You can buy cryptocurrency with a credit or debit card if your card supports "3D Secure". With this payment method, you will not have to pre-fund your account to buy cryptocurrency. You can purchase cryptocurrency instantly without waiting for a bank transfer to complete.
To find out if your card supports 3D Secure, contact your credit/debit card provider directly or simply try adding it to your Coinbase account. You will get an error message if your card does not support 3D Secure.
Some banks require security steps to authorize a purchase using 3D Secure. These may include text messages, a bank provided security card, or security questions.
Please note, this method is not available for customers outside of Europe and the UK.
The following steps will get you started:
When logged into your account, go to the Payment methods page
Select Add a Credit/Debit Card at the top of the page
Enter your card information (The address must match the billing address for the card)
If needed, add a billing address for the card
You should now see a window that says Credit Card Added and a Buy Digital Currency option
You can now buy digital currency using the Buy/Sell Digital Currency page anytime
The following steps will walk you through the 3DS purchase process:
Go to the Buy/Sell Digital Currency page
Enter the desired amount
Select the card on the payment methods drop down menu
Confirm the order is correct and select Complete Buy
You will be directed to your bank's website (Process differs depending on bank)