Major stores that accept bitcoin as payment in 2021?
Bitcoin has become a popular method of payment, even without businesses accepting the currency directly. Many bitcoin enthusiasts have instead made use of a crypto exchange to convert any of their cryptocurrency holdings to fiat money before making a purchase. While accepting crypto has made sense for some business owners, those in niche retail locations have held off on this front, instead looking to the major stores to take the lead. Although this list continues to grow, here are nine major stores that have begun to accept bitcoin as payment.
1.BMW
Many BMW dealerships across the United Kingdom and the United States now accept bitcoin for purchases of luxury vehicles.
2. AT & T
The U.S. mobile carrier has provided options for customers to use cryptocurrency as their payment method. When paying online bills on the myAT&T app, customers are redirected to the cryptocurrency payment processor, BitPay. BitPay certifies the bitcoins used in purchases and accepts the cryptocurrency on behalf of AT&T.
3. Etsy
Etsy, a platform known for offering vintage, handmade, and craft items, provides sellers with an option to accept Bitcoin payment. To do so, vendors can enable “other” payment options in the finance section of their Etsy Shop Manager. Currently, over 100 vendors have already enabled this option on their online stores.
4. Twitch
Twitch, the video streaming service owned by Amazon, has recently announced an option to pay for their services using Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash. To help promote this offering, subscribers were offered a 10% discount if they paid with cryptocurrencies.Twitch has partnered with BitPay to process cryptocurrency payments.
5. Overstock
Overstock.com is a well-known online retailer based in Utah, United States. The company specializes in providing consumers with big-ticket items that have been “overstocked” at a lower cost. Some of these items include electronics, rugs, and other home decor items. To make bitcoin transactions possible, Overstock partnered with the cryptocurrency platform, Coinbase. Those already holding bitcoin can select the “Pay with Bitcoin” button under “Payment Information” on the website’s checkout page. Once users submit their order, they are redirected to Coinbase where they are prompted for their bitcoin address.
6. Shopify
Shopify, a leading e-commerce company, is renowned for allowing merchants to sell products online. In 2015, the platform enabled small business owners to accept bitcoin payments through the platform BitPay.
7. Restaurant Brands International
Restaurant Brands International (ticker: QSR) is known as the parent company of the well-known fast-food chains Tim Hortons and Burger King. Earlier in 2020, Burger King in Venezuela announced its acceptance of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in collaboration with Cryptobuyer. Cryptobuyer oversees the conversion of cryptocurrencies with fiat money on behalf of the business. Although not all locations accept bitcoin yet, other countries, including Germany, have piloted similar initiatives.
8. Whole Foods
Whole Foods is known as one of the most recognizable grocery stores around the world, with locations in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. To accept bitcoin at its stores, Whole Foods partnered with Flexa’s “Spedn” app, a new mobile wallet. The setup is similar to Apple Pay and converts consumer’s bitcoin to USD in real-time to be paid back to the merchant.
9. Microsoft
The tech giant and computer manufacturer Microsoft, was one of the first large companies to accept Bitcoin as an official payment. Their online platform allowed users to add bitcoin to their Microsoft account, which could be used to buy anything from Windows 10 licenses to movies, apps, and games.
Although this is far from a comprehensive list of all the major players who are now accepting bitcoin payments, one thing is certain. Many large players believe in the future of bitcoin and will continue to assist in the push to its widespread adoption.