ChangeNOW Review

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Bottom line:

ChangeNOW is a simple-to-use exchange that enables users to purchase crypto without creating an account or verifying their identity. While this could appeal to privacy-focused investors, the high fees for purchases and swaps limit the platform's usability, especially when combined with its lack of charts or analysis tools.

How We Rated ChangeNOW

Category	Hedge With Crypto Rating
Features	3 / 5
Supported Fiat Currencies and Deposit Methods	4 / 5
Supported Cryptocurrencies and Trading Pairs	4.5 / 5
Fees	3 / 5
Ease of Use	4 / 5
Customer Support	4.5 / 5
Security Measures	4 / 5
Mobile App	4.2 / 5

Pros Explained

• Simple to Use—One of ChangeNOW's main advantages is its simplicity. The order interface requires minimal operating knowledge, making the platform suitable for new investors.
• Good Range of Assets – Although ChangeNOW doesn't offer traditional trading, the company lets users purchase a massive selection of altcoins, which could be useful to those looking to build a diverse portfolio.
• Non-Custodial—ChangeNOW is non-custodial, so it's a great option for privacy-focused investors looking for a place to buy or swap crypto without giving away their details.

Cons Explained

• High Fees—ChangeNOW's third-party partners determine its fees. However, purchase costs varied widely, with some reaching double digits. While its prices were sometimes comparable to Binance's, the large disparity between providers will likely confuse customers.
• Some Bugs—During our testing, we encountered a few bugs centered around logging into ChangeNOW and accessing NOW products. While these issues didn't impact usability too heavily, they could be enough to dissuade customers looking for a refined exchange from using the platform.

ChangeNOW At A Glance

Founded in 2015, ChangeNOW is a non-custodial crypto exchange based in Seychelles. The platform reportedly boasts around 3.5 million customers worldwide but remains unregulated.

Exchange Name	ChangeNOW
Features	Crypto Swaps, Fiat-to-Crypto Gateway, Crypto Loans, Crypto Wallet, Propriety Token
Accepted Fiat Currencies	USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, +45 Others
Deposit Methods	Credit/Debit Card, Crypto, Bank Transfer
Supported Cryptocurrencies	1026
Number of Trading Pairs	N/A
Trading Fee	Variable
Customer Support	Help Center, Ticket System, Live Chat
Security Measures	Non-Custodial, Risk Prevention System, 2FA
Mobile App	Yes (Android and IOS)

Top ChangeNOW Features Reviewed

ChangeNOW Swaps

One of ChangeNOW's main features is its beginner-friendly platform for swapping crypto assets. ChangeNOW is a non-custodial platform, so you can use the service without creating an account or completing any identity verification. As such, investing in crypto in as little time as possible is a great way.

In contrast to popular cryptocurrency exchanges we've reviewed like Binance or Bybit, ChangeNOW boasts a simple interface that near-instantly displays the exchange rates between your chosen assets. That said, the company charges a spread fee, which is not displayed; you have to work it out for yourself, which could lead beginners to think they're getting a better deal than they are.

Outside of the spread fee, you must also cover network fees for sending your assets to be swapped. Therefore, it's worth checking current network congestion before swapping crypto, particularly on higher-fee networks like Ethereum. That said, ChangeNOW premium customers can earn cashback on every exchange, reducing the cost of trading on the platform.

ChangeNOW utilizes a floating rate that can change based on market volatility. However, if the rate increases by over 3 percent, the transaction will be halted, and you can accept the new rate or request a refund. You can also select fixed-rate swaps, which lock in a rate at the expense of higher fees, which could be useful when investing at a certain price point.

Because ChangeNOW is non-custodial, the time it takes for a transaction to be processed will vary based on the assets swapped. To ensure the transaction goes through correctly, you need to find a cryptocurrency wallet that supports the tokens you wish to acquire. Otherwise, your assets could be lost.

Overall, the exchange service on ChangeNOW is intuitive to use and clearly shows most key information, making it a valuable tool for anyone looking to quickly swap assets without signing up for a trading platform.

Buy Crypto with Credit and Debit Cards

In addition to offering crypto exchanges, ChangeNOW lets you buy crypto with credit/debit cards or bank transfers. However, it's vital to understand that ChangeNOW does not fulfill these transactions itself. Instead, it pairs customers with one of its third-party partners, which include Simplex, Guardarian, and Transak.

Although ChangeNOW supports a wide range of fiat currencies, including USD, GBP, CAD, AUD, and EUR, the currencies supported can change based on the payment method and purchase amount. Hence, double-checking if your preferred currency is available before commuting to ChangeNOW.

Crypto Loans

ChangeNOW offers a crypto lending platform, allowing users to deposit cryptocurrencies and borrow stablecoins against those holdings. For example, users can deposit BTC and borrow USDT or USDC. ChangeNOW features a fixed Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio of 50%, which is on par with Nexo but significantly lower than Bybit at 75%.

Although ChangeNOW states that it charges a 10% Annual Percentage Rate (APR), we found loans priced at 12% APR at the time of our research. For a similar loan, Bybit charges a much lower 8.17% APR, providing far greater value to anyone looking for a crypto-backed loan.

However, the main benefit of ChangeNOW's crypto loans is their flexibility. Loan terms are not fixed, and there are no monthly interest payments; you pay all the interest when closing the loan. This level of flexibility is uncommon on most crypto loan platforms and could award ChangeNOW the edge if you prefer to avoid getting locked into contracts.

NOW Wallet

In addition to its investing-centric features, ChangeNOW offers a stand-alone non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet available on mobile, MacOS, Windows, and Linux. Not many wallets support almost every mainstream operating system, so the NOW Wallet could be a great pick if you use several different devices.

NOW Wallet supports seven blockchains, including Ethereum, Avalanche C-chain, Optimism, Fantom, and Polygon. Furthermore, although the wallet only supports around 40 assets natively, you can add any token that exists on a supported network, bringing the total number of storable assets to the thousands.

Additionally, for those who frequently utilize Web 3.0, NOW Wallet can connect to decentralized applications (dApps) via WalletConnect, similar to MetaMask. With the prevalence of dApps growing and NOW Wallet supporting most major blockchains, the storage solution is worth considering as an alternative to other popular non-custodial wallets like Atomic Wallet.

NOW Token

ChangeNOW's native ERC-20 and BEP-20 token NOW offer several benefits to exchange users. Cashback rewards for ChangeNOW Premium users are distributed in NOW, and holders can stake the asset to earn up to 12.5% ROI yearly, making it appealing to those looking to boost their crypto holdings passively.

In addition to its use as a staking asset, people value the NOW token as an investment due to its deflationary mechanics. The ChangeNOW team organizes a monthly token burn, bringing the circulating supply down to 83,573,356 tokens from a total supply of 199,763,510. In theory, regular burns should help boost the remaining tokens' price, awarding value to investors.

ChangeNOW Account and Verification Requirements

In contrast to most exchanges, you do not have to create or verify an account to begin trading digital assets on ChangeNOW. However, to access the Premium Lounge and associated features, which include NOWPayments and ChangeNOW Pro, you must complete the account creation process by providing and confirming an email address/password.

Although ChangeNOW can be used without KYC for features like the token swap service, some of ChangeNOW's third-party fiat-to-crypto partners, including Guardarian and Simplex, require users to verify their ID by providing a photo ID and a few personal details when transacting.

Supported Fiat Currencies and Deposit Methods

ChangeNOW does not support fiat deposits or withdrawals, which may be a limitation if you're looking for a dedicated fiat-to-crypto exchange. However, you can exchange buy crypto with fiat currencies by utilizing the third-party gateways on the platform, Simplex, Transak, or Guardian, which support 50+ fiat currencies, including GBP, USD, EUR, and AUD.

Unfortunately, the fees are high, with some transactions costing up to 7%. Therefore, ChangeNOW is best suited to crypto-to-crypto swaps only. For those who want to trade crypto with fiat, a better option is to find a fiat-to-crypto exchange or even a popular P2P platform with better payment methods and lower fees.

Supported Cryptocurrencies and Trading Pairs

One of the biggest advantages of ChangeNOW is its vast selection of cryptocurrencies. You can purchase 1026 unique crypto assets using fiat currency, substantially higher than dedicated exchanges we've looked at like BitFinex or Gemini, which boast 189 and 150, respectively. On top of ChangeNOW offering a wide selection of assets that can be purchased directly, you can swap any supported cryptocurrencies for another. This will appeal to investors looking to quickly exchange their assets without sending them to a traditional exchange.

ChangeNOW Fees

Trading fees

Although ChangeNOW states it charges ‘no extra fees' to perform instant coin swaps, there is a small spread fee to be aware of. During testing for our ChangeNOW review, we found this fee to range from approximately 1.57% to 2.95% based on a swap of around $250. However, on larger orders of roughly $2,500, this figure drops to a reasonably consistent 1.20% to 1.25%.

In addition to its fees for instant exchanges, ChangeNOW also charges fees for users wishing to buy crypto with a credit/debit card or bank transfer. During our research, we found this fee to range from around 3.95% to 11.5% on a $250 order, depending on the provider. Again, larger orders are more cost-effective, with fees on a $2500 purchase between 2.30% and 9.88%.

ChangeNOW fees compared

Although ChangeNOW provides a convenient service, the disparity between fees is abnormally large and could be problematic if you rush to complete a purchase. Its low-end debit/credit card fees (offered by Guardian) are reasonable compared to exchanges like Binance or Bybit, which range from around 3.68% to 4.68%.

Exchange Name	Trading Fees
Binance	0.1%
ByBit	0.1%
KuCoin	0.1%
ChangeNOW	1.2% to 2.95%

Deposit and withdrawal fees

ChangeNOW is a non-custodial service, so no fees are associated with deposits or withdrawals. However, sending crypto to ChangeNOW to swap or receiving crypto after completing a purchase will incur a network fee that varies based on asset and current network congestion.

Ease of Use

ChangeNOW is aimed primarily toward beginners looking for an easy way to buy or swap crypto assets. The crypto platform enables users to trade without registering or completing verification, which is ideal if you're looking for a no-KYC exchange. However, there are a few things to be aware of before using ChangeNOW.

Although the platform's core features (swapping and buying crypto) worked well, we were plagued with bugs when attempting to log in or access other NOW products. During testing for our ChangeNOW review, the site would frequently freeze, leaving us unable to access dropdown menus, significantly hindering ease of navigation.

Despite the issues we experienced with ChangeNOW freezing up, the user interface remains straightforward and suitable for beginners. Although there are no analysis tools or crypto charts, the interface for swapping or purchasing couldn't be simpler. You only have to enter your recipient address and input how much you want to spend, making it highly accessible.

It's a shame that ChangeNOW doesn't offer any charting or analysis tools, as it renders the service suitable only for basic transactions. If you're looking for advanced charting tools or different order types, we recommend checking out a well-known trading platform we've reviewed like Kraken, Bybit, or KuCoin.

ChangeNOW Mobile App

ChangeNOW has a mobile app available for both Android and iOS. While reviewing ChangeNOW, the app was rated 4.8/5 on the App Store based on nearly 1,200 reviews, indicating that most users find the app to perform well and meet their expectations. People who left comments about the app commonly praised its speed and non-custodial nature.

While testing the ChangeNOW app, we noted that while the platform's core swapping and buying functionality is available on mobile, additional NOW products, like crypto loans, can only be accessed on the web platform. This could be problematic if you're looking for an all-in-one crypto app.

Thanks to the bottom menu, we found the app to be highly responsive and easy to navigate. The interface is straightforward when exchanging or buying crypto, with no complex charts or order book-based system. As such, while the app is ideal for new investors looking to make their first foray into crypto, it lacks features that will appeal to day traders or other advanced users.

Although the ChangeNOW app could be considered overly basic if you're searching for mobile apps similar to Crypto.com or KuCoin, its no-frills interface combined with its no-sign-up needed nature make it suitable if you're new to crypto and want to invest in the most simple way possible.

Customer Support

ChangeNOW offers several support systems for users requiring assistance. You can browse the help center to find answers to common questions like why some people have to complete KYC verification or what to do regarding failed deposits. While a good range of articles was available, many lacked depth, which could confuse people unfamiliar with the platform.

In addition to clearly outlining how its service works, ChangeNOW offers an email ticket system and live chat support. During testing for our ChangeNOW review, we received a response from a support team agent in less than 60 seconds, which is extremely impressive compared to other platforms we've reviewed previously.