Consumer complaint received 2026-01-21 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Virtual currency
Issue: Unexpected or other fees — 
Company: Coinbase, Inc.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year>, at approximately XXXX XXXX XXXX, I initiated a withdrawal of {$10000.00} from my Coinbase account using the Coinbase XXXX app. After entering the withdrawal request, a dialog box appeared offering to receive the funds instantly, which I clicked because that was what was presented on the screen, not because I needed or specifically sought an instant transfer. Only after proceeding did the app show that I would receive just {$9800.00} instead of the full {$10000.00}, meaning Coinbase had taken a {$170.00} fee from my own funds. 

This outcome was not what I intended. I did not need the money instantly, and in all of my prior Coinbase withdrawals I have never chosen or required any instant option. I was not clearly presented with a meaningful, sidebyside choice between a free/standard withdrawal and a paid/instant withdrawal, as many other financial apps do ( for example, XXXX clearly distinguishes standard vs. instant with fees before you confirm ). Instead, the instant option was effectively the default path surfaced to me, and the fee only became evident after I had moved forward with the transaction. Coinbase itself advertises that XXXX bank withdrawals are free while instant withdrawals carry a 1.5 % fee in the U.S., but that distinction was not made clear in the flow I experienced on the XXXX app at the time of my transaction. [ XXXX ] ( XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX  ) The moment I realized the fee had been applied and that the transaction was pending, I went immediately to the inapp XXXX help system as instructed. The help system told me to navigate to the transaction, confirm that it was pending ( which it was ), and then select the option to cancel. As I was attempting to follow those steps and cancel, the transaction abruptly completed, locking in the {$170.00} fee. I then immediately called Coinbase support, spoke with an agent, and clearly explained that I had not intended to choose an instant, feebased withdrawal and that I did not need the money immediately. I requested that Coinbase reverse the {$170.00} fee and make me whole for the full {$10000.00}. 

The agent escalated my request to XXXX higher levels, and each refused to refund the {$170.00} or otherwise restore the full amount, even though the fee arose solely from an interface that steers users toward a costly instant option without a clear, prominent choice and without adequate advance disclosure of the fee. Given Coinbases scale and the number of similar complaints on record with the Better Business Bureau about confusing practices and difficulty obtaining fair resolution, this kind of refusal is deeply concerning. Charging {$170.00} simply for accessing my own moneyunder circumstances where the fee was not clearly presented and where I acted promptly to cancelis, in my view, unfair and deceptive. [ XXXX ] ( XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ) What I am seeking is straightforward and reasonable : - A full refund of the {$170.00} instant withdrawal fee so that I receive the complete {$10000.00} originally withdrawn, either by crediting my Coinbase account or, preferably, by sending the {$170.00} to the same bank account to which the {$9800.00} was sent. 
- A modification ( retweak ) of Coinbases app and withdrawal user interface so that : - The user is clearly given a default, nofee standard withdrawal option, - Any instant/feebased option is clearly and prominently labeled as such, with the fee shown upfront in dollars before the user confirms, and - The cancellation option for pending withdrawals is functional and reliably available long enough for a user to correct an inadvertent selection.

I am submitting this complaint because I believe Coinbases current design and handling of this matter are not consistent with fair, transparent treatment of customers. I respectfully request thaXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and Coinbase review this situation, refund the {$170.00} fee, and ensure that Coinbases app design is updated so that other consumers are not subjected to similar unexpected charges on their own funds.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation