Crypto is high risk. You can lose everything you put in. Nothing here is financial advice.
MEXC review for New Zealand traders (2026)
Updated July 2026 · 12 min read
MEXC is the exchange we currently rate highest for active Kiwi traders who want low fees and a deep coin range. It is also offshore, unregulated in NZ, and has no direct NZD on-ramp. Both halves of that sentence matter, so here is the full honest picture.
Affiliate disclosure: links to MEXC on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and new accounts through our link get a 20% trading fee rebate. This never changes our rating: the cons below are real and we list them plainly.
Reading from Australia? Regulatory notice: MEXC appears on ASIC's Moneysmart investor alert list of entities that are not licensed or authorised to provide financial services in Australia. That means no Australian financial services licence, no AFCA complaints pathway, and no Australian regulatory protection if something goes wrong. The listing is a check-who-you-are-dealing-with warning, not a finding of wrongdoing, and it is your call whether the trade-offs are worth it. AUSTRAC-registered local alternatives are compared in our Australian exchange comparison. Verify the current listing yourself at moneysmart.gov.au.
4.3/5
Our verdict: best low-fee option for active NZ traders who are comfortable using an offshore exchange and managing their own security. Not the right pick if you want NZD bank deposits, NZ regulation, or a set-and-forget experience.
Fees
4.8
Coin range
4.8
Liquidity
4.4
NZD funding ease
2.8
Regulation and trust
3.0
Ease of use
4.1
Pros and cons, no spin
What MEXC does well
0% spot maker fee, roughly 0.05% taker: among the cheapest anywhere
2,900+ listed coins, new listings appear early and often
Deep liquidity on majors, consistently high global volume
20% fee rebate for accounts opened via our referral link
Solid app and web platform, dark mode, proper charting via TradingView
Publishes proof of reserves snapshots
Where it falls short
No direct NZD deposit or withdrawal, funding takes an extra step
Offshore (Seychelles) and not registered with the NZ FMA
Several overseas regulators have issued notices about MEXC operating without local authorisation
Support is chat based and can be slow at peak times
Enormous altcoin range includes many low-quality tokens: more choice, more traps
Futures with high leverage are heavily promoted, dangerous for beginners
Straight talk on regulation: MEXC is not licensed or registered in New Zealand and the FMA cannot help you if something goes wrong. Overseas regulators including Australia's ASIC (via its Moneysmart investor alert list) and others have published notices about MEXC operating without local authorisation. That does not make it a scam, plenty of Kiwis trade there daily, but it does mean you are trusting an offshore company. Rule of thumb: keep on any exchange only what you are actively trading, and move the rest to self-custody.
MEXC fees vs what Kiwis usually pay
Fees are where MEXC wins hard. NZ brokers are convenient, but you pay for that convenience in the spread on every single trade.
Platform
Typical cost per trade
Cost on a $1,000 NZD trade
MEXC (spot)
0% maker / about 0.05% taker
$0.00 to $0.50
NZ broker (spread based)
Roughly 0.6% to 1% in the rate
$6 to $10
AU retail exchange
About 0.6%
$6
If you trade once a year, ignore this table and use whatever is easiest. If you trade weekly, the difference compounds into hundreds of dollars a year. That, plus coin range, is the whole case for using a global exchange.
Withdrawal fees vary by coin and network. Always check the withdrawal fee for your coin before depositing, and prefer cheap networks when moving funds in and out.
Run your own numbers
Fee savings calculator
Indicative spot-trading costs for comparison only. Works in NZD or AUD.
NZ$
Indicative fees you'd save per year
NZ$600.00
Annual volumeNZ$60,000.00
Fees elsewhere (per year)NZ$600.00
Fees on MEXC (0% spot maker)NZ$0.00
Indicative only, not a promise of savings or returns. 0% applies to spot maker orders on most pairs; taker, futures, withdrawal and currency-conversion costs differ. Always check MEXC's live fee schedule. Crypto is high risk.
Want the low fees?
Open your account first, trade later. Signup takes about three minutes and our link adds a 20% fee rebate.
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Crypto is high risk.
Coins and markets
MEXC lists over 2,900 cryptocurrencies across thousands of trading pairs, most quoted against USDT. In practice that means:
Majors: BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP and the rest with deep books and tight spreads.
Early listings: new tokens often hit MEXC weeks or months before NZ platforms, if they ever arrive at all.
The flip side: a huge tail of tiny, illiquid tokens. Listing on MEXC is not an endorsement. Most micro caps go to zero. Research before you buy anything outside the top 100, and honestly, before you buy anything at all.
Funding MEXC from New Zealand
This is the honest friction point. There is no "deposit NZD from your ANZ account" button. Kiwis use one of three routes:
Route
How it works
Cost and catch
1. Buy local, transfer in (most popular)
Buy USDT or a major coin on an NZ broker with an NZD bank transfer, then withdraw it to your MEXC deposit address.
Broker spread (about 0.6 to 1%) plus a network fee. Choose a cheap network. Clean, bank-friendly, fully verified at both ends.
2. Card purchase on MEXC
Buy crypto directly on MEXC with a debit or credit card through their payment partners.
Fast but dear: card processing fees typically run several percent. Fine for small first amounts.
3. P2P
Buy USDT from another user through MEXC's P2P marketplace.
Rates vary and NZD sellers are thin on the ground. Only for users who understand P2P escrow. Beginners should skip this.
Getting money out works in reverse: sell to USDT, send to your NZ platform, sell for NZD, withdraw to your bank. Keep records at every hop, the IRD expects them.
KYC and account limits
You can open an account with just an email. Basic use is possible with limited verification, but full KYC (passport or driver licence plus a selfie check) unlocks higher withdrawal limits, fiat features and P2P. Our take: just verify. If an exchange ever freezes withdrawals for compliance checks, verified accounts get sorted first, and card funding will not work without it.
Security: what MEXC provides, what you must do
They provide: two factor authentication, withdrawal allow-listing, anti-phishing codes, device management, and periodic proof of reserves publications.
You must do: turn on app-based 2FA immediately (not SMS), set an anti-phishing code, allow-list your own wallet address, and never keep long-term holdings on the exchange. Full checklist in keeping crypto safe in NZ.
Step-by-step: opening a MEXC account from NZ
1
Register with email
Go to the signup page, enter your email, set a strong unique password (password manager, not your dog's name), and confirm the emailed code. Three minutes, done.
Straight to security settings: enable Google Authenticator style 2FA and set an anti-phishing code so real MEXC emails carry your word. Do this before a single dollar goes in.
3
Verify your identity
Complete KYC with your NZ passport or driver licence. Usually approved within minutes to a few hours. This unlocks full limits and card funding.
4
Fund it
Easiest first run: buy USDT on an NZ platform with a bank transfer, then withdraw it to your MEXC USDT deposit address, copy-pasting the address and matching the network exactly. Send a small test amount first, always.
5
Make a small first spot trade
Spot market, a major pair like BTC/USDT, a limit order, a tiny amount. Feel how orders fill and what fees show up. Leave futures alone until you have read spot vs futures and probably after that too.
Be informed
What to know before you sign up
We would rather you go in clear-eyed. Here is the honest side most affiliate sites leave off.
It's an offshore exchange. MEXC operates from the Seychelles, is not registered with New Zealand's FMA, and appears on ASIC's Moneysmart investor alert list in Australia. You will not have the protections you would get from a locally registered provider.
Crypto is volatile and high risk. Prices can move sharply and you can lose some or all of what you put in. Only trade money you can genuinely afford to lose.
Complete your KYC. Most frozen-withdrawal complaints trace back to incomplete identity verification or breaching the terms. Verify fully before depositing.
Leverage and futures can wipe you out. MEXC offers very high-leverage derivatives. They are for experienced traders only and can lose your entire stake in minutes. Read spot vs futures first.
This isn't advice. Coinbench gives general information, not personalised financial advice. Do your own research, and consider speaking to a licensed adviser about your situation.
Ready to open your account?
Takes about three minutes. Verify, secure it, fund it small, and learn with tiny trades first.
Affiliate link, 20% fee rebate. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Crypto is high risk and MEXC is not regulated in NZ or AU.
Is MEXC actually right for you?
We would rather point the wrong person elsewhere than push everyone at one exchange. The honest fit check:
A strong fit if you...
Trade actively, weekly or more, not just buy-and-hold
Want early or niche altcoins beyond BTC and ETH
Watch your fees and trade enough that they add up
Use futures or advanced tools and understand the risks
You'd be better elsewhere if...
You just want to buy a little BTC or ETH occasionally and hold: a local AU or NZ platform gives you more local protection
You want a government-backed guarantee on your funds: no crypto exchange offers that, and offshore ones least of all
You are in Australia and not comfortable using a platform on ASIC's Moneysmart alert list
You are not comfortable completing ID verification or doing your own research first
Verdict: who MEXC is for
Use MEXC if you trade actively enough for fees to matter, want access to coins NZ platforms will never list, and are willing to handle a two-step NZD funding route plus your own security.
Skip MEXC if you want NZD in and out of your bank in one step, want an NZ-regulated counterparty, or plan to buy once and hold for years. For that profile an NZ broker plus a hardware wallet is the simpler, safer setup. Our NZ exchange comparison lays out the alternatives honestly.
MEXC NZ FAQ
Can New Zealanders use MEXC?
Yes, NZ users are accepted. There is no direct NZD deposit, so fund it by transferring crypto in from an NZ platform or by card.
Is MEXC safe?
It is an established high-volume exchange that publishes proof of reserves, but it is offshore and unregulated in NZ, and no exchange is "safe" in the bank-deposit sense. Manage the risk: strong 2FA, withdrawal allow-lists, and self-custody for anything you are not actively trading.
How do I get NZD out of MEXC?
Sell to USDT, withdraw to your NZ platform, sell for NZD there, and withdraw to your NZ bank account. Keep records for the IRD at each step.
Do I pay tax on MEXC trades?
Almost certainly yes. The IRD generally treats crypto bought for the purpose of disposal as taxable, and trading profits are taxable income. Using an offshore exchange does not change your NZ tax obligations. Talk to an accountant.
Can Australians use MEXC?
Australians can open accounts, but note the regulatory notice at the top of this page: MEXC is on ASIC's Moneysmart investor alert list and has no Australian licence, so there is no local protection if something goes wrong. There are no AUD deposits either; Australians fund it via crypto transfer from a local exchange or by card. AUSTRAC-registered local options are compared in our Australian exchange comparison. ATO tax obligations apply to offshore trading exactly as they do locally.