim that you can expect to have a response from their customer support team within a working day, and in a variety of international languages. However, users have complained about the team being unresponsive at times. Here are the options for contact:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: +44 20 3769 5474
- Social media: SpectroCoin is reachable through Facebook and Twitter
- Ticket request: You can reach them through their contact us page
Brokerage
First impressions
Similarly to other brokers, SpectroCoin’s brokerage is simple to navigate and use. Options for depositing or withdrawing are clear, and the broker fees are clearly stated on transfers. The brokerage supports a variety of cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies, all of which are clearly stated on the site. However, deposits in fiat currency can only be made in euros.
Is SpectroCoin a secure brokerage?
Yes, SpectroCoin is a secure brokerage. There are no reports of an attack on its platform since its founding in 2013. Furthermore, the platform features a Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) capacity, which provides for increased security. The website is also third party encrypted.
Are there fees?
Yes, there are certain fees when depositing and withdrawing money to and from the brokerage. These depend on the payment method you choose to deposit with.
For example, with regular credit or debit cards, there is a surplus fee of 5.5%. However, for SEPA bank transfers, there is no additional fee at all, but users should be wary that deposits can only be made with euros, which might mean that you could incur an excess fee charged by your bank account provider. Electronic wallets deposits have lower fees, ranging between 2-3%.
The withdrawal fees are the exact same as deposit fees. However, withdrawals cannot be made to a credit or debit card.
What are the withdrawal and deposit limits?
There is no limit to the amount of bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies you can deposit or withdraw. However, there are limits concerning fiat currency withdrawals and deposits. These depend on the payment method of withdrawal or deposit.
- For SEPA bank transfers, there are no limits to withdrawals or deposits.
- With credit or debit card, there is a minimum deposit limit of €1, a €1000 daily limit, a €3500 weekly limit, a €6000 monthly limit, and an annual limit of €15000. Withdrawals cannot be made with credit or debit card.
- For electronic wallets, there is only a daily deposit limit of €2000, and a withdrawal limit of €10000.
Summary of SpectroCoin’s brokerage
SpectroCoin is a solid broker for anyone looking for a simple and easy way to exchange cryptocurrencies – such as bitcoin and ether – and fiat currency. However, it is a bit limited in that it only accepts euros as a deposit currency for credit card, debit card, and bank transfers. Furthermore, their deposit fees are slightly high relative to the rest of the market.
Wallet
First impressions
SpectroCoin’s online wallet is easy to use, fast, and responsive. It offers storage for multiple cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, NEM, Dash, Ethereum, and Bankera. It is also accessible through a dedicated mobile app.
The API of the wallet is also available to the public, and access to the wallet is guaranteed through Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). They also claim to keep their digital currency funds in cold storage, meaning all cryptocurrency funds are kept secure offline.
What are the security features?
One of the security features that make the SpectroCoin wallet stand out is their claim that 99% of customer funds are stored offline and therefore out of reach of hackers. It also offers Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), ensuring that the funds on your wallet can only be accessed by you.
However, although there are no reports about security vulnerabilities of SpectroCoin’s wallets, it’s always a good idea to withdraw your digital currencies to a more secure place, such as a hardware wallet, after trading using the SpectroCoin brokerage for maximum security.
Are there fees?
Yes, there are small fees for moving cryptocurrency out of your SpectroCoin wallet. Currently the only precise fees listed on the platform are for the movement of bitcoin.
It charges a 0.0003 BTC fee for transferring your bitcoins to another Bitcoin wallet. Additionally, you will incur a standard blockchain network fee – usually under £2 worth of BTC – for Bitcoin transfers between wallets wallets. This is used to pay the miners who verify transactions on the blockchain.
On the other hand, sending bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to other SpectroCoin wallets is free.
What are the deposit and withdrawal limits?
There are no associated limits with the wallet or cryptocurrency transactions, although it would be worth referring to the deposit and withdrawal limits on the brokerage platform, as it outlines fiat currency deposit and withdrawal limits.
Summary of wallet
SpectroCoin’s blockchain wallet offers the expected level of security, convenience, and financial flexibility thanks to its integration with the exchange platform. Although it only supports a few cryptocurrencies, it offers increased security compared to other brokers, as 99% of funds on SpectroCoin’s wallets are reportedly stored offline, meaning better security than the average brokerage or wallet provider.
However, if you intend to use the funds in your wallet for storage purposes, and not trading, it is still recommended that you transfer your coins to a more secure wallet, such as a hardware wallet.
SpectroCoin Card
First impressions
The prepaid card offers users the capacity to spend cryptocurrencies in physical and online locations, depending on whether you opt for the physical or virtual card. The physical card comes denominated in dollars, while the virtual card comes denominated in euros. The latter card only entitles you to make online purchases, whilst the former allows for both, and allows you to make ATM withdrawals.
One point to note about the SpectroCoin prepaid card is that it converts at the point of loading, rather than at the point of sale. This means that as soon as you transfer bitcoin onto the card, it will be exchanged for dollars or euros which are held on the card and spent, rather than holding bitcoin and exchanging them when you spend with the card.
Can I manage my card through an app?
Yes and no. You cannot use the mobile app to make payments or conduct transactions, but you can top up or load your card through the mobile app. This can be done through exchanging other currencies (fiat or crypto) into your card’s denominated currency wallet on the SpectroCoin app.
Can I use SpectroCoin’s card abroad?
Yes, you can use the SpectroCoin prepaid card abroad to conduct payments or just to use at an ATM. However, the SpectroCoin card can only be denominated in euros or dollars, so you’ll face currency exchange fees. For foreign currency transactions, an additional 3% fee is also incurred.
Are there fees for using my card?
Yes. Using the SpectroCoin prepaid card comes with the following fees:
- Card Price. €9 for the virtual card, $50 for the physical card.
- Monthly service charge fee. €/$1.00 per month depending on card denomination.
- Card load fee. 1% additional fee.
- Currency exchange fee. 3% additional fee on all foreign currency transactions.
- Domestic ATM withdrawal fee. $2.50, as this feature is only available to the physical card.
- Online transaction fee. €/$0.25 per transaction.
Are there deposit and withdrawal limits?
Yes, the SpectroCoin prepaid card comes with certain limits. The limits are categorised based on account verification levels. Here are the limits for unverified and verified accounts, which apply to both the virtual and physical cards:
Unverified
- Maximum daily top-ups: 2
- Maximum top-up amount: €/$250 depending on the card denomination.
- Minimum top-up amount: €/$10 depending on the card denomination.
- Maximum card balance: €/$2,500 depending on the card denomination.
- ATM withdrawal limit: $1,500, as this only applies to USD denominated cards.
Verified
- Maximum daily top-ups: 2
- Maximum top-up amount: €4000 or $5000 depending on the card denomination.
- Minimum top-up amount: €/$10 depending on the card denomination.
- Maximum card balance: None.
- ATM withdrawal limit: $1,500, as this only applies to USD denominated cards.
Can I connect my SpectroCoin card to my mobile wallet?
No, you cannot. SpectroCoin cards do not allow for contactless options.
Summary of card
The SpectroCoin prepaid card offers a great way to spend your cryptocurrency in shops and online. The fact that it converts at the point of loading means you’ll have to look for other options (such as bitcoin debit cards) if you want to find a card that actually holds bitcoin, but if this isn’t an issue for you then a SpectroCoin card is a good option.
Another point to note is that the fees for a prepaid card are a little higher than some of the other crypto cards on the market. However, if you’re already using SpectroCoin’s brokerage and wallet services, it’s very easy to start using the card as well.
Spectrocoin extra features
SpectroCoin’s Merchant Tool
SpectroCoin also offers businesses and shop owners a merchant tool that enables them to accept Bitcoin, XEM, and Dash as payment for goods and services. It’s merchant tools comprise of e-commerce plugins and APIs that can be integrated to allow customers to spend cryptocurrency directly.
The way it works is you submit your invoice to the customer and in return, they get to pay the cryptocurrency invoices by scanning a QR code. To prevent the risk of volatility, it converts payments made in digital currency to euros as soon as the transaction is complete. The payments (now in fiat currency) are then directed to the bank account of your business.
Conclusion
SpectroCoin has successfully managed to combine an online wallet and brokerage service into one platform, which can also be further attached to a virtual or physical prepaid card, if the user so chooses. They also provide a useful merchant tool for businesses to adopt cryptocurrency payment solutions. This means that the platform can cover most of your cryptocurrency needs in one space (although with a limited number of coins).
However, customers should have a look at the high fees that might be present when using the prepaid card or when depositing into the brokerage/wallet with a credit or debit card. There are cheaper options out there, but SpectroCoin does offer a convenient service.
How to set up an account with SpectroCoin
Decided to register a SpectroCoin account? Great, here’s how it’s done:
- Sign up for an account with your email address and a password.
- Once you have registered for an account, you will receive an account activation link via email. Click on this, and you will be redirected to the login page to the account.
- The next step will be account verification. Simply go to your dashboard and click on the settings icon on your profile to select a personal account or a company account depending on your preference.
- Then, submit a scan of your national ID document, passport, or valid driving license. You will also be required to give proof of address document in the forms of a scanned utility bill. This might take a few days, so move to the next step.
- The next step will involve setting up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account.
- After successfully setting up 2FA and verifying your account, you can go ahead and use the full extent of features on the SpectroCoin website and start buying, selling, and spending crypto!
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