Just created an account with Gemini & have questions

[OROBTC]

OK, so here's a followup:

[,,,] after going through the KYC process they said the next step was to send a wire deposit to them(!). 

I've never sent money via wire before, and I really don't want to.  Therefore I figured if that was the only option to continue on Gemini, I would close my account.  Which I did.  I couldn't even buy bitcoin with the debit card that I'd entered.

Did I do something wrong here or what?

i had to send a same day wire transfer to activate my gemini account too. just need to send a token amount from the account youve linked gemini to. after that its ACH all the way,

so, just something they do, and you just need to do it once.

I did the same as vapourminer did.  I sent in $200 by wire, but it had to be a "same day wire" (I mentioned to my banker).  That did the trick.

Linking my bank account with Gemini was the part that too me the longest too.

All in all, it took me about five days to get my account open, but I was doing other things in my life to...

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[squatter]

And if vapourminer is correct and you need to wire money to them, I'm not doing it.

It's odd because they already use Plaid to verify bank accounts. Apparently, they require a bank wire as a second level of verification to make sure your bank account is really yours. After that, ACH transfers will be made available to you.

They are more paranoid about deposit fraud than any exchange I've ever seen.

Today I had to get a refund from Bitpay for an invoice that they fucked up and they made me go through full KYC procedures in order to get that refund (which still hasn't arrived).

Was the amount over $1,000 or have they lowered the KYC threshold?

[The Sceptical Chymist]

Was the amount over $1,000 or have they lowered the KYC threshold?

No, it was much lower than $1000.  They're a bunch of cocksuckers as far as I'm concerned--and I still haven't gotten either of my refunds yet.  I'm having a shitty day and I'm glad it's almost bedtime.

[squatter]

Was the amount over $1,000 or have they lowered the KYC threshold?

No, it was much lower than $1000.  They're a bunch of cocksuckers as far as I'm concerned--and I still haven't gotten either of my refunds yet.

Thanks for the info. I'll have to update this thread. This is a worrisome development since the threshold was definitely $1,000 when they first implemented KYC.

Their support documentation still suggests that hasn't changed, but I now notice a phrase -- "verification requirements may differ by region and/or amount" -- which wasn't always there. It's rather dubious that they don't specify by region. I'm guessing this is US-specific.

[vapourminer]

<snip>

Yeah, I can't get past this:



And if vapourminer is correct and you need to wire money to them, I'm not doing it.  Today I had to get a refund from Bitpay for an invoice that they fucked up and they made me go through full KYC procedures in order to get that refund (which still hasn't arrived).  Shit is no joke these days--I even had a much harder time renewing my driver's license this year.

George Orwell's vision is coming true, man.  Big Brother is glaring at us from everywhere.

yeah that wire transfer bit for gemini was the cause of the three year gap between me signing up several years ago and finally activating it "for real" with a wire xfer last month. as im lazy af and never got around to it as that banks is 40 minutes away.

its a token amount as i said, i sent $100 USD (and paying the banks $30 wire xfer fee) but it could of been less/more (i asked in a support email.. they just want an actual wire xfer in any amount for whatever reason but it HAS to be from the linked account on your gemini profile.).

im not sure why the wire xfer bit bugs you, after all they have your linked bank account info for ACH in and out once the wire clears (took a day iirc). after the wire cleared i did small ACH test transfers of cash (and some corn) in and out to test it all. no issues. its now my main exchange (coinbase being relegated to a backup exchange now), and ive sent decent amount through no prob.

btw they just informed me ill get a 1099k for 2020 lol. thanks, but ive always paid me taxes on corn so that form is expected, and the number it shows isnt what you pay taxes on anyway (for those wondering or who never got one before).

is there something a wire xfer gives away that a linked bank account doesnt? or are you guys just linking debit cards?

[The Sceptical Chymist]

is there something a wire xfer gives away that a linked bank account doesnt? or are you guys just linking debit cards?

I've never sent funds via wire and I don't feel like paying the fee--that's one reason why I'm not proceeding with the Gemini registration.  The other reason is that I don't like my bank, and right now it's the only one I've got.  A couple of years ago, the bank manager pulled me aside when I went in to make a deposit, and she asked me what "all those charges to Circle are".  I told her I was buying bitcoin, and I have a feeling I've been under suspicion ever since.

Thus I don't want to wire money from my bank to a crypto exchange.  And yeah, I probably should look for a different bank, but there aren't many available in my immediate area and it's just a fucking hassle jumping through hoops these days.  Banks and everything else have put up so many hoops it almost looks like that fuckin' awful Nintendo 64 Superman game when you try to create a new account with a bank or any other financial institution. 

[OROBTC]

[...]

The other reason is that I don't like my bank, and right now it's the only one I've got.  A couple of years ago, the bank manager pulled me aside when I went in to make a deposit, and she asked me what "all those charges to Circle are".  I told her I was buying bitcoin, and I have a feeling I've been under suspicion ever since.

Thus I don't want to wire money from my bank to a crypto exchange.  And yeah, I probably should look for a different bank, but there aren't many available in my immediate area and it's just a fucking hassle jumping through hoops these days.  Banks and everything else have put up so many hoops it almost looks like that fuckin' awful Nintendo 64 Superman game when you try to create a new account with a bank or any other financial institution. 

Yep, the banks, and for that matter almost everything else, are making things so complicated it's difficult just to get things done.  Routine things.

The noose is getting tighter, guys...

ZeroHedge had a headline article on the COVID Passport that the Rockefeller Foundation and Creepy Bill Gates are pushing.  That digital passport BS is moving along very fast.  Kind of suspicious even.

The New Jacobins are going All Inn.

[Dabs]

I found this video:

How To Buy Bitcoin SAFELY | Step By Step Guide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAmdC64KKdM

And he uses Gemini and Coinbase.

[figmentofmyass]

I've never sent funds via wire and I don't feel like paying the fee--that's one reason why I'm not proceeding with the Gemini registration.  The other reason is that I don't like my bank, and right now it's the only one I've got.  A couple of years ago, the bank manager pulled me aside when I went in to make a deposit, and she asked me what "all those charges to Circle are".  I told her I was buying bitcoin, and I have a feeling I've been under suspicion ever since.

Thus I don't want to wire money from my bank to a crypto exchange.  And yeah, I probably should look for a different bank, but there aren't many available in my immediate area and it's just a fucking hassle jumping through hoops these days.

lemme guess, you bank at some rinky-dink local bank who is stuck in the year 1999? they make you physically come in to wire money, right?

for all the shit people talk about big banks like bank of america, at least you can do wire transfers 100% online in ~5 minutes. and they don't hassle you over transacting with crypto services---as long as you are using a personal, not business, account. i hate to sound like a banking sales rep (lol) but they give account opening bonuses that would more than pay for the $30 outgoing wire fee. i'm just throwing this out there because it seems like it would make your life a lot easier.

[vapourminer]

I've never sent funds via wire and I don't feel like paying the fee--that's one reason why I'm not proceeding with the Gemini registration.  The other reason is that I don't like my bank, and right now it's the only one I've got.  A couple of years ago, the bank manager pulled me aside when I went in to make a deposit, and she asked me what "all those charges to Circle are".  I told her I was buying bitcoin, and I have a feeling I've been under suspicion ever since.

surprisingly, the branch manager i spoke to for the wire knew about coinbase in particular - when i mentioned i was getting sick of their server going down during heavy activity she mentioned "yeah server overload" like she experienced it too.. we actually got into a brief talk on coinbase, its chainanaylsis division, how it shares info with any 3 letter agency that asks, etc.  and she also knew gemini (she knew the winklevoss bros owned it when i brought it up).

Thus I don't want to wire money from my bank to a crypto exchange.  And yeah, I probably should look for a different bank, but there aren't many available in my immediate area and it's just a fucking hassle jumping through hoops these days.  Banks and everything else have put up so many hoops it almost looks like that fuckin' awful Nintendo 64 Superman game when you try to create a new account with a bank or any other financial institution. 

i had a coinbase account linked to this bank since 2013. so that probably helped in my case.

[jerry0]

Is there a way to use gemini without having to have a US sms phone number?  Im American but abroad almost all year.  I put my google voice number to set my account up but got message they don't allow voip phone number for verification.  Is there a way to get by this?


Coinbase doesn't seem to have this issue and did allow me to use my google voice number for verification.


Also after that one time SMS with gemini... do you still need to have that phone number in order to continue to use gemini?  For example could i use someone else phone number for verification and once I do that... then any two factor authorization I use would be google authenticator or authy?  Again im abroad almost all year and a US citizen and do have a google voice US number... but it didn't seem to accept it as verification.

[jerry0]

Anyone can answer the above question?  Im abroad but would like to use gemini but dont have a us sms number. 

[vapourminer]

gemini uses authy for 2fa, but that is linked to a phone number. but its not sms, its an app. but im in the usa and havent tried it ouside of the usa. gemini also can supposedly use a yubikey but my experience with the yubikey is hit and miss. havent looked into it with gemini yet. for comparison yubikey works perfect with coinbase (not that im recommending coinbase, just saying coinbase has yubikeys working 100% fine, so its not the yubikey thats the problem).

not sure if any of this info will help but no one else answered so..

[The Sceptical Chymist]

Anyone can answer the above question?  Im abroad but would like to use gemini but dont have a us sms number.  

I'm not sure how you can get around that if accessing your account requires 2FA with an SMS text.  If that's not the case and you only need to receive texts for trades and such, you might work out a deal with someone who's trusted on the forum who's got a US phone number.  I've seen people pay money to receive texts for them in the past (for activating Google accounts and so forth).  That's probably not an ideal solution, but I'm just thinking out loud.

And jerry0, if I know you, you probably won't trust anyone to receive texts for you just based on your posts in the HW wallets section.  Lol.

Oh, by the way--is it possible for you to buy a burner phone that has a US phone number?  I have no idea if that's possible, but I do know you can buy disposable phones pretty much anywhere.  That might be an option.

[jerry0]

So here is my issue.  A while back when I was abroad, i signed up for gemini while abroad.  Then during this process, it ask for my us number which i did give it... a google voice number which i use to call/text people in the US while abroad.  But gemini notices its a voip number and doesn't allow it.  So because of that, it doesn't work.


The thing is while I was in the US, I didn't bother to set this up.  Thus i could have just bought like one of those cheap US sim cards and use it for a few weeks or a month and pay for that... then use it as the sms number to set up my account right?  Thing is i am rarely in the US that long but i dont mind buying a sim card for this process.  So wouldnt a burner phone be not needed?  More like just buy any US sim card and use it for this one type activation?  The thing though... is do i need this phone number though?  Because i just plan to buy a sim card for the US number... activate it... then when im back abroad... do i still need this number for verification or not?  Or can i use authy afterwards?  Again i dont need a us mobile monthly plan because im abroad and already use that abroad non us mobileplan.  So when im back in the US, i actually still use my abroad non us plan when in the US because they allow roaming.  So i havent used a us sim card in many years.


But if i buy a us sim card just to do this activation... is that all that is needed with gemini?  Thus after that verification, that number is no longer needed right?  Yea i had thought about using someone elses phone number in the US to do this activation.  But is that even allowed though?  Like have someone use their phone number as my verification... have them send me the code afterwards... then after that... its not needed anymore?  I dont want to message that person each time like ... i need the code each time like i have to log in.  Can anyone who use gemini verify and confirm this?  Such as do you need that sms phone number all the time even after verification?  Well at the moment, im abroad so i can't buy a burner phone and I am pretty sure I cannot get a US number here while abroad.  Because i want to be able to use gemini now since im abroad.  So looking at what options i have right now being abroad.

[Dabs]

What country are you in? There may be other exchanges where you are.

So that's something you need to keep in mind, maybe next time you visit or go back into the US. There should be a "real" phone number you can keep for a really low fee or something. MagicJack is technically also voip, but maybe it might be "real" ? I have not tried. They have their own little hardware that you plug into a USB port.

[jerry0]

Im outside the US.  But I know i could use gemini here because i had logged into my account a while back before.  Again the issue is not having a us sms number.


What i want to know is when im back in the US and get a real US phone number, do I still need that number afterwards?  Because im planning to get a US number just for activation of my gemini account... then use it for that month only and not use it again because i would be outside the US after that.  So i could then use google authenticator or authy each time to log into my gemini account right?  I want to know... if i need that phone number.  Someone said its only for verification.



If that is the case, couldn't i have someone close use their phone number for gemini verification?  Thus have the sms code sent to them, they tell me what it is... then i get verified?  By that i mean doing that abroad as i will call them to their US number and say... i want you to get a sms message so i could use that for my verification?  But the big thing is make sure they dont have a gemini account right?  Then after that, activate google authenticator or authy and then use gemini while abroad?

[Dabs]

Yeah, you could do that, with someone you trust that is based in the US. I don't know if there are "number forwarding" services there, it is quite possible.

The alternative is to get a "real" US voice/sms phone number at the cheapest plan, or maybe even prepaid just so you can keep it alive, something like $5 a month maybe?

I come from the Philippines and I maintain a prepaid mobile phone number for my PH based bank accounts and for receiving SMS is completely free. I can pay a minimum of 10 Pesos a year to keep the number alive. (That's $1 USD every 5 years, if all I use it for is to receive text messages by SMS.)

That's not going to help you as you are based in the US and need a US number though. I'm just saying, there might be some provider in the US that isn't the big 3 (is it still AT&T, MCI, Sprint, or have the others taken over now, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) ...

oh, MCI bought out Sprint, LOL.

After some 5 minute search engine looking, I found: mint, visible, verizon, t-mobile, .. t-mobile has $15/month plan, and they have a discount brand called Metro. AT&T still alive. xfinity.

Google Fi works if you have a Pixel, and their parent network is T-Mobile.

There's probably one that works that is also cheap, and will receive SMS when abroad.