Changelly FAQ

Changelly’s robot is integrated into the largest cryptocurrency trading platforms, including Poloniex and Bittrex. In the span of milliseconds, the robot makes bids and asks on the trading platforms, then selects and suggests the best available rate and displays the estimated rate on our site. The rates remain approximate until the transaction is actually made on the blockchain. The exchange rate at the time of a transaction may differ slightly from the estimated rate that you see when you begin a transaction. To learn more about the process, see this article.

Why should I trust you?

Changelly is a young and promising project created by MinerGate enthusiasts. The service provides safe and fast transactions without revealing users identities. We provide the best possible rates by comparing a wide range of reliable trading platforms and work in over 50 cryptocurrencies listed.

Further reasons to trust Changelly:

No deposit storage and instant money exchange.
Each account protected with 2 factor authentication.
More than 500,000 satisfied users, including such well-known members of the crypto community s as Charlie Shrem.
Over 3mln users attending our site in a month.

Why doesn’t Changelly fix rates?

We don’t fix currency rates and never have because of the volatile nature of cryptocurrency, where the rate of any currency can fluctuate every minute. This is why the final rate may be slightly higher or lower than expected at the end of a transaction.

Keeping the rates fixed would require us to cover market risks and currency volatility, which as a result would make our commission fee much higher. Instead, Changelly charges a quite low commission fee (0.5%) and offers the best available rate at the moment the transaction is completed.

Accounts

Why do I need to enter my email?

Your email is needed to create an account that gives you access to your transaction history, password editing and other account settings. Alternatively, you can create an account one of the social media platforms listed.

What is the 2-factor authentication?

2FA authentication is a method for keeping your account protected. To log in to your Changelly account, you’ll need a second device with Google Authenticator installed.

You may turn the verification off anytime you want.

How do I delete my account?

There is no option to delete an account on Changelly, so you may return anytime you want.

Transactions

What’s the wallet address?

A wallet is a digital place where you store cryptocurrency coins and tokens. A wallet address is a randomly generated combination of digits and letters that is associated with a particular wallet.

Changelly does not provide wallet addresses and never stores user deposits. To exchange cryptocurrencies on Changelly, you need to provide a wallet address where you can receive your exchanged currency.

How do I get a wallet address?

Just figure out, what coin do you want to buy and seek for a stable wallet version. As a rule, each coin has its official wallet client.

Note that each wallet has its unique address or a tag with a private key that is required to restore your wallet if lost. Changelly never asks your private keys. Store them in a safe place and never show anyone. Once private keys are stolen, you wallet with all the coins will be lost forever.

What's the recipient’s address?

There is always a sender and a recipient. The recipient’s address is the wallet address that will receive currency you want buy. For example, if you want to buy Ether (ETH), you should specify an ETH wallet address in the recipient field.

In general, the recipient’s wallet address is a customer's address Changelly will send coins to once a transaction is complete.

What is a hash?

A hash (or tx ID) is the unique address of a transaction in a blockchain that acts as a record or proof that the transaction has taken place. Usually, the hash is a combination of digits and lowercase letters (uppercase in the case of Ripple). Whenever you make a payment in cryptocurrency, you receive a hash displayed in your wallet. It looks like this:

Every hash should be located in a blockchain. If you have any issues with a transaction on our platform, our support team may ask you to provide the hash for the transaction in order to find your payment and resolve the issue.

How do I buy coins?

The buying process is the same for all coins available on Changelly:

Go to changelly.com and select the coin you want to exchange from (you have) on the left and the coin you want to buy (you get) on the right and click the ‘Exchange!’ button.
Double check the amount specified, the amount you’re set to get, and click the ‘Next’ button.
Specify the recipient’s wallet address.
Once again, double check everything carefully. Note that the final amount is estimated, so it may be slightly more or less at the end of your transaction. If everything looks OK, proceed to the next step by clicking ‘Next’.
Now your transaction has been created. You will see a QR code and a wallet address below. This is the address to which you will send us the currency you want to exchange. Go to the wallet where you’re storing the currency you want to exchange and paste this address into the corresponding field. If you use a mobile wallet app, you can just scan the QR code we provide. As soon as we receive your money, we’ll exchange it and send it to the recipient address you provided in step 3.
You can see the status of your transaction in your transaction history. We will notify you as soon as your transaction is completed. Usually a transaction is completed within 5-30 minutes. In some cases, waiting time may be increased because of network delays.
After a transaction is finished, you get a receipt with an output transaction hash This hash is a proof that your transaction is finished.

What is the maximal/minimal amount?

Changelly doesn’t have set amount restrictions. However, there are some cases when a minimum amount applies:

If an amount is very low, make sure that it will cover all network fees network fees required by a blockchain. This means that the amount you are going to send and the amount you are going to receive should be enough to cover input and output network fees taken by a blockchain.

If your funds to be exchanged are insufficient, you will see a message like this.

Please follow the amount recommendations we provide. Otherwise, there is a high risk that your transaction will go through and your money will be lost.

For large amounts, there are no restrictions at all, you’re free to exchange as large a sum as you want. Note that in this case the time of transaction processing will depend on the capacity of the blockchain and the amount of network fees set by your wallet.

Tip: in order to prevent market pump/dump, divide a large amount into smaller ones and wait for a couple of hours between sending them. In this case you will not create an overwhelming ask for a currency you want to buy, so that its final rate will be much profitable.

What are network fees?

Each time any amount of cryptocurrency is sent or exchanged, the currency goes through a blockchain. This process requires a small fee called a ‘network fee’. The network fee is a commission that a blockchain takes from the amount sent in each currency. It is critical to make sure that the amount you want to exchange on Changelly is enough to cover the exchange fees for both the process of sending your original currency and receiving the new currency you want to buy. If the sent amount is too low to cover the fees of the network, the transaction will not go through and your funds will be lost.

Learn about network fees in this article this article

How do I cancel my transaction?

Unfortunately, blockchain transactions are irreversible. Once a transaction is made (money is sent to a particular wallet address), it cannot be rolled back. So, if you are going to exchange cryptocurrency, be sure to double check all payment details carefully before sending.

Why is my final amount different?

All transactions take time to be processed (usually 5-30 minutes). Given the volatility of cryptocurrencies, the exchange rate is subject to change during the processing time, which means the final rate may be slightly different from what you expected. This happens because Changelly doesn’t fix currency rates.

When should I receive my money?

Changelly transactions take 5-30 minutes to be processed. If a transaction is large (worth over 1 BTC), processing may take longer, depending on the size of your transaction and blockchain capacity.

Why is my wallet address recognized as invalid?

Changelly supports most wallets. If your wallet address is recognized as invalid, it is usually for one of the following reasons:

You confused Dash (DASH) with Dashcoin (DSH). These are two different coins with two different values.
You confused Factom (FCT) with Fantomcoin (FCN). Again, these are two different currencies.
There was a typo or character missing in the address you provided. Make sure that the address you specify matches the actual address of your wallet.

Why does my transaction take so long?

As a rule our transactions take 5-30 minutes to be processed. It your transaction takes longer, this could be due to a variety of factors, including:

Blockchain overloaded. There are many transactions waiting to go through, including yours. This issue occurs on the Bitcoin and Bitcoin-based blockchains. Unfortunately, the only thing to do is wait it out. Changelly has no control over a blockchain overload.
Coin updates. We may turn off some coins to update a client. This can take some time. ou will get your money as soon as we turn it back on.
DDoS attacks. Every platform is subject to such attacks. Unfortunately, in this case the only thing to do is wait it out.
You can read a more detailed explanation of each of the above issues in this article: About delays

Why is my transaction still waiting for payment if I've already paid?

There are several reasons this might be happening:

The transaction hasn't been included to a blockchain. Cryptocurrencies aren't stable, so minor errors sometimes occur. If this happens we will either refund you your money or push the payment through if you can provide the hash (a tx ID) of your transaction.
ETC and ETH confusion. The addresses of Ethereum (ETH) and Ethereum Classic (ETC) have the same structure. If you send ETC or ETH, make sure that you've selected the appropriate transaction type on Changelly. For example, if you create an ETH to BTC transaction, make sure that you send ETH, not ETC. Otherwise your transaction will get stuck.
Wrong XEM message. While sending XEM, make sure that you've put the correct message. It's indicated here and looks like a combination of digits and letters. Messages like 'Hey how are you', 'I love Changelly' etc. are lovely but won’t work, unfortunately. :)
Other internal errors. Even our well-made system can lag or experience internal issues. If you think this may be the case, please report it to [email protected]

What does ‘Not yet redeemed?’ mean

In the DASH, DOGE or other Bitcoin based blockchains, you may see the status of your transaction as ‘Not yet redeemed’. It means that your transaction is complete, but it hasn't been used as input for another transaction. In other words, your coins are received, but you haven’t spent it yet. You need to update and sync your wallet in order to see the coins reflected in your wallet.

Can I send coins directly to your wallet without creating a new transaction?

All wallet addresses (including memos, destination tags and messages) provided by Changelly are reusable and tied with your recipient address. You can send another amount of coins to the address generated before multiple times without creating a new transaction on Changelly.this case, your coins sent will be automatically exchanged to the same currency and sent to the same wallet address.

What is hard fork?

Hard fork is a mandatory blockchain update conflicting with the older version. In other words, you cannot use the currency anymore unless you haven’t upgraded the client. The reason of hard fork can be major bug fixing or blockchain improvements. Hard fork should be supported by all members of the crypto community, otherwise it can lead to blockchain replication.

Destination tags, memos and messages

What is a memo?

A memo is a combination of digits and letters required to assign STEEM to a certain Steem wallet user. Memos are used in Steem wallets and indicated right here.

In wallet, a memo should look like this

If you want to buy Steems, make sure that you've specified a correct memo while putting in a wallet address.

Note that if you also have a nickname on steemit.com, you can use as your wallet address and that doesn't require a memo.

What is a destination tag?

A destination tag is a short complementary combination of characters required for certain Ripple wallets. When buying Ripple, make sure that you have specified a destination tag, if required. Likewise, when you send Ripple to us, do not forget to include the destination tag, provided near the address you should send to.

What is a message?

A message is an additional tag required for XEM transactions. Whenever you send or receive XEM, make sure that you input a message. You can find the message in your wallet, it should look like this:

Bank card payments

What currencies does Changelly accept?

Changelly accepts USD and EUR for which you may more than 35 cryptocurrencies.

How do I buy cryptos using a bank card?

The process is quite simple and takes a few minutes.

Go to the home page and select USD or EUR on the left (you have) and the crypto you want to buy on the right.
Carefully check the rate and the amount you are going to receive.
Specify your BTC or other cryptocurrency wallet address.
Once again, check all the payment details, especially the estimated amount you will receive. Go to the next step only if the exchange rate shown is acceptable for you.
Your transaction has been created. At this point you may see requirements and limits on buying. These are applied only for the for first several transactions via bank card. Once you’ve read them, click ‘Pay with Mastercard/Visa’. Card processing is made possible by our partners, Indacoin Limited, headquartered in London.
Now you’ll be offered to enter your bank card data. Remember that your card should support 3D-secure (verification by phone number).
Enter a valid phone number associated with your card.
You should promptly receive a phone call. You’ll hear a digital code to enter.
Now go to your online bank app and find the bank statement with a three-digit code to specify. It should look like this:
If you can’t find the code for some reason, there is an alternative option to record your voice saying ‘Indacoin verification’ and send a picture of yourself and your passport.
Once you’ve entered the code or sent your data, wait while your transaction is processed. Within 5-30 minutes, your transaction will be complete and your will receive your cryptocurrency and transaction receipt.

For detalied guide in pictures, click here.

Can I use bank cards of another region?

You may pay with a 3D-secure card from any country and in any currency. However, transactions will be in either USD or EUR.

Can I pay with PayPal?

At this time Changelly does not accept PayPal.

Can I pay with another currency?

You may pay in any currency that will be converted at the rate of USD or EUR.

Are there any restrictions on bank card payment?

Although you may exchange up to any amount in general, we do have some terms for your first several transactions via bank cards:

USA, Canada and Australia - $50 limit for the first transaction, the next purchase could be made in 4 days (100$ limit), $500 after 7 days of the first buy. No more than 3 payments within the first week. No limits in one month at all.
CIS region (Russia/Ukraine/Belarus/Kazakhstan/Armenia/Georgia) - $200 limit for the first transaction. The next limit increase could be done in 24 hours. The total limit for the first week is $2000 and for the first month is $10000.
EU and other countries - $100 limit for the first transaction, the next purchase could be made in 4 days with 200$ limit. And $500 after 7 days of the first buy. No more than 6 payments within the first week. No limits in one month at all.