Data transparency

Methodology

How we estimate total cost and rank exchanges. Estimates, not quotes.

What we estimate

We estimate the total cost to buy a specific amount of crypto on each exchange, including:

Trading fees — The percentage or flat fee charged per trade

Spread — The difference between buy price and mid-market price

Payment method — Card and bank transfer have different fee structures

Amount sensitivity — Some fees have minimums affecting smaller purchases more

Card vs bank estimates

Card and bank routes have materially different cost structures. Augea estimates each separately using exchange-specific route costs.

Card route estimates typically include

Exchange trading fee · Exchange spread or markup · Card processing surcharge · Instant-buy or convenience fee where applicable

Bank route estimates typically include

Exchange trading fee · Exchange spread or markup · Bank-route estimates usually reflect exchange-side trading and spread costs, while external bank fees may still vary

Why convenience routes often cost more

Many exchanges offer both a simpler, faster buying flow and a lower-cost advanced or pro trading interface. Card routes often reflect higher-cost convenience or instant-buy-style paths. Bank routes often reflect lower-cost deposit-then-trade paths. The gap can be several times larger on the same exchange.

·Convenience or instant-buy flows are faster but typically carry higher fees and wider spreads

·Advanced or pro trading interfaces often have lower maker/taker fees and tighter spreads, but require more steps

·Augea currently ranks top-level card and bank routes, not advanced/pro as a separate lane. Availability of pro interfaces varies by exchange and country.

Why actual cost can differ from the advertised fee →

What estimates exclude

These are exchange-side route cost estimates. They do not include fees charged by your bank, card issuer, or other external parties.

·Your bank's own fees (wire fees, international transfer charges)

·Card issuer fees (cash-advance charges, foreign transaction fees)

·FX conversion costs applied by your bank or card issuer

·Withdrawal fees (moving crypto off the exchange)

·Tax implications

Payment rails

Augea currently ranks exchanges across two top-level payment methods: card and bank transfer. Some local and digital payment rails inherit from these where confirmed by exchange documentation.

·Apple Pay and Google Pay inherit card estimates where confirmed 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

Ranking modes

Lowest estimated cost

Ranks exchanges by lower estimated total cost for your amount. Default ranking mode.

Estimate confidence

Ranks by data confidence first, then cost as tie-breaker. Prioritises freshness and completeness.

What "Estimate confidence" means

HighData is recent and complete. Estimate range is more likely to reflect current conditions. Updated within 1 day.

MediumData is usable but may be older or partially inferred. Helpful for comparison, but expect more variance. Updated 2–30 days ago.

LowData may be old or limited. Use as a directional guide only. Verify on the exchange before committing. Older than 30 days.

Limitations

·Currency conversion — Amounts shown in other currencies are converted estimates and may vary with exchange rates.

·Minimum fees — Some exchanges have minimum fees that affect small purchases disproportionately.

·Amount modeling — Estimates use percentage-based cost modeling and do not yet reflect per-exchange minimum fees or volume-based fee tiers. Very small or very large purchases may have different actual costs.

·Dynamic pricing — Spreads and fees can change throughout the day based on market conditions.

·Regional availability — Not all exchanges operate in all countries. Verify availability before comparing.

·Model updates — Cost model updated March 2026 with exchange-specific card and bank route costs. Earlier snapshots may show different estimate ranges.

All estimates are for informational purposes only. Always verify costs directly on the exchange.