Coinbase now lets crypto buyers use Apple Pay - and they can cash out up to $100,000 at a time
- Coinbase is allowing US customers to buy cryptocurrencies using Apple Pay.
- Google Pay services will be integrated on the crypto exchange later this year.
- People can make instant withdrawals of up to $100,000 per transaction at any time of day.
Crypto exchange Coinbase has started allowing US customers to buy cryptocurrencies using Apple Pay, with Google's payment service to follow soon.
People with a Visa or Mastercard debit card linked to their Apple wallet will be able to use the digital payments system for purchases on the platform, the company said in a blog post Thursday. Google Pay will be integrated into the system in the fall.
At the same time, Coinbase introduced a service to allow instant withdrawals of up to $100,000 per transaction at any time of day, with no limit on the number of cash-outs.
The crypto exchange said it is the first to offer instant cash-outs via Real Time Payments, a clearing network focused on digital services that promises immediate settlement of transactions.
Until now, many Coinbase customers used the automated clearing-house system ordinarily used by banks and other financial institutions, it said. That network processes transactions much slower and can take up to five days to settle.
Gemini, the New York-based crypto exchange owned by the billionaire Winklevoss twins, made a similar move in April, a sign of appetite for a variety of payment methods to access crypto.
Apple Pay is the top mobile-payment service in the US, counting about 44 million users in 2021, according to data from analyst firm eMarketer. Starbucks, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay are close competitors.
Coinbase was the first major crypto exchange to go public with its Nasdaq direct listing on April 14 this year. Its stock market debut was viewed as a significant milestone for the crypto economy from the point of view of mainstream adoption and government regulation.