The 18% cap, in dollars
Since August 2025 the Illinois Digital Asset Kiosk Act has capped what a crypto kiosk may charge at the greater of $5 or 18% of the transaction value. That structure matters: on small transactions the $5 floor bites, and on anything above roughly $28 the percentage takes over.
What the statutory ceiling permits at each amount
| You insert | Maximum legal charge | Minimum you receive | Effective cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20 | $5 | $15 | 25% |
| $50 | $9 | $41 | 18% |
| $100 | $18 | $82 | 18% |
| $500 | $90 | $410 | 18% |
| $1,000 | $180 | $820 | 18% |
| $2,500 | $450 | $2,050 | 18% |
The statutory maximum on the disclosed fee. Note the $20 row — the $5 floor makes very small kiosk transactions proportionally the most expensive of all.
Most machines charge less than the ceiling. Published Illinois rates run roughly 10% to 18% on the buy side, and Chicago-area surveys before the cap took effect quoted a range of 10% to 23%. The cap has compressed the top of that range; it has not made kiosks cheap.
Daily limits
The Digital Asset Kiosk Act sets two figures, and they apply statewide regardless of operator.
Do not try to work around them
Splitting a transaction across machines, operators or days to stay under a limit or a reporting threshold is structuring, and it is a federal offence regardless of whether the underlying money is lawful. Operators file suspicious activity reports, and patterned sub-threshold behaviour is exactly what those reports exist to surface.
How Illinois compares to other states
Kiosk regulation is a patchwork, and Illinois sits at the more protective end without going as far as California.
State kiosk rules compared
| State | Daily limit | Fee cap |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $2,500 new / $10,500 established | Greater of $5 or 18% |
| California | $1,000 for all users | Statutory limits apply |
| Wisconsin | Reported at $2,000 for all users | — |
| Arizona | $2,000 new / $10,500 established | — |
| Most others | Operator policy only | None |
Rules change frequently. California's $1,000 cap was singled out publicly by Bitcoin Depot as a factor in its May 2026 Chapter 11 filing.
For anyone living near a state line — the Quad Cities, Metro East, northern Lake County — the practical point is that Illinois's protections apply to machines in Illinois. Crossing a border loses you the fee ceiling and the refund right without changing your Illinois tax position at all.
Rates by operator
Where operators publish figures, the spread between them is substantial.
Published buy and sell rates
| Operator | Buy | Sell |
|---|---|---|
| CoinFlip | Around 8.99% | Around 4.99% |
| Athena Bitcoin | Cited 10%–25% | Around 5% |
| RockItCoin | Around 18.7% + $1 | Around 16.3% + $1 |
As published by operators and third-party surveys during 2026. In Illinois the total charge cannot lawfully exceed the greater of $5 or 18%. Rates vary machine to machine within a network.
Our operator comparison covers machine counts, two-way support and what happened to Bitcoin Depot.
Kiosk vs exchange vs Coinstar, on the same $500
This is the comparison that matters, and it is not close.
$500 into bitcoin from an Illinois address
| Route | Approximate cost | You keep | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed exchange, ACH, limit order | Under 1% | $496–$499 | 1–3 business days |
| Licensed exchange, debit card | Low single digits | $480–$493 | Seconds |
| Coinme via Coinstar | Mid single to low double digits | $425–$470 | ~15 minutes |
| Crypto kiosk | 10%–18% plus rate spread | $410–$450 | Immediate |
Illustrative, based on published 2026 terms.
Repeated monthly for a year, the gap between the top and bottom rows exceeds a thousand dollars. There are genuine situations where a kiosk is the right call — physical cash, no bank account, immediate need. "It was on the way home" is not one of them.
If a machine charges more than the cap
That is a violation of the Digital Asset Kiosk Act, and Illinois has a route for it.
- Photograph the disclosure screen before or immediately after the transaction, showing the fee and the rate.
- Keep the printed receipt.
- Note the operator name on the machine housing and the exact address.
- Contact the operator's consumer protection officer. Illinois requires every registrant to designate one, alongside a compliance officer.
- Report to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which maintains the kiosk operator register and holds examination and enforcement authority.
If the issue is fraud rather than overcharging, a separate and stronger remedy exists: new customers can recover up to three fraudulent transactions from their first week or first three uses, with 30 days to notify the operator and 60 days to supply a police report. Our refund guide covers that process step by step.
Questions Illinois readers actually ask
What is the maximum a crypto ATM can charge in Illinois?
The greater of $5 or 18% of the transaction value, set by the Digital Asset Kiosk Act and in force since August 2025. On a $20 transaction that means $5; on a $500 transaction it means up to $90. A machine quoting more than that is in violation and can be reported to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which maintains the operator register.
How is the exchange rate different from the fee at a crypto ATM?
The fee is a stated percentage of the amount you insert. The exchange rate is the price the machine uses to convert dollars into crypto, and it is usually worse than the live market price. Both are separate costs and both must appear on the disclosure screen before you confirm. A machine advertising 9.99% at a rate three percent off market costs you more than one advertising 14% at a fair rate.
What are the daily limits on Illinois crypto ATMs?
$2,500 per day for new customers and $10,500 per day for established customers, set by statute and applying regardless of how much identification you provide. Operators may impose lower limits of their own. Illinois is more generous than some states — Wisconsin has been reported at $2,000 for all users and California at $1,000.
Are crypto ATM fees cheaper for selling than buying?
Usually, at two-way machines. CoinFlip has published around 8.99% to buy and 4.99% to sell; Athena has been cited around 5% to sell against 10%–25% to buy; RockItCoin has published around 18.7% plus $1 to buy and 16.3% plus $1 to sell. The Illinois cap of the greater of $5 or 18% applies in both directions, as do the daily limits.
How do Illinois crypto ATM fees compare to an exchange?
They are not comparable. A licensed exchange funded by ACH bank transfer and using a limit order costs well under 1% all-in on the majors. An Illinois kiosk may legally charge up to 18% before the exchange rate spread is counted. On a $500 purchase that is a difference of roughly $85 to $90 for the same amount of your attention.
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