When you trade on CEX.IO, a centralized cryptocurrency exchange that lets you buy, sell, and trade digital assets with fiat currency. Also known as Crypto Exchange IO, it’s one of the older platforms still operating with direct bank links and simple interfaces — but its fees can surprise you if you don’t look closely. Most users assume all exchanges charge the same 0.1% trading fee, but that’s not true. CEX.IO has different fee structures depending on whether you’re a maker or taker, what payment method you use, and even how much you trade in a month.
For example, if you’re buying Bitcoin with a credit card, you’ll pay up to 3.5% — way more than the 0.1% you see listed under "trading fees." That’s because card purchases include a processing fee on top of the platform’s cut. Same goes for bank transfers: SEPA transfers are free to deposit, but withdrawals cost €1.50. And if you’re using a wire transfer? That’s $25 or more. These aren’t hidden — they’re buried in fine print. Meanwhile, spot trading fees start at 0.1% for takers and drop to 0.08% for makers, but only if you trade over $10,000 a month. Most people never hit that tier, so they pay the higher rate without realizing it.
Compare that to exchanges like KuCoin or Bybit, where maker fees are often zero even for small traders, or DEXs like Uniswap where you only pay network gas — not the exchange itself. CEX.IO’s fee structure works if you’re a beginner who needs to buy crypto fast with a card, or if you’re in a country where few other options exist. But if you’re trading regularly, those fees add up. You might pay $50 extra in fees over a year just because you didn’t know better. And don’t forget withdrawal fees: withdrawing Ethereum costs $1.50, Bitcoin is $10, and stablecoins like USDT vary by chain. That’s $10 gone every time you move coins to a wallet, even if you’re just moving them to a safer place.
There’s also the issue of hidden costs. CEX.IO doesn’t charge for holding crypto, but it does charge for staking rewards in some cases — and the rates aren’t always transparent. Some users report getting less than advertised because fees are deducted before the reward hits their account. And while the platform offers margin trading and futures, those come with funding rates and liquidation risks that aren’t part of the fee schedule at all.
What you’ll find in the posts below are real breakdowns of what people actually paid on CEX.IO — not what the website says they pay. You’ll see comparisons with other exchanges, warnings about card deposit traps, and real examples of how fees ate into someone’s profit on a simple BTC trade. Some posts even show how users switched to other platforms after realizing how much they were losing to fees. This isn’t about hating CEX.IO — it’s about knowing what you’re signing up for before you click "Buy."
CEX.IO is a trusted crypto exchange since 2013, offering 200+ cryptocurrencies, high staking rewards up to 30%, and multiple payment options including PayPal and Apple Pay. With no major breaches and regulatory compliance across 35 U.S. states, it's ideal for global users seeking reliability over hype.