Today, around 46 million Americans own Bitcoin. This huge cryptocurrency has quickly become the most valuable, with just one coin currently worth around $60,000. And, while many buy Bitcoin as an investment, the overall goal is for it to replace traditional currencies. But for this to become possible, companies need to start accepting Bitcoin as a valid payment.
So, which big companies accept Bitcoin today? Where can you spend your Bitcoin?
1. Home Depot
Need to do some DIY on a Bitcoin budget? Home Depot has you covered. The company announced its decision to accept Bitcoin in 2019, most likely seeing its increasing relevancy and usage in the US. This huge DIY and appliances store accepts Bitcoin as payment using a payment system called Flexa, a payments startup founded in 2019. So head to Home Depot if you’re looking to buy your next load of hardware and DIY products using Bitcoin.
2. Starbucks
You’re really living in modern times when you can buy your morning latte using cryptocurrency. Well, this is almost the case here, but not directly. Starbucks decided to begin testing crypto payments in certain locations in March of 2020.
You can use the Bakkt cryptocurrency conversion app to convert your Bitcoin into US dollars, which is then transferred onto your balance on the Starbucks app. So, via these two apps, you can pay for your products at Starbucks, though you might want to do it beforehand.
3. PayPal
Just last year, the popular online payment system PayPal announced its acceptance of cryptocurrencies to support the continued integration of cryptocurrency into our modern world. Essentially, PayPal will accept your Bitcoin payment, then convert it into the local currency to pay the company where you are buying a product or service.
But PayPal isn’t stopping there. The company also aims to educate customers on cryptocurrency by providing educational content to help more people grasp how it all works. Pretty forward-thinking!
4. Etsy
Etsy is a great online marketplace for homemade and unique items. And, though it doesn’t directly accept Bitcoin payments, it allows its sellers to accept payments via Bitcoin, which gives the seller the choice of traditional fiat currency or cryptocurrency. So, if a buyer is offering such a payment, sellers can contact them with their Bitcoin payment address and go from there.
5. AT&T
In 2019, telecommunications giant AT&T announced that they’d be accepting cryptocurrency payments in the form of Bitcoin. However, this has to be done via a third-party service called BitPay. BitPay essentially verifies your Bitcoin payment and accepts it on behalf of AT&T. But BitPay, like many third-party payment providers, takes a small cut of this payment, so AT&T might evolve onward from external payment verification in the future.
6. Subway
Yes, Subway accepts Bitcoin payments! But this isn’t true for every single store. You can exchange Bitcoin for Subway meal items, but make sure you research the specific shop you want to go to beforehand to check whether or not they accept cryptocurrency.
7. ExpressVPN
Back in 2014, the popular VPN service ExpressVPN began accepting Bitcoin. Like AT&T, ExpressVPN accepts Bitcoin payments via BitPay and several other Bitcoin wallets, including Copay, Coinbase, Blockchain Wallet, and Electrum Wallet. This allows you to pay for the service securely and anonymously.
8. Whole Foods
Whole Foods accepts Bitcoin payments using the Flexa payment system, like Home Depot. Flexa is already used at around 30,000 locations, and this number is growing with the ever-increasing popularity of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Instead of directly giving the companies you spend money with cryptocurrency, the system converts cryptocurrency to the required currency. So, on your next grocery trip, give crypto payment a go if you’re in the market for it!
9. Twitch
Twitch has become a huge streaming service over the past few years, hosting tens of thousands of streamers around the clock. In fact, Twitch has even gone so far as to encourage users to buy services on the site using cryptocurrency, offering a 10% discount if such a payment method is used. You can use Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Bitcoin Cash, and more to pay using cryptocurrency on Twitch.
Like Home Depot and Whole Foods, Twitch uses BitPay to process all crypto-based payments. So keep that in mind if you want to switch to cryptocurrency when buying services on Twitch.
10. Wikipedia
While you may think Wikipedia has no reason to accept payments, it accepts donations to keep the website running (given that all content provided there is free to access). Wikipedia has paired up with Coinbase, an American cryptocurrency exchange platform, to facilitate this change. You can probably read about it on Wikipedia…
11. Burger King
In 2016, Burger King stores in the Netherlands began accepting Bitcoin as payment. Since then, American Burger King locations have also moved to accept cryptocurrency alongside traditional payment methods. To do this, Burger King has formed a partnership with Cryptobuyer, a startup that deals with cryptocurrency exchanges.
However, not every Burger King location accepts Bitcoin yet, so check if your local store does before giving it a try.
12. Microsoft
Microsoft has been accepting Bitcoin for some time now, since 2014. This payment option was removed for a few years amid the Bitcoin scandal of 2014, where the cryptocurrency’s largest exchange collapsed after a massive hack. However, in January of 2021, Microsoft decided to reinstate this payment option. You can use Bitcoin to pay for services on Xbox, Windows Phone, the Microsoft app store, and more.
13. Shopify
Shopify is a well-known online marketplace that allows anyone to start an e-commerce store. What’s more, Shopify allows sellers to accept payments in Bitcoin, just like Etsy. The site also allows for the acceptance of Ethereum, Litecoin, and hundreds of more cryptocurrencies. So, if you’re a Shopify seller looking to accumulate more crypto funds, this could be a great option for you.
14. Namecheap
If you’re looking to grab your own website domain, Namecheap is a great option to try. And, you guessed it, they accept Bitcoin payments! What’s more, there’s no third party involved, allowing you to purchase your domain names directly via Bitcoin.
Who Knows Where Bitcoin Will Pop Up Next?
With more and more companies adding Bitcoin to their accepted payment methods, there’s no knowing how prevalent Bitcoin payments may become over the next few years, along with the numerous other cryptocurrencies that are now being accepted by various companies. Crypto may truly be the currency of the future!
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