Exchange-Specific Playbooks
No fixed price exists. The live order preview decides.
What the example shows
Hypothetical example — not a live quote from any exchange
Result: $96.76 benchmark-equivalent BTC reaching the wallet
$100.00 total cash outlay − $2.00 explicit buy fee − $0.74 estimated spread cost − $0.50 Bitcoin withdrawal fee value
Do not subtract the spread twice. The BTC amount in a buy preview already reflects the quoted price and its spread, so the $0.74 is only a diagnostic. The exact formula is: BTC shown in the buy preview − BTC withdrawal fee shown at send confirmation = BTC reaching the wallet. Price movement and tax are excluded.
Decide first which number is $100. If $100 is the total leaving your bank, the fee comes out of it and less than $100 is converted. If $100 is the buy amount, the fee is added on top and more than $100 leaves your bank.
The example uses the first reading: $100.00 out, $98.00 converted after a hypothetical $2.00 fee.
The live order preview is the only place the real numbers exist. Write them down before you confirm.
If the BTC stays on the exchange, no withdrawal fee applies and the stack is the fee plus the spread. If you send it to your own wallet, use the exact formula: BTC shown in the buy preview − BTC withdrawal fee shown at send confirmation = BTC reaching the wallet.
A network fee usually does not shrink with the order, so it takes a larger share of $100 than of a bigger purchase. ACH-funded balances can also be tradable before they are sendable. Coinbase shows an account-specific available-to-send time before you confirm, and Kraken documents a seven-day withdrawal hold on the amount funded by Plaid ACH.
Coinbase's fee disclosure says simple buys charge a variable Coinbase fee and include a spread, both shown in the preview, while Coinbase Advanced uses the order book and does not include a spread. That is a difference in how the price is formed, not a promise that one is cheaper for your order.
Kraken says Instant Buy can include a trading fee, a possible payment fee, and a variable spread. Its Plaid ACH adds no extra processing fee, but the ordinary Instant Buy and transfer fees remain.
ACH is worth considering if you are an eligible US customer with a bank account in your own name, you can wait out a hold before withdrawing, and you will read the preview before confirming.
It is a poor fit if you need the BTC in your own wallet immediately, the bank account is not in your name, or your state or account does not show the option.
Next step
Next stepThis page covers the arithmetic only. The US Bitcoin bank route covers who is eligible, the state limits, signup, ACH funding, the purchase, the hold, the withdrawal, and a backup exchange.
Coinbase: pricing and fees disclosures
Checked 2026-10-14. Simple buys charge a variable Coinbase fee and include a spread, both shown in the preview. Coinbase Advanced uses the order book and does not include a spread. Outgoing crypto transfers charge an estimated network fee.
Coinbase: using a bank account as a payment method for US customers
Checked 2026-10-14. ACH is a US method, the bank account must be in the same name, and Coinbase shows the available-to-send or cash-out timing before confirmation.
Coinbase: understand your available balance
Checked 2026-10-14. ACH-funded cash or crypto may be tradable but not sendable until an account-specific hold clears.
Kraken: Plaid ACH for Instant Buy using USD
Checked 2026-10-14. Requires a verified US account and a supported US bank in the same name. No extra Plaid ACH processing fee; ordinary Instant Buy and transfer fees remain. Seven-day withdrawal hold on the funded amount.
Kraken: overview of fees on Kraken
Checked 2026-10-14. Instant Buy can include a trading fee, a possible payment fee, and a variable spread. Exact costs require the preview.
There is no fixed figure. The cost is the explicit buy fee, the spread built into the quoted price, and a withdrawal fee if you send the BTC out. All three appear only in your live order preview and send confirmation. The $96.76 on this page is a hypothetical example, not a quote.
No. The quoted BTC amount already reflects the quoted price and its spread. Subtract only the BTC withdrawal fee shown at send confirmation to get the BTC reaching your wallet.
Kraken says Plaid ACH adds no extra processing fee for Instant Buy, but its ordinary Instant Buy and transfer fees still apply. On any exchange, read the preview instead of treating the funding method as the whole cost.
Do not assume so. Coinbase shows an account-specific available-to-send time before you confirm, and Kraken documents a seven-day withdrawal hold on the amount funded by Plaid ACH.
This page explains the cost arithmetic for a small ACH purchase. The route page is the operational checklist: eligibility and state limits, signup, funding, the purchase, the hold, the withdrawal, and a backup exchange.