You inserted your cash.
The machine confirmed.
You left.
Now your Bitcoin has not arrived, or the machine froze, or you did not get a receipt.
The feeling in your stomach right now is a mix of panic and frustration, and both are understandable.
This “What To Do” guide covers every common problem that happens at a CoinTime ATM, with specific steps for each situation.
Most issues have straightforward explanations.
Very few require anything more than waiting or making one phone call.
Read the section that matches your situation and follow the steps in order.
Before anything else: do not leave the machine’s location if the problem happened within the last 30 minutes. The machine’s session logs are still active, the store has cameras covering the last 30 minutes, and our support team can pull real-time data if you are still on site. Leaving before you contact support makes resolution slower.
My Bitcoin Has Not Arrived Yet
First: understand what actually happened
When you confirm your transaction at the machine, CoinTime’s system broadcasts a transaction to the Bitcoin network.
This means the Bitcoin has left CoinTime’s wallet and is in transit.
It has not disappeared.
It is waiting in a queue called the mempool to be picked up by a miner and added to the blockchain.
The machine does not control how long this takes.
The Bitcoin network is a global, decentralised system.
During normal conditions, transactions confirm within 5 to 60 minutes.
During periods of high network activity, confirmation can take several hours.
Step 1: Check your transaction ID on the blockchain
Your printed receipt contains a transaction ID, also called a TXID.
It looks like a long string of letters and numbers.
Open a browser on your phone and go to mempool space.
Paste the transaction ID into the search bar and press enter.
What you see tells you exactly what is happening:
- Transaction shows as unconfirmed or pending: Your Bitcoin is in the mempool waiting for a miner. It has not been lost. Wait.
- Transaction shows as confirmed with 1 or more confirmations: The Bitcoin has reached the blockchain. If it is not showing in your wallet, the issue is with your wallet app. Refresh the app, check that it is connected to the internet, and check that you are looking at the correct wallet address.
- No transaction found: Wait 20 to 30 minutes after your purchase before searching, as broadcasts can take time to appear in the explorer. If after 40 minutes there is still no result, contact CoinTime support.
Step 2: Check your wallet app
Open your Bitcoin wallet app and pull down to refresh.
Make sure the app has an internet connection.
If the transaction appears on mempool.space as confirmed but is not showing in your wallet, the wallet may need to resync.
In most wallet apps, this means going to settings and selecting Resync or Refresh wallet.
This does not delete your funds.
It simply forces the app to re-read the blockchain.
Also confirm that you are looking at the correct address.
If you have multiple wallets or multiple addresses within the same wallet, check that the address on your receipt matches the one you are looking at in the app.
Step 3: How long should you wait?
| Time Since Purchase | What To Do | When To Contact Support |
| Under 20 minutes | Wait. Normal processing time. | Not yet needed. |
| 20 to 60 minutes | Check mempool.space with your TXID. | If no transaction is found after 40 minutes. |
| 1 to 3 hours | Transaction is likely delayed by network congestion. Continue waiting. | If still unconfirmed after 3 hours. |
| Over 3 hours | Contact CoinTime support with your receipt. | Yes. Call or submit a ticket now. |
Keep your printed receipt.
The transaction ID on it is the single most useful piece of information our support team needs to locate and investigate your transaction.
The Machine Took My Cash But Gave No Receipt
This is more common than you might think, and it is almost never a sign that the transaction did not go through.
The bill acceptor and the receipt printer are separate hardware components.
A transaction can complete successfully even if the printer runs out of paper or malfunctions.
What to do immediately
Do not leave the location.
Every CoinTime machine logs every bill inserted into the validator as a hardware event, independent of the software transaction record.
This means even if no receipt was printed and no transaction ID was shown on screen, our system has a record of the cash you deposited, tied to the session started with your phone number.
Write down or photograph:
- The machine’s location address
- The exact time you inserted your cash
- The amount you deposited
- Your phone number used for verification
- Any partial information shown on screen before the issue occurred
Then contact CoinTime support with this information.
Our team can pull the hardware log from that specific machine at that specific time and confirm your deposit.
We can then provide you with the transaction ID so you can track the transfer.
Can I get a digital receipt?
Yes.
If the transaction is processed successfully but the physical receipt did not print, contact CoinTime support with your phone number and the machine location.
We can look up the transaction associated with your verification session and send you the transaction details by email or text.
The Machine Froze or Went Offline During My Transaction
This situation has two possible outcomes depending on what stage the freeze occurred.
If the freeze happened before you inserted cash
Your money was never in the machine.
You can safely walk away, find another CoinTime location, or try the same machine again after a few minutes.
Machines sometimes restart automatically after a connectivity issue.
If the freeze happened after you inserted cash
Do not leave.
Stay at the location and call CoinTime support using the number displayed on the machine’s screen or at cointimeatm.com.
While you wait, write down the time, the machine location, the amount inserted, and your phone number.
If the machine rebooted mid-session, our system may have captured a partial transaction.
Support can check the hardware log and determine whether your cash was recorded and whether the transaction needs to be completed manually.
In most cases where cash was inserted and the machine lost power or connectivity, the funds are recoverable.
The machine’s internal hardware controller logs every bill accepted before the software crash occurred.
This log is independent of the screen display and is retrieved by our technical team during fault analysis.
The Machine Would Not Scan My Wallet QR Code
QR scanning failures are one of the most common user-side issues and are almost always fixable on the spot.
Fix 1: Increase your phone’s screen brightness
The most common reason a QR code scan fails is that the phone screen is not bright enough for the machine’s camera to read it.
Go to your phone’s display settings and turn brightness to maximum.
Then try the scan again, holding the phone steady and flat in front of the scanner.
Fix 2: Clean the scanner window
The camera lens on the machine can accumulate dust or smudges.
Look for the scanner window, usually located just below or beside the screen.
If it looks dirty, gently wipe it with a clean cloth or tissue and try again.
Fix 3: Try a different QR code format
Some older Bitcoin ATM models do not support all address formats.
If your wallet is generating a Native SegWit address starting with bc1,
and the scan is consistently failing,
try switching your wallet to generate a Legacy address starting with 1 or a P2SH address starting with 3.
Most wallet apps let you do this in the receive settings.
Fix 4: Enter the address manually
All CoinTime machines allow you to type your Bitcoin wallet address manually as an alternative to scanning.
Select the manual entry option on screen and type your address character by character.
Before confirming, compare every character on the machine’s screen against your wallet app.
A single incorrect character means the Bitcoin will be sent to a different address and cannot be recovered.
I Think I Sent Bitcoin To The Wrong Address
This is the most serious issue in this guide, and it requires immediate honesty: Bitcoin transactions are irreversible.
Once a transaction is confirmed on the blockchain, there is no mechanism to reverse it, and no authority, including CoinTime, that can retrieve funds sent to an incorrect address.
If you just confirmed the transaction and it has not yet been broadcast or confirmed, contact CoinTime support immediately.
In extremely rare circumstances, if the transaction is still pending in the mempool and has not yet been picked up by a miner, there may be a narrow technical window.
Do not wait.
Call support now.
If the transaction is already confirmed, the funds are at the address they were sent to.
If you made a typing error and the address belongs to no one, the Bitcoin is effectively lost.
If the address belongs to someone else, you can try contacting the owner but there is no legal or technical requirement for them to return it.
Going forward: always verify the first four and last four characters of the wallet address shown on the machine’s screen against your wallet app before pressing confirm. This 10-second check prevents the most common wrong-address errors.
My Identity Verification Failed or SMS Code Did Not Arrive
SMS code not received
Wait 60 seconds before assuming the code has not been sent.
Carrier delays are common.
If after 60 seconds the code has not arrived, check that you entered your phone number correctly.
One transposed digit is the most frequent cause.
Try the request again.
If after a second attempt the code still has not arrived, check that your phone has a signal and is not set to block messages from unknown numbers.
VOIP numbers, Google Voice numbers, and some prepaid SIM numbers cannot receive SMS verification codes from financial services platforms.
If you are using one of these, try a standard mobile number instead.
ID scan failed
Common reasons for a failed ID scan include an expired document, a barcode that could not be read due to wear or damage, and a facial verification that did not match.
Try holding the ID flat and steady at the distance the screen indicates.
If the scan continues to fail, try slightly adjusting the angle.
If the document is genuinely expired or damaged, you will need a valid replacement ID before the machine can process your transaction.
Verification consistently failing on a specific machine
Contact CoinTime support and describe the machine location and the error message displayed.
Some verification issues are caused by a calibration fault on the machine’s scanner that our technical team can address remotely or by dispatching a technician.
The Machine Rejected My Transaction or Said My Limit Was Exceeded
This is a normal operational message, not a machine malfunction.
It means one of the following:
- You have reached your daily transaction limit at your current verification level. Completing a higher verification tier will unlock a higher limit.
- The machine’s location is in a state with a regulatory cap that is lower than the operator’s standard limit. California caps all users at $1,000 per day regardless of verification level, for example.
- You have attempted a transaction that would bring your daily total across multiple machines above the allowed threshold. Daily limits apply across all CoinTime transactions in a single calendar day, not per machine.
If you believe the rejection was in error and your limit should not have been reached, contact CoinTime support with your phone number and the machine location.
Our team can check your transaction history and confirm the correct limit that applies to your situation.
The Cash Dispenser Did Not Give Me My Money When Selling Bitcoin
This applies to two-way machines where you send Bitcoin to the machine and expected cash in return.
If the machine confirmed your Bitcoin but did not dispense cash, do not leave the location.
This is a hardware fault and our support team needs you to still be on site to handle it properly.
Call CoinTime support immediately using the number on the machine.
While you wait, do not attempt to touch, open, or force the cash dispenser slot.
The machine’s internal log records the Bitcoin it received and the cash dispensing attempt.
If the dispenser jammed or ran out of cash mid-transaction, this event is captured in the fault log.
Our support team will arrange for the cash to be provided either through a manual process at the location or,
if that is not possible, through a bank transfer or alternative resolution.
I Think I Was Scammed Using a CoinTime Machine
If someone directed you to a CoinTime machine, told you to deposit cash, gave you a QR code to scan,
and claimed to be from a bank, government agency, law enforcement, or a prize promotion, you were scammed.
This is not a CoinTime system failure.
It is fraud committed against you by a third party using our machine as the transfer mechanism.
Act immediately.
Speed matters because scammers move funds as soon as they receive them.
- Call CoinTime support now. If the funds have not yet moved from the receiving wallet, there may be a narrow window to work with law enforcement. The transaction ID on your receipt is critical.
- File a report with the FBI at ic3.gov. Include your receipt, the QR code or wallet address you were given, any phone numbers the scammer used, and notes on what was said.
- File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- Call your bank to report the cash withdrawal if the cash came from your account.
- Contact your state attorney general’s office.
Recovery of Bitcoin already sent to a scammer is extremely rare.
The most realistic outcome of reporting is contributing to investigations that may prevent the same operation from victimising others.
CoinTime cooperates fully with law enforcement investigations involving our machines.
If you have filed a police report, provide the report number when contacting CoinTime support and our compliance team will assist the investigating agency with the records they need.
Refund and Dispute Policy
This section explains exactly what CoinTime can and cannot do for each situation.
We have structured this as a clear table because we believe users deserve to know upfront rather than finding out after a long support call.
| Situation | Refund or Resolution Available? | How Long It Takes |
| Machine took cash, transaction never broadcast | Yes. Full refund after investigation. | 2 to 5 business days. |
| Transaction broadcast but Bitcoin not yet received | No refund needed. Wait for confirmation. | 10 minutes to several hours. |
| Bitcoin sent to wrong address due to user input error | No. Bitcoin transactions are irreversible. | Not applicable. |
| Machine dispensed less cash than expected when selling | Yes. Dispute reviewed and resolved. | 2 to 5 business days. |
| Receipt not printed but transaction completed normally | Digital receipt provided. No monetary refund. | Same day via support. |
| Machine froze after cash inserted, transaction unclear | Investigation opened. Refund if transaction did not complete. | 2 to 5 business days. |
| Verified scam victim using CoinTime machine | Investigation and law enforcement cooperation. Monetary recovery unlikely but not impossible. | Ongoing per law enforcement timeline. |
| Duplicate transaction charged in error | Yes. Full refund of duplicate amount. | 2 to 3 business days. |
| Transaction declined before cash accepted | No refund needed. No cash was taken. | Not applicable. |
To open a dispute or refund request, contact CoinTime support at cointimeatm.com with the following information ready: your phone number used at the machine,
the machine location,
the date and approximate time of the transaction,
the amount deposited or expected, and your transaction ID if you have one.
The more information you provide at the start, the faster the resolution.
How To Contact CoinTime Support
CoinTime offers 24/7 support.
There is always a live team member available regardless of the time you are calling.
Phone and text support
The CoinTime support number is displayed on every machine screen.
It is also available at cointimeatm.com.
You can call or send a text message.
If you are calling from a machine location where something has just gone wrong, tell the agent you are still on site.
This allows them to pull your session data while it is still active.
Online support ticket
For non-urgent matters or for submitting documentation, visit cointimeatm.com and use the support form.
When submitting a ticket, include your phone number, machine location, transaction ID if available, and a clear description of what happened.
The more specific you are, the faster the response.
What to have ready when you contact support
- Your phone number used at the machine
- The machine location: store name, address, or city
- The date and exact time of your transaction
- The amount of cash you inserted or expected to receive
- Your transaction ID from the receipt, if you have one
- Any error messages or codes that appeared on screen
- Photos of the screen or the machine if you took any
How To Track Your Transaction Without a Receipt
A receipt is the fastest route to your transaction ID, but it is not the only one.
If you did not receive a receipt, you can still locate your transaction using your wallet address.
Open mempool.space in your browser.
Instead of searching by transaction ID, search by your Bitcoin wallet address.
The explorer will show every transaction that has been sent to or from that address, including the one from your CoinTime purchase.
Look for a transaction matching the approximate amount and time of your visit.
If you are not sure of your wallet address or you used a different wallet, contact CoinTime support with your phone number and the machine location.
Our system records the wallet address associated with every transaction alongside the phone number used for verification.
We can retrieve the transaction record and provide you with the ID.
How to Spot a Fake CoinTime Support Number or Scam Sticker
Scammers sometimes place physical stickers on Bitcoin ATMs displaying a fake support number.
Calling this number connects you to a fraudster, not to CoinTime.
The only legitimate CoinTime support number is the one displayed on the machine’s own digital screen, not on any physical label stuck to the machine’s exterior.
If you see a handwritten or printed sticker on the machine with a phone number, do not call it.
Remove it if you can safely do so, photograph it, and report it to CoinTime support using the number from the machine screen or from cointimeatm.com.
CoinTime support will never ask you for your wallet’s private key, your seed phrase, or any payment to resolve your issue.
Any person claiming to be CoinTime support who asks for these things is not from CoinTime.
FAQs
- What happens if the CoinTime ATM takes my cash but does not send Bitcoin?
In most cases, the transaction has been broadcast and is simply waiting for blockchain confirmation.
Check mempool.space with your transaction ID.
If no transaction appears after 40 minutes, call CoinTime support immediately from the machine’s location if possible.
Every bill inserted is logged by the hardware system independently of the software, so your deposit is on record even if the screen did not confirm it.
- Can I get a refund if I was scammed using a CoinTime ATM?
CoinTime cooperates fully with fraud investigations and will provide all available transaction data to law enforcement.
However, because Bitcoin transactions are irreversible on the blockchain, CoinTime cannot unilaterally return funds that have been sent to a scammer’s address.
The best chance of any recovery is filing immediately with the FBI at ic3.gov while the transaction is fresh and the funds may not yet have been moved further.
- How do I know if my CoinTime transaction actually went through?
If the machine displayed a confirmation screen and printed a receipt, the transaction was broadcast to the network.
Check the transaction ID from your receipt on mempool.space.
If it appears there, even as unconfirmed, the transaction exists on the network and will complete once miners process it.
If nothing appears on mempool.space after 40 minutes, contact support.
- Why is my CoinTime transaction still pending after several hours?
Extended pending times are caused by high network congestion.
When the Bitcoin mempool is full, transactions with lower fee rates wait longer.
CoinTime sets competitive fee rates but cannot control network conditions.
Visit mempool.space and look at the current mempool backlog.
If thousands of transactions are ahead of yours, the delay is network-wide, not specific to your transaction.
Continue waiting.
- What should I do if a CoinTime machine appears to have been tampered with?
Do not use the machine.
Do not insert cash.
Photograph the machine if it is safe to do so.
Report the location to CoinTime support immediately using the number from the machine screen or at cointimeatm.com.
Signs of tampering include stickers covering the screen or QR code area,
a QR code that does not match the one generated by the machine software,
and any unusual physical attachment to the card reader area or scanner.
- How do I contact CoinTime if I cannot find a receipt?
Call or text CoinTime support with your phone number, the machine location, the date, the time, and the amount.
Our system links every transaction to the phone number used for verification.
Even without a receipt, we can locate your transaction record using these details.
