This agreement is heavily skewed in favor of the company, stripping you of your right to sue in court or join class actions. It allows the platform to change rules without warning and disclaims responsibility for financial losses caused by their own system failures. You should be aware that once you trade, your transactions are final and essentially impossible to reverse.
Overall Score: 40/100 — ❌ Not Certified
40
out of 100
❌ Not Certified
Crypto · Reviewed April 20, 2026
Passing threshold: 75/100 for Certified, 55/100 for Approved
Criteria Breakdown
| Criterion | Score | Pass | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain Language | 4/10 | ✗ | The document is dense, heavily reliant on cross-references to appendices, and uses complex legal terminology that is difficult for the average consumer to parse. |
| Data Collection Transparency | 6/10 | ✓ | Discloses that data is collected for verification and legal compliance, but the scope of 'special categories' and third-party sharing is broad. |
| No Unauthorized Data Selling | 3/10 | ✗ | The agreement allows for broad sharing with 'third parties' for verification and fraud prevention, with no clear opt-out mechanism for non-essential data sharing. |
| Clear Cancellation Policy | 5/10 | ✗ | Cancellation of recurring transactions is possible, but the platform reserves the right to terminate accounts at its sole discretion without clear recourse. |
| Clear Refund Policy | 2/10 | ✗ | Explicitly states that transactions cannot be reversed or canceled once complete, and provides no clear path for refunds in the event of errors. |
| Auto-Renewal Disclosure | 6/10 | ✓ | Recurring transactions are disclosed, but the language regarding the 'full force and effect' of these authorizations is aggressive. |
| No Hidden Fees | 5/10 | ✗ | Fees are described as variable and subject to change; while a fee page exists, the 'spread' is not always transparently calculated at the moment of trade. |
| Right to Delete Account & Data | 4/10 | ✗ | Users can close accounts, but the company explicitly reserves the right to retain data for legal and regulatory compliance, limiting the 'right to be forgotten.' |
| Fair Dispute Resolution | 0/10 | ✗ | Contains a mandatory binding arbitration agreement, a jury trial waiver, and a class action waiver, effectively stripping consumers of their day in court. |
| Change Notification | 5/10 | ✗ | Changes are effective immediately upon posting. While some states get 30 days' notice, the general policy is to bind users to new terms via continued use. |
Red Flags
- Mandatory binding arbitration and class action waiver (Appendix 5), which prevents users from seeking collective legal redress.
- Unilateral right to amend terms at any time with immediate effect upon posting, forcing users to constantly monitor for changes.
- Disclaimer of liability for platform outages, even when those outages result in significant financial loss for the user.
What Coinbase Could Improve
- Remove the class action waiver to allow consumers to hold the company accountable in a court of law.
- Implement a mandatory 30-day notice period for all material changes to the agreement, rather than making them effective immediately upon posting.
- Provide a clear, simplified 'Key Terms' summary at the beginning of the agreement that highlights fees, risks, and dispute resolution rights in plain English.
This review was conducted by FairPrint's automated scoring system using the Gemini AI model, applying our 10 consumer-rights criteria. Scores reflect the terms as written at the time of review — April 20, 2026. Companies can apply for official certification at any time.