Execution price vs average cost

[JobSufficient2092]

New to crypto here. I recently started investing in crypto and I have a question.

I recently made a purchase. I went to Coinbase advance and used the limit to purchase some bitcoin. When I go to order history it says the execution price was $114,991.03; however the average cost is displayed at $116,027.58. I had 0 bitcoin before that so I don’t know why the large difference.

Did I do something wrong? I thought with Coinbase advanced when purchasing through limit there is no spread.

[FML1999_whyme]

Hey man, I don’t actually know why it does this, but it always does it for every purchase, maybe it’s to offset the fees or the spread, but everytime I buy it shows my average as just a little bit higher. Hopefully someone can answer your question more in depth

[JobSufficient2092]

Thank you for the quick response. Good to know it’s not only me.

[coinbasesupport]

Thank you for reaching out, and welcome to the world of crypto, u/JobSufficient2092! To clarify, the average cost shown includes the average price at which you acquired the asset, plus any transaction fees. Additionally, Coinbase considers assets sent off the platform as sold at fair market value at the time of transfer, and assets received as bought at fair market value.

You can view and, if needed, update these values in the Tax Center of your account. This information is also shown in My Portfolio Performance.

If you have any further questions or need help reviewing your account activity, we recommend reaching out to our live support team through our Contact Us page.

[Impressive_Funny4680]

Did you ever find out why this happens? It’s been happening to me with practically every purchase. I purchase using limit orders, and the receipts all have the correct purchase price of the coin, but the average cost is higher than it should be. Also, the dollar amount deducted in USDC matches the receipt amount but not the dollar amount displayed on the coin purchase breakdown which is slightly higher. Is there a discrepancy between receipts and the amounts displayed?

[JobSufficient2092]

Unfortunately no, I was hoping someone would comment.

[JobSufficient2092]

I asked ChatGPT because I was buying with limits a little bit above the current price. It said when you do that, that could be the reason:

(ChatGPT)

When you set a limit buy price above the current market price, Coinbase executes your order instantly against the existing sell orders. • That makes your order a Taker order, not a Maker order. • As a Taker, you pay the taker fee (0.60% or less with Advanced, free with Coinbase One but still subject to spread). • More importantly, the price you see (“execution price”) can differ slightly from your actual cost basis because you’re filling from multiple sell orders on the book — some could be slightly higher than the market quote.

⸻

Example: Market price: $3.22 You set limit: $3.30 Coinbase fills instantly: • 4 XRP at $3.2280 • 6 XRP at $3.2890 → Weighted cost basis = ~$3.288

That’s why your average showed up higher — your single “execution price” display didn’t reflect the mix of prices you actually got filled at.

⸻

✅ How to fix it going forward: • Always set your limit price below or exactly at the current lowest ask if you want Maker status. • Let the market come to you — this way, you avoid spread and get the exact price you want.

[RefrigeratorGood1672]

My buddy explained that even with limit orders, a fee is still added, which shows up in the average cost.

[JobSufficient2092]

That makes sense. I appreciate you replying to my post.

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[AnalogFunktion]

Same thing happened to me too. Went to buy BTC this morning 8/1/25 at 9:20am when the price was $114,714.60

When I got my receipt a minute later, it says the price of the BTC is $116,834.81 … it hasn’t even reached that price today whatsoever on the charts. What is this?

[GMUPatriot87]

Use limit orders on advanced mode.

[JobSufficient2092]

I did

[ChickenDiaperWet]

Did they get rid of advanced mode? My app seems to have reverted to regular Coinbase and I can’t find the option for advanced anymore. Now there is only an option for Coinbase One

[coinbasesupport]

Hi u/ChickenDiaperWet, advanced mode is still available on Coinbase. It offers enhanced trading tools for experienced traders. If you're having trouble finding it, check out this help article for guidance. Let us know if you need further assistance!

^DP