Frequently asked questions

What does Augea actually do?

Augea estimates the total cost of buying crypto across exchanges — fees, spreads, and payment method costs included — and presents them with timestamped provenance so you can see where each number comes from.

Is Augea an exchange?

No. Augea does not hold funds, execute trades, or provide financial advice. It is a comparison surface: a place to understand what you might actually pay, before you pay it.

Where does the data come from?

Fee data is collected from exchange APIs and public documentation into timestamped snapshots. Each snapshot records what was observed, when, and from which source.

How often is the data updated?

Snapshots are taken regularly. Every estimate shows its snapshot ID and timestamp so you can judge freshness. Stale data is flagged, not hidden.

What do card estimates include?

Card route estimates typically include the exchange trading fee, spread or markup, card processing surcharge, and any instant-buy or convenience fee charged by the exchange. They do not include fees your card issuer may charge separately, such as cash-advance or foreign transaction fees.

What do bank transfer estimates include?

Bank route estimates usually reflect exchange-side trading and spread costs. Deposit fees for standard bank transfers (ACH, SEPA, Faster Payments) are typically zero, but external bank fees may still vary. Estimates do not include your bank’s own wire or transfer charges.

Why are card routes often more expensive than bank routes?

Card routes often reflect higher-cost convenience or instant-buy-style paths, which include card processing surcharges and wider spreads. Bank routes often reflect lower-cost deposit-then-trade paths with tighter trading fees.

Many exchanges also offer advanced or pro trading interfaces with lower fees, but these typically require more steps. Augea does not yet compare pro routes as a separate lane. See the methodology page for more detail, or read why actual cost can differ from the advertised fee.

What about Apple Pay, Google Pay, or local rails like Interac?

Apple Pay and Google Pay inherit card cost estimates where confirmed by exchange documentation as the same fee category. Interac, iDEAL, PayNow, and PayID inherit bank estimates where confirmed as deposit-then-trade with free or negligible deposit.

These inherited rails are not yet separate top-level ranked payment methods. See the methodology page for details.

Why do estimates show ranges instead of exact numbers?

Crypto fees depend on factors that vary in real time: spreads move, tiered pricing shifts with volume, and payment processors apply their own surcharges.

Showing a range (low–high) is more honest than showing a single number that implies false precision. The range reflects the realistic spread of what you may pay.

Does changing the amount change which exchange is cheapest?

Changing the amount changes the estimated dollar cost, but Augea’s current estimates are percentage-based. This means the ranking order may not change with amount today, even though real exchange fee structures can vary by purchase size.

Some exchanges charge minimum or flat fees that disproportionately affect small purchases, and some offer volume-based discounts for larger amounts. Augea does not yet model these per-exchange tier breaks. Users making very small or very large purchases should verify fee details directly on their chosen exchange.

What does "Estimate confidence" mean?

Each estimate carries a confidence level — High, Medium, or Low — based on data freshness and completeness.

High means data is recent and complete. Medium means data is usable but may be older or partially inferred. Low means data may be limited — use as a directional guide only.

Do affiliate links affect rankings?

No. Affiliate links exist on some exchange links, but they never influence ranking order, cost estimates, or which exchanges appear. Rankings reflect estimated cost only.

Why is an exchange missing or showing "Unknown"?

An exchange may be absent if Augea does not yet have verified fee data for your specific scenario (asset, country, payment method, amount).

"Unknown" with a reason code means the data point exists but is incomplete or unverifiable. Augea shows gaps explicitly rather than filling them with guesses.

Can I use Augea outside the US?

Yes. Augea covers multiple countries. Select your country in the buy page controls to see estimates for exchanges available in your region. Coverage is expanding.

Is this financial advice?

No. Augea provides informational estimates to help you compare. Always verify costs directly on the exchange before transacting. Estimates, not quotes.