Digital Surge Review | Good Beginner Exchange or Too Expensive?

Digital Surge Review Image
Jack Moreau
Feb 2024
9 min read
Fact checked

Are you interested in learning more about Digital Surge and how it stacks up against other cryptocurrency exchanges on the market? You have come to the right place as we have thoroughly reviewed Digital Surge, covering everything from product features to trading fees and user experience. Read on to discover whether Digital Surge is the right exchange for you!

Digital Surge

pros & cons

Pros

Support for 300 cryptocurrencies
Beginner friendly & good UX
Free AUD deposits
Regulated by AUSTRAC

Cons

0.5% trading fee
Limited product range
Limited to Australia

Digital Surge

vs alternatives

Digital Surge
Uphold
OKX
Founded
2017
2013
2017
Users
50K
10M
20M
Cryptos
+300
+300
+350
Spot Fees
0.5%
0.9-1.2%
0.08%
KYC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Countries N/A
All but AU
DE, NL, RU, TR, IN
US, CA
Best for
Australian Beginners
Beginner Crypto Investors
Spot & Futures trading
Rating
Signup
Digital Surge
Your Capital is at risk.
Uphold
OKX

What is Digital Surge?

Digital Surge is a cryptocurrency exchange platform founded in 2017 by John Lehman and Dan Rutter. The exchange is registered and based in Brisbane, Australia, and has a small workforce of over 20 employees.

Digital Surge exchange
Digital Surge exchange

Digital Surge is only available to citizens of Australia and New Zealand and does not support users from any other countries. Digital Surge focuses on providing a user-friendly and accessible way for users, particularly those in Australia, to buy, sell, and trade over 300 cryptocurrencies.

Digital Surge cryptocurrencies
Digital Surge cryptocurrencies

The exchange is estimated to have less than 50,000 users and for those that would like to use Digital Surge on mobile, it's available on Android and IOS where it has 5,000 downloads.

Digital Surge app
Digital Surge app

Digital Surge Signup & KYC

The signup process on Digital Surge is simple, only requiring an email and password to open an account. Digital Surge requires all users to pass the Know Your Customer (KYC) process in order to buy and sell cryptocurrencies on their exchange.

Digital Surge signup
Digital Surge signup

However, to complete KYC, users must provide personal information and a valid government ID. Assuming all the documents are accurate, verification can be completed in 5-10 minutes.

Digital Surge KYC
Digital Surge KYC

Digital Surge Products & Services

Digital Surge is an exchange that offers a limited range of products, but is designed to be user-friendly for beginners. Users can buy, sell, and swap over 300 cryptocurrencies including BTC, ETH, USDT, BNB, USDC, and XRP.

Digital Surge buy and sell
Digital Surge buy and sell

For those who want to automate their purchases, recurring buys are available, and price alerts can be set up for those who want to keep an eye on prices.

Digital Surge recurring purchases
Digital Surge recurring purchases

The user experience on Digital Surge is very good, with a well-designed website that is easy to navigate even for beginners. The exchange has made it simple for users to sign up, get verified, and start trading cryptocurrencies.

Digital Surge

products vs alternatives

Digital Surge
Uphold
OKX
Spot
Yes
Yes
Yes
Futures
-
-
Yes
Leverage
-
-
125X
Copy trade
-
-
Yes
Lend & Borrow
-
-
Yes
Staking
-
Yes
Yes
NFTs
-
-
Yes
Signup
Digital Surge
Your Capital is at risk.
Uphold
OKX

Digital Surge Trading Fees

Digital Surge charges a 0.5% transaction fee on each trade for buying and selling cryptocurrencies. There are no discounts for high volume trading and everyone pays the same fee. This fee structure is in line with other exchanges such as Gate.io and Huobi, but more expensive than the likes of OKX and Binance.

Digital Surge

fees vs alternatives

Digital Surge
Uphold
OKX
Spot fee (mkr)
0.5%
0.9-1.2%
0.08%
Spot fee (tkr)
0.5%
0.9-1.2%
0.10%
Futures (mkr)
-
-
0.02%
Futures (tkr)
-
-
0.05%
Signup
Digital Surge
Your Capital is at risk.
Uphold
OKX

Digital Surge Deposit Methods

Digital Surge is an Australian cryptocurrency exchange that supports fiat deposits for AUD. There are two types of deposit methods available for AUD deposits: PayID (bank transfer) and POLi Pay.

PayID deposits are 100% free and can be processed in as little as 60 seconds. On the other hand, deposits with POLi Pay come with a small transaction fee and have a daily limit of $8k.

In terms of cryptocurrency purchases, users on Digital Surge can buy cryptocurrencies via Account2Account, POLi Pay, Debit/Credit card, and bank transfer. Account2Account deposits come with a $0.50 fee, POLi Pay deposits have a 1% fee up to $3, and debit/credit card purchases are charged at 2.6% + $0.34.

Bank transfers are the only deposit method that is free of charge. Overall, Digital Surge offers a good range of deposit methods for Australian users, with quick and easy PayID deposits being the standout feature.

Digital Surge Withdrawal Methods

Digital Surge offers its users various options for fiat and cryptocurrency withdrawals. For fiat withdrawals, users can withdraw their AUD either via NPP/Osko withdrawals or through a normal bank transfer process. The minimum withdrawal amount is $20 and is free of charge.

When it comes to fees to withdraw cryptocurrencies, Digital Surge charges 0.0002 BTC for Bitcoin withdrawals and 0.006 ETH for Ethereum withdrawals. Solana withdrawals come with a 0.01 SOL fee and ERC-20 Tether come with a $7 USDT fee. Overall, Digital Surge provides its users with a straightforward and cost-effective way to withdraw both fiat and cryptocurrencies.

Digital Surge

security vs alternatives

Digital Surge
Uphold
OKX
Hacked
No
No
Proof of reserves
Yes
Yes
Licenses
FinCEN (US), FCA (UK)
VA in Dubai
Signup
Digital Surge
Your Capital is at risk.
Uphold
OKX

Digital Surge Conclusion

In conclusion, Digital Surge is an Australian cryptocurrency exchange that offers a small range of user-friendly features for Australian and New Zealand residents. The exchange supports over 300 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, and requires all users to complete the KYC process before trading.

Although their product range is limited, Digital Surge provides a simple, easy-to-use experience for beginners. Transaction fees for buying and selling cryptocurrencies are fixed at 0.5%, and there are multiple deposit options available, including the standout feature of free PayID deposits.

Furthermore, their withdrawal fee structure is relatively low, making it an ideal exchange for cost-conscious users. With their emphasis on security, simplicity, and customer support, Digital Surge is a decent option for beginners looking to enter the world of cryptocurrency trading.

For users that are looking for more products and services in addition to lower fees, they will have to turn to alternative exchanges such as Uphold and OKX.

Digital Surge

Support for 300 cryptocurrencies

Beginner friendly & good UX

Free AUD deposits

Regulated by AUSTRAC

Visit Digital Surge
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Author
Jack Moreau
Jack is a crypto writer and reviewer who has been active in the space since he caught the crypto bug in 2017. With a passion for trying out new shiny things, Jack is always eager to try the latest cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets or DeFi applications.

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