Coinbase, Binance US, Gemini and KuCoin don’t have readily available live support teams. Some will allow you to speak to a rep only after they’ve determined your case is significant enough for a phone chat — others don’t have phone support at all. On one hand, it’s understandable that crypto exchanges don’t want to clutter their phone centers with frivolous calls, but on the other, if you need urgent support, you have no choice but to twiddle your thumbs and wait for an email or Twitter reply.
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Fortunately, some platforms are lightning-fast with their email and social media responses. Masquerading as a green-around-the-ears cryptocurrency investor, I tested five cryptocurrency exchanges’ phone support, email and social media to determine which digital-asset platform reigns supreme in addressing customer concerns.
Investigation methodology for Coinbase, Binance US, Kraken, KuCoin and Gemini
I investigated all five crypto exchanges using three avenues of customer support: phone, email and Twitter. I produced a control question for each. For phone support, I chose, “If I passed away, how can a family member gain access to my crypto funds?” For email support, I went with, “What is the best way to earn interest on crypto on your platform?” And finally, for Twitter, I asked, “If I lost or forgot my password, what steps do I need to take to recover my account?” It’s worth noting that I did face some limitations. I would have preferred to ask more challenging questions that truly test the mettle of the five top crypto exchanges, however, platforms such as Binance US, Kraken and KuCoin do not serve New York residents. Although I could make accounts on all three exchanges, I’m blocked from trading cryptocurrencies on their platforms, so I could only ask basic questions about my account or the exchange’s services. Still, this investigation allowed me to conclude which platform offers the quickest, most competent customer support.
Coinbase customer support
Coinbase, the most popular cryptocurrency exchange in the US, is in scalding hot water for its unsatisfactory customer service. The beginner-friendly trading platform made headlines for neglecting its customers’ sticky situations, leading to a class-action lawsuit seeking up to $5 million in damages. With many Coinbase users dragging it through the mud for its subpar customer service, I did a little sleuthing to determine whether Coinbase’s customer support is as bad as they say it is. Phone Coinbase’s customer support number is 1-888-908-7930, but don’t think for one second that you’ll find a live agent to help you. According to Coinbase’s Contact Us page, you can only use this number to connect with an automated system that will help you freeze your account if you suspect it’s been compromised, but they “do not offer any phone support with a live agent.” Out of curiosity, I dialed the number at 3:40 p.m. on a Tuesday. A recorded message said, “Thanks for calling Coinbase. At this time, live agent support is only available to existing US-based Coinbase Card customers. For all other customers, Coinbase offers automated phone options.” The message then proceeded to list a menu of options for their automated service, including locking one’s account and filing a complaint related to an existing support case. To reiterate, unless you have questions about the Coinbase Card (a debit card that lets you spend and earn crypto), Coinbase isn’t going to roll out the red carpet of live support for you. On the plus side, if your account is compromised, you can use the automated system to quickly freeze your account — sans the help of a live agent. If you have other urgent questions that need immediate attention, your next best bet is email support. Email Coinbase does not supply an actual email address for its customers, but you can fill out a request form to receive a reply via email. Keep in mind that my control question for email support is, “What is the best way to earn interest on crypto on your platform?” Coinbase requires you to choose a topic from a dropdown menu that best relates to your question, and I couldn’t find a relevant subject, so I selected a random topic — though unrelated — to proceed to an open-ended input field. After apologizing for choosing an unrelated topic (I had no choice), I typed in the control question and submitted the form at 3:28 p.m. on a Tuesday. Twenty-one minutes later, I received a reply from Coinbase. Sure the response was speedy, but was it the answer I was looking for? Nope! As mentioned, I asked Coinbase to tell me more information on how I can earn interest on crypto. I’m familiar with Coinbase, so I know that users can earn about 5% APY on Ether as well as a handful of other digital currencies. However, instead of delving into this, I received a measly, two-sentence reply about Coinbase Earn, a completely different service that involves earning rewards in exchange for watching educational videos. Boo! Perhaps Coinbase’s email bot spotted the word “earn” in my submission and auto-replied with a canned, irrelevant response — at least, I hope that’s what happened. If an actual human being read my support question and gave me that reply, Coinbase’s customer support is in trouble. Twitter On Coinbase’s Contact Us page, it says that it uses Twitter to provide status updates regarding Coinbase products, but due to security reasons, they do not assist customers with account-specific issues. On the other hand, there is a verified @CoinbaseSupport account that says, “Account concerns? Please DM. Do not post private info publicly.” So what is the truth? I reached out to @CoinbaseSupport via direct message at 3:10 p.m. on a Tuesday. I asked the Twitter control question: “If I lost or forgot my password, what steps can I take to recover my account?” As of this writing, I have not received a response.
Binance US customer support
Binance US is an arm of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency exchange: Binance. You’d think that such a massive platform could meet its customers’ needs, but it still doesn’t have its act together. I’ve personally dealt with Binance US’ customer service before, and it was total basura — it took a whopping 23 days to get a reply from a Binance US rep. Let’s see if Binance US has since improved its customer support (hint: it hasn’t). Phone Binance US, preferring to dodge disgruntled customers and remain drama-free, couldn’t be arsed to deal with your little questions and concerns — so much so that they don’t even have a phone number. Email Binance’s customer support ticket system is a disgrace. It reminds me of Coinbase’s email request form in that none of the topics featured in the provided menu are unrelated to my control question: “What is the best way to earn interest on crypto on your platform?” After selecting a random topic to get to an open-ended input field, I typed in my question and hit submit at 2:10 p.m. on a Tuesday. Shortly after, I received an automated email stating that my new question got merged with a previous support ticket. “Huh?” I said. I was confused at first, but then I remembered that I still have a support ticket open from a February query. As mentioned, Binance US took 23 days to reply to that question — and didn’t even answer it. The rep simply apologized for the delay. At that point, Binance US took such an eternity to reply, I gave up on them entirely and took my patronage elsewhere. Five months later, this February support question is still haunting me. I would try to contact Binance U.S. rep to tell ‘em that my old question is now irrelevant and I only need a reply to my new question, but I can’t because any additional support tickets would get merged, too — it’s a Binance US customer service nightmare loop! As of this writing, I haven’t yet received a reply. Twitter Is there anyone working at Binance US at all? Do any humans actually work there? I reached out to @BinanceUShelp on Twitter with my control question at 2:26 p.m. on Tuesday. I haven’t heard a peep.
Gemini customer support
Gemini is one of the few exchanges I can legally use as a New York resident. Crypto exchanges must acquire a BitLicense to serve New York-based customers, and fortunately, Gemini secured one in 2015. Its cryptocurrency arsenal isn’t as abundant as Binance US, but it does the job, offering popular assets such as Dogecoin, Ether and Bitcoin. But “How’s Gemini’s customer support?” you ask. Honestly, a baby deer on an ice skating rink has more support than whatever Gemini has to offer. Phone This New York-based exchange’s stance on phone support is clear: ”Gemini’s primary support channel is email. The Gemini Customer Support team will only call their customers in special cases upon request and after coordinating a date and time via email correspondence.” In other words, most support cases are handled via email, but on rare occasions, Gemini will call customers to resolve complicated issues. I did manage to find a number on Gemini’s Contact Us page: 1-866-240-5133. I dialed the number at 3:54 p.m. on a Tuesday and heard the following automated message: “Thanks for calling Gemini. In order to help protect your account, we require all requests to be submitted either through our online help center or via email at support@gemini.com. Our help center can be found at https://support.gemini.com. For the quickest service, please submit requests using the email address associated with your account.” And that was it! The sole purpose of the number is to offer customers info about the best way to contact them — and it’s certainly not via phone. Email Gemini’s customer service email is support@gemini.com and it is the company’s recommended avenue of support. At 1:58 p.m. on a Tuesday, I sent Gemini an email containing my control question: “What is the best way to earn interest on crypto on your platform?” I received an auto reply that warned that Gemini is experiencing higher-than-normal ticket volumes and responses are taking longer than usual. “Your exchange account does not automatically earn interest,” Gemini said. “In order to earn interest on your crypto, you need to use the Gemini app or website to select a currency and amount for Gemini Earn.” About 26 hours later, a Gemini rep got back to me and apologized for the delay, however, due to security concerns, they said they couldn’t not help me with my question because they failed to find my email in their system (I used an undercover email address because my Gemini-attached email has my first, middle and last name on full display). Enquiring about Gemini’s earning services shouldn’t raise any security red flags — this is a question even a non-account holder could ask to determine if Gemini is right for them. At this point, I gave up on Gemini. Twitter Gemini does have an official Twitter account for support: @GeminiSupport. It’s monitored from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST from Monday through Friday. At 3:07 p.m. on a Tuesday, I shot over a direct message to Gemini enquiring about what steps I’d have to take to recover my account if I lost my password. Crickets! I haven’t heard a word.
Kraken customer support
What helps Kraken stand out of the crowd is its 24/7 live chat. No, it’s not a bot that spews article links at you after analyzing your question — a real person is at your service whenever you need help. Coinbase, Binance US, Gemini and KuCoin do not have live chat platforms. On top of that, Kraken, headquartered in San Francisco, actually offers customer service on the phone — with actual human beings! After investigating three companies with phone-less customer support, you’d be excited, too. Phone Kraken’s customer support number is 1-855-777-7603. Kraken representatives are available to chat on Monday to Friday from 6.a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. I called Kraken on a Wednesday at 1:51 p.m. The hold music lasted only 12 seconds before a Kraken agent picked up and a friendly voice greeted me. The agent’s name is Bria, a remote employee who lives in North America. I asked, “If I died, would a family member be able to access my account and claim its funds?” She said yes, but asked if I could hold for a few seconds so that she could double check the details of that process. I appreciated this — I prefer to wait patiently for an accurate, unabbreviated answer rather than getting a half-assed response because the agent is too prideful to ask for help. Bria came back with a stellar response: “We don’t really have a formal process for setting up a beneficiary in the case of your passing, however, there is a process that your family would go through if you were to pass — God forbid,” she said. “To make this process easier, what you’d want to do is, if you have a will, you’d want to include your Kraken public ID in that.” Bria further explained what documents my family member would possibly need, including a death certificate, an ID proving that they’re related to me, and other legal records. Bria deserves a raise for her clear, straightforward response. The call lasted for three minutes and 57 seconds. Coinbase and the others could never! Email Like Coinbase, Kraken and Binance US, Kraken doesn’t publicize an email address for customer support, but you can submit a support ticket to receive a reply via email here. I submitted my request form at 3:49 p.m. on a Tuesday with my control question about earning interest on crypto. Lo and behold, in just five minutes, a Kraken rep by the name of Dan came to my rescue. Dan told me that I can use “staking” to earn interest on my crypto, a process that generates rewards for crypto holders who lock their digital assets away. He even sent me a link that explained how it works and which currencies are eligible for staking. This was the answer I was looking for. Well done, Dan! Twitter You can get assistance from a Kraken agent on Twitter by reaching out to @KrakenSupport. I messaged @KrakenSupport at 3:16 p.m. on a Tuesday and asked what procedures I’d need to take if I lost my password. I received a lightning-fast response in five minutes. “You would need to create a support ticket and go through the recovery process with our team,” the agent said. They also suggested that I use a password manager, which would prevent such a stressful scenario — they even sent me a useful link on how to tighten my account’s security. 24/7 Live Chat Kraken’s Live Chat feature is incredible. If it’s after 6 p.m., and Kraken’s phone support is already closed, you can use Kraken’s 24/7 Live Chat platform, which connects you to a live agent in just seconds. At 1:51 p.m. on a Wednesday, I connected with a Kraken representative named Taraji. Although I was tempted to make a cheeky comment about her Hidden Figures Oscar snub, I set aside my inner troll and asked about how I could earn interest on crypto. Taraji explained that there is, indeed, a way to earn interest on Kraken, and provided two links that explained the process. As it turns out, I could earn as much as 20% rewards per year (RPY) with a cryptocurrency called Kava. The chat lasted no more than three minutes
KuCoin customer support
KuCoin is a pro-level crypto exchange that doesn’t have the most intuitive UI, but it lets expert crypto traders engage in advanced options that Coinbase doesn’t offer. However, KuCoin’s customer support service needs improvement — they don’t have a phone number at all and they’re slow to reply. KuCoin boasts that it offers “24/7/365 customer support,” which may be true, but it’s not reflected in the quality of their customer service. Phone I searched the far corners of the internet for a KuCoin customer support number, but to no avail. If you need customer service, you’ll have to reach out to KuCoin via email or social media. Email KuCoin does publicize a customer service email (tech-support@kucoin.com), but this channel is best for technical issues such as incompatible mobile software, network connection failure while using KuCoin, API access errors and more. At around 4:30 p.m. on a Tuesday, I submitted an email request form for my control question, which pertains to earning interest on crypto. Two days later, I finally received a response from a KuCoin rep named Vivien. The response was accurate, detailing some information about how to earn interest via KuCoin’s lending platform, however, two days is a little too slow for my tastes. Facebook Be careful! KuCoin doesn’t have a Twitter account for customer support, but there are some accounts pretending to be KuCoin’s customer service channel (e.g. @KuCoinSupport). I discovered that KuCoin has a Facebook presence, though, so I sent a message at 5:59 p.m. on a Wednesday asking about what steps I could take if I lost my password. A minute later, I received a reply. “Yes, we do have staking. Also lend. You may check out our beginners guide: https://support.kucoin.plus/hc/en-us/categories/360001255374-Beginner-s-Guide” the KuCoin agent said. The message was short and sweet, but it was exactly what I was looking for. My only critique is that the provided link led me to a cluttered page with no information on staking and lending.
Bottom line
The best cryptocurrency exchange for customer support is Kraken. Unlike the other four top trading platforms, Kraken actually has live agents you speak to on the phone — and they’re competent, too. Kraken also has a 24/7 live chat, so even if Kraken’s phone support is closed, you can still find someone to assist you. Knock, knock! Is anyone at Binance US? I suffered the worst customer support in its hands. How can a tranche of the world’s most popular crypto platform offer such measly customer service? It blows my mind. Binance US doesn’t have a phone number and I haven’t heard a peep from its reps on both channels: Twitter and email. Coinbase, KuCoin and Gemini aren’t much better, but they have some strengths. Although you can’t talk to a live person, Coinbase’s phone number at least gives customers the option to lock their accounts in the event of a breach. It’s also worth noting that Coinbase published a recent blog stating that it is committed to improving its customer support; it plans on launching a live 24/7 chat during the latter half of 2021. KuCoin failed the phone channel and its email response is quite slow, but it offered a lightning fast response on Facebook. Gemini’s email support should be OK as long as you contact them using the email associated with your account. Many cryptocurrency exchanges seemingly embraced this frustrating attitude of “Yeah, our customer service sucks; deal with it!” in a Spirit Airlines kind of way. You can trade on these platforms if you want to, but just know — for the exception of Kraken — if you need urgent, live support from a human being, you won’t find it.
