Buying XRP in the UK - best methods?

[FlyingFox]

Being from the UK and fairly new to the XRP HODLing game, I thought I'd share my experiences with buying XRP and see if anyone else here has good (and bad?) pathways to share so that others may benefit.

My route initially was in early December, reading about XRP and wanting to invest.  Bitstamp was the first broker I heard about that seemed reasonably well spoken about, so I signed up with an account there and waited a long time (best part of 4 weeks) for verification.

Bitstamp only accept USD or EUR fiat deposits, so I transferred EUR via SEPA from my first direct GBP account (subsidiary of HSBC) to Bitstamp's bank in Slovenia with the details given on Bitstamp when you go to make a "Deposit".  After about 2 days Bitstamp confirmed the deposit and I placed my limit order to buy.  All in all, quite simple and easy.

Whilst first direct don't charge any fees for SEPA transfers, the exchange rate applied for the GBP->EUR SEPA was not the best (not unsurprisingly).  So I went about trying to find the best way of getting max Euros for min GBP, looking at establishing EUR accounts at Irish banks and money transfer services.  Eventually, I found a route to minimise fees and exchange rate issues like this: I established an account at TransferWise (a money transfer service) using their Borderless Account (which gives you virtual bank accounts in your name in GBP, EUR, USD and some others), then did a normal GBP bank transfer to my GBP account at TransferWise.  This arrives pretty much instantly, and can sit there until you want to convert it to EUR; to do this, you simply make the conversion there and then between your Transferwise GBP and EUR accounts, at the spot rate plus small fee (much lower than the bank's artificial exchange rate).  This is instant too, and in theory could now be sent to Bitstamp EUR account as a deposit, if it wasn't for the fact that Transferwise block transfers to Bitstamp (and other exchanges).  So, another step is required to get the EUR out of Transferwise and into Bitstamp...

Enter Fire.com bank account, set up on your iPhone or Android device.  Again, you sign up free for 2 bank accounts in your name (one GBP, one EUR).  Send the EUR from Transferwise (SEPA transfer) to your Fire EUR account.  Wait approx 24 hours for it to arrive, then send it from Fire EUR account to Bitstamp EUR account (SEPA again, another 24 hours), with minimal (a few cents) fee.

TLDR; GBP from UK Bank account --> Transferwise Borderless Account --> Convert to EUR within Transferwise account (small conversion fee at spot exchange rate) --> Send EUR from Transferwise (small fee of pennies) to Fire.com  --> Send EUR from Fire.com (small fee of 0.60EUR) to Bitstamp.

Does anybody have any alternative ways of buying significant XRP with GBP for minimal fees?

 

 

[Wolf]

Download the app 'Revolut'. They allow up to £5K free exchange to EUR and give great exchange rates.

Then follow these steps: (All in all you only end up paying the Binance fee of 0.1% to buy XRP with your GBP!)

 

Your Uk Bank --> Revolut (Convert up to £5K into EUR for free) --> Coinbase --> Gdax (buy ETH in Euros) --> Binance (Convert Eth to Xrp)

[Guest]

yeah wait for revolut -- wont be long now

get on twitter and badger them about it

[DCLXVI]

I'm not sure about minimal fee's but I usually buy litecoin on coinbase as its quicker and cheaper than etherum and bitcoin. I then go onto shapeshift.io to convert my ltc into xrp and have it sent to my ledger nano s. That's how i've always done it and will continue to do it until i can buy XRP right out with FIAT. 

[techpeter]

e toro 

[Guest]

I use etoro (for ease of use and great interface) and binance. I use gdax/coinbase to buy LTC, convert to ETH and then buy XRP with that on Binance

[Geospectrum]

20 hours ago, LamboToTheMoon said:

I use etoro (for ease of use and great interface) and binance. I use gdax/coinbase to buy LTC, convert to ETH and then buy XRP with that on Binance

I buy xrp on Bitstamp with my Gbp debit card 

Edited February 11, 2018 by Geospectrum

[PunishmentOfLuxury]

Has anyone used Fire.com in place of Revolut? Any blocks on withdrawing EUR from Bitstamp/Kraken/etc. to Revolut/Fire?

[coinologist]

XCH4NGE, they're a new platform in the UK. They do fiat to XRP, they are also implementing a new corporate payment system which is a lot safer. I'd recommend you check them out as they have 24/7 live support which is better than a lot of other exchanges I've used.

Edited December 17, 2018 by coinologist

[RippleHerToShreds]

8 hours ago, coinologist said:

XCH4NGE, they're a new platform in the UK. They do fiat to XRP, they are also implementing a new corporate payment system which is a lot safer. I'd recommend you check them out as they have 24/7 which is better than a lot of other exchanges I've used.

I cannot see any details on fees or the exact exchange rates. Being coy about such details is enough for me to pass.

[FlyingFox]

14 minutes ago, RippleHerToShreds said:

I cannot see any details on fees or the exact exchange rates. Being coy about such details is enough for me to pass.

Top-right hand corner: "Help", then "Fees & Limits" :

https://www.xch4nge.com/hub/fees-limits/

[RippleHerToShreds]

3 hours ago, FlyingFox said:

Top-right hand corner: "Help", then "Fees & Limits" :

https://www.xch4nge.com/hub/fees-limits/

Thanks for the link. Nice that there is no fee to buy but what exchange rate do they offer?

[FlyingFox]

9 hours ago, RippleHerToShreds said:

Thanks for the link. Nice that there is no fee to buy but what exchange rate do they offer?

It’s a peer-to-peer service. The sellers set their price at market plus a markup amount. Read the How to Buy and How to Sell pages in same help section I referred you to earlier.

[Lumpy]

On 2/10/2018 at 11:08 AM, FlyingFox said:

TLDR; GBP from UK Bank account --> Transferwise Borderless Account --> Convert to EUR within Transferwise account (small conversion fee at spot exchange rate) --> Send EUR from Transferwise (small fee of pennies) to Fire.com  --> Send EUR from Fire.com (small fee of 0.60EUR) to Bitstamp.

What a painful process.

My point of view is that it's worth it for pretty large amount of money and/or iterative deposits/withdrawals to save cross fiat exchange fees. If it's a one-off with XRP maybe it's not worth the painful process you described.

Otherwise,

Monzo, Revolut, Natwest and Starling have very competitive forex exchange rates + "more or less" crypto friendly when it comes to payments to and from crypto exchanges.

Peace 

 

[tulo]

On 2/10/2018 at 12:43 PM, Wolf said:

Then follow these steps: (All in all you only end up paying the Binance fee of 0.1% to buy XRP with your GBP!)

 

Your Uk Bank --> Revolut (Convert up to £5K into EUR for free) --> Coinbase --> Gdax (buy ETH in Euros) --> Binance (Convert Eth to Xrp)

How is it possible only 0.1%

Revolut is not "free" for sure...they have a spread. And is GDAX free? Is the deposit to revolut free?