What is pay-castle?
pay-castle is a non-custodial onramp: a simple front end that lets you buy crypto with a card or Apple Pay and have it delivered to your own wallet. The payment, identity verification, and on-chain delivery are handled by Coinbase. We never take possession of your money or your crypto.
Is pay-castle the same as Coinbase?
No. pay-castle is an independent service that integrates Coinbase's Onramp. We are "powered by Coinbase" but we are not Coinbase, are not owned by Coinbase, and are not endorsed by Coinbase beyond using its integration. We don't use Coinbase's logos or branding as our own.
Does pay-castle ever hold my funds?
Never. This is the core design principle. Money goes from your card to Coinbase, and crypto goes from Coinbase to your wallet. pay-castle is not in the path of the funds at any moment, and we cannot freeze, move, or access your crypto.
Who verifies my identity (KYC)?
Coinbase. Any required identity verification happens inside Coinbase's secure checkout. pay-castle does not collect, see, or store your government ID, card number, or other sensitive payment details.
Which countries are supported? Does it work in the US and New York?
pay-castle is built for the United States at launch, including New York. The precise availability, payment methods, and limits are set by Coinbase based on your location and applicable regulations. If a purchase isn't available for your region or payment method, Coinbase's checkout will tell you.
What does it cost? Are there hidden fees?
pay-castle adds no fee — Coinbase Onramp does not allow partner markups, and we don't add one. Coinbase charges its own processing and network fee, shown to you before you confirm. You always see the exact crypto amount you'll receive and the fee up front. See fees.
Which assets and networks can I buy?
At launch: USDC (default), ETH, and USDT, deliverable on Base (default, low fees), Polygon, or Ethereum. We validate your wallet address for the chosen network before checkout. Coinbase supports many more assets; we focus on the most useful for a first purchase.
What wallet do I need?
Any self-custodial wallet that supports the network you choose — for example Coinbase Wallet, MetaMask, Rabby, or a hardware wallet. Paste your receiving address, or use "Connect a browser wallet" to fill it automatically. You keep the keys; we never see them.
How long does delivery take?
Once your payment clears, Coinbase sends the crypto on-chain to your wallet. On low-cost networks like Base this is usually within minutes, though times depend on Coinbase and network conditions.
My payment failed or I entered the wrong address — what now?
Because Coinbase processes the payment and broadcasts the on-chain transfer, payment issues, chargebacks, and delivery questions are handled by Coinbase support. On-chain transactions are irreversible, so always double-check your address before confirming. pay-castle can help point you to the right place — see Support.
Can I get a refund?
Refunds for the fiat payment are governed by Coinbase's terms, since Coinbase is the payment processor and seller of the crypto. Crypto delivered to your wallet is irreversible. For payment or refund questions, contact Coinbase; we'll help route you. See Support.
Is this an investment? Will I make money?
No. pay-castle is a tool to buy crypto, not an investment product. We make no promise of profit or returns. Crypto prices are volatile and you can lose money. Nothing on this site is financial, investment, legal, or tax advice.
How is my data and the connection secured?
The secret that authorizes Coinbase sessions stays only on our server and never reaches your browser. Each purchase uses a fresh, single-use session token that expires in five minutes. The site is served over HTTPS with strict security headers, and our API is rate-limited and locked to our own domains.