Bitcoin came out in 2009 and initially nobody knew what it was. But nowadays it’s the cool (actually really hot) way to shop. If you might have wondered “How do you spend Bitcoin?” or “Where can I spend Bitcoins?”, this is the right place for you.
Well, Let’s start talking about how and where you can use your Bitcoins
Where Сan I Use Bitcoins?
First off, let’s talk about online shops
Online Retailers
More and more websites are starting to accept Bitcoin. Such as Overstock.com being one of the first large online retailers to accept Bitcoin. For your tech geeks out there, Newegg accepts Bitcoin for electronic products. Microsoft also allows you to spend Bitcoin on apps, games, and other digital treats in their store. And many small shops on Shopify these days are really into Bitcoin.
Physical Shops
It’s not even limited to the internet anymore, some physical stores are accepting Bitcoin as well. Such as using Bitcoin to pay for groceries at Whole Foods through a certain type of payment network called Flexa. And for the Starbucks fanatics out there, in some locations you can actually pay for your coffee with Bitcoin if you use apps such as Bakkt.
Travel and Hospitality
Bitcoin is working its way even into travel and hotels. You can book flights and hotels on Expedia using Bitcoin, but you would have to use some sort of service like BitPay. Then there’s Travala, where you can book hotels and flights and whatever using Bitcoin. Airbnb itself doesn’t accept Bitcoin, but you can buy Airbnb gift cards with Bitcoin.
Restaurants and Food Delivery
Bitcoin is even revolutionizing food and restaurants. You can even pay for food delivery or going out to eat in some cities using Bitcoin. For example, you can buy Uber Eats gift cards with Bitcoin and use them on the app. In Europe, Takeaway.com allows you to pay for your takeout orders with Bitcoin.
How Can I Spend My Bitcoins?
Using a Bitcoin wallet
Spending Bitcoin is actually pretty straightforward. With a few clicks of a button, you pull out your Bitcoin wallet app, scan the QR code at the store (or type in their Bitcoin address), type how much you want to spend, and click send.
Bitcoin Debit Cards
Another expenditure of Bitcoin is debit cards. Which are basically regular debit cards except they are full of Bitcoin. It’s called a “Coinbase card” and it is connected to your Coinbase account and works anywhere that accepts Visa. The other good one is the Bybit Card which is accepted any place that takes MasterCard. Then you have Wirex, which gives you rewards for spending Bitcoin using their prepaid Visa card.
Gift Cards
However, even if you do find a store that doesn’t take straight Bitcoin, you can always buy gift cards with it. Websites like Bitrefill and Gyft offer gift cards for lots of stores, from Amazon to Walmart.
Peer-to-Peer Transactions
For p2p like paying a friend or selling to a person, the best thing to do is simply transferring Bitcoins from your wallet to theirs using their Bitcoin address.
How to Spend Bitcoins Anonymously
Using VPN
Privacy is important for many people using Bitcoin. That’s one way to keep private, through a VPN, which masks your IP addresses and maintains a secure internet connection.
Bitcoin Mixing Services
There are these bitcoin mixers (tumblers) where they mix your bitcoin with other people’s bitcoin so that it becomes more difficult to trace. But many of these are very unethical, even illegal.
Privacy-Enabled Wallet
Then there are these so-called privacy wallets like Wasabi Wallet or Samourai Wallet, that offer extra privacy on your Bitcoin transactions.
Conclusion
At last, Bitcoin has gone from an odd unknown thing to a legitimate form of payment. Therefore, online shopping, traveling, or even just going to get a cup of coffee, having the availability to use Bitcoin, makes life a hell of a lot easier. So the next time you’ve got Bitcoin and aren’t sure what to do with it, you’ll be ready!
We wish you a good shopping experience!
