Frequently Asked Questions
Before Buying Bitcoins
Head over to Bitcoin.org's "Some things you need to know" to learn more about Bitcoin!
99Bitcoins also has a very informative week-long "crash course" for Beginners—1 email per day, for 7 days, will get you up to speed on what Bitcoin is.
A “wallet” is basically the Bitcoin equivalent of a bank account. It allows you to receive bitcoins, store them, and send them to others. There are various types of Bitcoin wallets.
Here a some wallets that'll work with our service:
Software Wallets
-
Android
- Coinomi (multi-asset wallet)
- Copay (multi-sig wallet)
- Mycelium (works well with hardware wallets)
- Samourai Wallet (supports SegWit)
-
iOS
-
Windows Phone
-
Blackberry
Paper Wallets
No. You can purchase as little as $1 USD worth of bitcoins. You will receive the BTC equivalent of the USD you input, depending on the exchange rate at the time.
Never make a transaction for someone else, without knowing who they are, or what it is for. You could be unknowingly aiding criminal activity, and opening up yourself to criminal prosecution.
Also consider that, if you do not know this person, and you were promised payment, there's no guarantee you'll get paid. And there's nothing you could possibly do about it, if they're anonymous.
Localcoin operates a Bitcoin payment service. Like other network providers, Localcoin is not responsible for your actions on the network.
Furthermore, do not send Bitcoin to anyone threatening you for a ransom, or stating that you owe money to the IRS or FBI. They are scammers. Hang up, and call the police if anyone like this contacts you.
If you've been the the victim of a scam, please visit the FBI Scan & Safety website.
Remember: Bitcoin transactions are irreversible.
Buying Bitcoins from ATMs
- Validate Phone Number — After selecting your cryptocurrency of choice and selecting your desired amount, enter your phone number. A validation code will be sent to the provided phone number. Enter the validation code to verify your phone number.
- Scan QR Code and Purchase Bitcoin — Access your Bitcoin wallet QR code and hold the QR code up to the machine's camera. After scanning your QR code insert your USD bills.
- Receive Your Bitcoins — Once you've confirmed your purchase, your bitcoins will be sent to the address provided.
For more detail, visit https://localcoinatm.com/us/how-to-buy-bitcoin/
We accept American Dollar (USD) notes at all locations.
We accept USD bank notes in the following denominations:
- $1
- $5
- $10
- $20
- $50
- $100
The minimum you can buy is $5 US. The maximum is $9000, per day.
Our bitcoin price is among the most competitive out there. It is based on the market rate, in addition to an exchange fee, much like how a currency exchange sells you fiat money.
After Buying Bitcoins
A digital receipt will be displayed after a successful transaction. Please take a photo of the screen, or input your phone number or email address to have it sent to you.
If you scan the QR code in the receipt with a QR reader app, it will forward you to a record of your transaction, on the Blockchain.
All Localcoin ATM transactions happen immediately, so you should receive your bitcoins right away, provided you sent them to the correct address. If you have confirmed, with 100% certainty, that you sent them to the correct address, you most likely just need to close out of your wallet app, then reopen it.
Some wallets will not show your bitcoins until the transaction has been confirmed on the Blockchain. This usually takes about 10 minutes, depending on the state of the network.
If you are concerned that your bitcoins haven't been sent, you can verify your transactions by going to https://localcoinatm.com/contact/#tab-1 or you can check the status of your transaction by going to Blockchain.info, and searching for it by inputting your wallet's address.
All Bitcoin transactions are irreversible, regardless of where they were done. Only the person to whom you sent them can send them back to you. Therefore, it is impossible for Localcoin ATMs to provide you with any kind of refund.
Bitcoin can detect typos, and will prevent you from sending money to an invalid address by mistake. However, you should always confirm that you have the correct QR code/wallet address before scanning it into the machine.
Also, do not send bitcoins to anyone threatening you for a ransom, or who claims you owe money to the IRS or FBI. They are scammers. Hang up the phone, and call the police if anyone like this contacts you.
There are many companies that accept bitcoins, both online and in brick-and-mortar stores.