How To Buy Bitcoin with ACH in the USA

If you have been paying attention, you might have an idea of what Bitcoin is. It seems no day goes without the cryptocurrency making headlines in some way or another. And the truth is that is not without reason.

Cryptocurrencies have opened the doors to millions of people around the world to a new form of generating wealth. This has made crypto a recurrent topic in the personal finance world as it has become one of the greatest opportunities when it comes to investing.

All that is required is an internet connection and a smart device.

The growing popularity means that more people are looking to jump at the opportunity. Platforms like Paypal, Skrill, Venmo, and more have allowed their users to buy crypto straight from their apps.

However, as you are reading this article now, you might be wondering if it is possible to buy Bitcoin with ACH… Well, it is!

If you were not asking yourself that but just wondering what Bitcoin or ACH is, we also got you covered. Let’s take a look at what these are and why you should buy Bitcoin with ACH.

What is Bitcoin And Why Should You Care?

Bitcoin is the cryptocurrency to rule them all, at least for the near future. As the crypto that gave birth to the decentralized currency movement, it is also the most popular. It is unknown who created Bitcoin as only a pseudonym was ever used by its creator: Satoshi Nakamoto.

Bitcoin was designed as an alternative to traditional money, also known as fiat currency. The US Dollar, Euro, British Pound, and Yen, are all examples of fiat currencies.

The most popular token in the world differs from fiat money by being entirely digital and not depending on a country to hold its value. This is possible due to the use of peer-to-peer technology known as blockchain, which eliminates the need for intermediaries.

This decentralized nature also means that there is a high degree of transparency and safety. After all, anyone can review all of the transactions and facilitate their settlement, earning rewards in the process. This process is known as mining, the process by which Bitcoin is created.

Over the past year, Bitcoin’s popularity has increased exponentially, resulting in it gaining more than 300% in value. This increase in value is also the result of Bitcoin’s high volatility, so you should be aware that there are risks when investing in crypto.

Investing in crypto is similar to investing in Stocks of Foreign Currency. You acquire the desired/stock currency hoping to buy it at a lower price than it will be in the future. However, the means by which you acquire crypto differ.

In addition to this, there are other ways you can take advantage of crypto to improve your finances. You can actually read all about it by checking out this article: Why Crypto Personal Finance Is The Latest Craze. One important rule to keep in mind with any type of investment is to do your research. 

What is ACH And Why Should You Use It?

ACH stands for “Automated Clearing House” and is also referred to as ACH network or ACH scheme. It is a network used by banks in the United States to move money between accounts.

As the ACH network is exclusive to the United States, it can’t be used in any other country or continent.

Ran by Nacha, or National Automated Clearing House Association, it is one of the most popular computer-based electronic networks. It allows the settlement of transactions without the need for card networks like Visa, Mastercard, or Amex.

There are several everyday applications that make use of the ACH network without you knowing: receiving your salary, paying a bill online using home banking, or transferring money to someone else’s account. This results in the network being used by tens of millions of Americans every day.

When paying using the ACH network, there are 2 ways to do it. You can either make a direct deposit or a direct payment. However, if you are not a business or part of the government, you can only perform direct payments.

ACH payments can take a long time to process (up to 3 working days). This means they are not that convenient if you are in a hurry…

However, if you are planning on setting recurring payments, they offer a lot of advantages such as low cost and ease of accessibility. Let’s see now how you buy Bitcoin with ACH!

How To Buy Bitcoin With ACH?

To buy Bitcoin with ACH, you will need to make use of a platform that accepts ACH bank transfers. This means said platform is likely to have certain requirements to let you operate on them.

The easiest way to acquire Bitcoin using an ACH payment is using crypto exchanges. This will allow you to easily purchase Bitcoin, trade it, and sell it depending on your needs.

As such, you are likely to be required to complete a Know-Your-Customer and Anti-Money-Laundering process. Worry not, these processes only require you to provide some personal information you should have readily available.

However, if you are one of the people who are looking for privacy when buying Bitcoin, ACH might not be right for you.

Enough chit-chat, let’s jump straight to the topic of how you can buy Bitcoin with ACH in the United States of A!

Step 1: Get a Crypto Wallet

Getting a crypto wallet is essential when investing in crypto, as it will be where your new coins are stored. Unlike physical wallets, you can think of a crypto wallet as a bank account of sorts for your crypto… Or better yet, a digital wallet like Paypal or Skrill.

While your crypto exchange account will come with a crypto wallet for you, there are many reasons to get another one.

The main one is that exchange crypto wallets are highly attractive to hackers. Another reason is that issues might arise with the exchange itself. As they say: “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go astray.”

Crypto wallets come in various forms: hardware, mobile, and web wallets. While hardware wallets offer the highest security, they can be expensive (~$70). This makes it more popular among power users or those investing large sums of money.

For this reason, mobile and web wallets are good options for beginners due to their non-existing price and ease of use.

Here are some of our favourite wallets:

Wallet Name	Type of Wallet	URL
Ledger	Hardware Wallet	https://www.ledger.com/
Trezor	Hardware Wallet	https://trezor.io/
Exodus	Software Wallet	https://www.exodus.com
MyCelium	Software Wallet	https://wallet.mycelium.com/
Trust Wallet	Software Wallet	https://trustwallet.com/

Once you have chosen one, after doing your research, make sure to take note of the passphrase and store it somewhere safe. Forgetting it or letting someone see it might result in you losing your crypto!

Step 2: Create A Crypto Exchange Account

Now that you have a safe place for your Bitcoin, you need to buy it. For this purpose, I recommend creating an account in a well-known cryptocurrency exchange. The most popular exchanges to buy Bitcoin with ACH are Coinbase, Binance, and Gemini. All of them are trustworthy and have advantages. 

Creating an account will be as easy as creating an email or social media account. Just provide the required information, verify your account, and you are good to go.

However, you should make sure that the exchange you chose does indeed operate in your state. Local regulations will affect which exchanges can operate in your area. You don’t want to create an account just to find out you can’t use it!

Step 3: Add Funds Using ACH

Now that you have created an account, you are ready to add funds. While the process will vary depending on the exchange, most of them will be pretty similar.

Once you have logged into your account, look for the “Deposit” option. If it is not immediately available, you might find it in a menu under “Trade” (in the case of Coinbase) or “Wallet” (Binance). Make sure to choose USD as the deposit coin and enter the amount you want to deposit.

You will be given the option to use a bank account to add funds. If you have not yet added a bank account (which is probably the case), you will be given the option to add it. Follow the instructions to add the account and verify it.

Once the bank account is added and verified, the deposit will be completed.

The time it will take the funds to be reflected in your balance will vary depending on the settlement’s time. Unfortunately, patience is key when using ACH as a payment method (although it also results in higher security).

Step 4: Buy Bitcoin

You have the funds to buy Bitcoin now! Just locate the “Buy Crypto” option (or similar) and click on it. Now it’s time to select your current balance as the payment method and enter how much you want to spend in Bitcoin.

Make sure to review the transaction before confirming it! Once you have done so, the Bitcoin will be added to your exchange’s wallet and be available for you to withdraw/trade/sell.

Step 5: Transfer To Your Personal Crypto Wallet

As I mentioned before, keeping your hard-earned Bitcoin in the exchange wallet is not the wisest decision. As such, you will want to withdraw your crypto to have it transferred to the wallet you got in step 1.

To do this, go to your wallet and select the “Receive” or “Deposit” option, then select the “Bitcoin” option. These steps can be in the opposite order depending on your wallet, so keep that in mind.

You will now see an “address”, which is the ID that identifies your wallet to receive and send Bitcoin. It should be something like “1BvBMSEYstWetqTFn5Au4m4GFg7xJaNVN2D3K”. Copy it (the address in your wallet, not the example) and then go back to the exchange.

Once in the exchange look for the “send” or “withdraw” option. If not immediately available, you will find it by going to your “spot wallet” first (in the case of Binance).

Now, you will need to paste the address you copied earlier in the “address” field, choose the “Bitcoin” network if asked for one, and then enter the amount of Bitcoin you want to transfer.

Review the information and confirm the withdrawal. Once the network confirms the transaction, you’ll see the funds in your crypto wallet. Congratulations, you have now purchased Bitcoin and stored it in a safe place!

Conclusion

Buying Bitcoin (or any Cryptocurrency for that matter) might seem like a complicated process at first. However, it becomes second nature as you continue your journey in the crypto world… Which might never end.

When investing in crypto, researching and learning new stuff is fundamental. As the space is constantly expanding, there are always new investment opportunities you can take advantage of.

Here at TurboWallet, we will always keep an eye for good and easy ways to improve your finances using crypto… So make sure to keep an eye for new articles and review the old ones, you might find them helpful!

Sources

https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/bitcoin

https://gocardless.com/en-us/guides/ach/what-is-an-ach-payment

https://www.kraken.com/en-us/learn/what-is-bitcoin-btc

https://www.investopedia.com/best-bitcoin-wallets-5070283

https://www.nacha.org/content/what-is-ach