On-Ramps · Scoring methodologyTested17 MAY 26
How we score on-ramps
Every on-ramps we review is scored on the same 5 pillars, with the weights below. The overall score is a weighted average, same math we use for every silo.
By Skrumble EditorialLast revised Re-tested quarterly, with surge re-tests after any provider raises its public rate
Cost
35% weight- All-in fee on a $500 test purchase (card vs open-banking)
- Spread above market mid at the moment of fiat conversion
- Network fee passed through to user vs absorbed
- Hidden FX margin on non-USD purchases
Speed
20% weight- Time from approved KYC to first available purchase
- Card-rail settlement (typically instant)
- Bank-rail settlement (ACH, SEPA, Faster Payments)
- Time to wallet credit after fiat clears
Payment Methods
20% weight- Card-rail support (debit + credit + Apple/Google Pay)
- Bank-rail support (ACH, SEPA, FPS, PayID, Pix)
- Open-banking integration depth
- Direct-to-wallet vs deposit-then-withdraw
Country Coverage
15% weight- Number of supported countries
- Region-specific licenses (FinCEN, FCA, AUSTRAC, etc.)
- Payment methods available in the local market
- Local fiat currency support
KYC Friction
10% weight- Tier-1 limit (the no-KYC ceiling, where one exists)
- Documentation requirements at the next tier
- Time to verification on a real new account
- Privacy posture on data retention
— How we test —
We run a real $500 test purchase on each on-ramp using the dominant payment method for our test country (US: ACH + card; UK: open-banking + card; AU: PayID). We measure the all-in fee — what fiat went in, what crypto came out, valued at market mid at the moment of receipt. We re-test on a card rail as a cross-check. We document KYC friction by tracking elapsed time from first attempt to first usable account.
— How the overall score is calculated —
overall = cost * 0.35
+ speed * 0.20
+ payment_methods * 0.20
+ country_coverage * 0.15
+ kyc_friction * 0.10Result is rounded to one decimal. We use a 0-5 scale because the human eye reads "4.2/5" more accurately than "8.4/10" or "84/100".