Whether you’re cashing in on profits, or simply looking to spend your cryptocurrency holdings rather than your fiat, you’ll need to know how to do so.
Major cryptocurrencies like Ethereum (ETH) and Bitcoin (BTC) are somewhat widely accepted as payment assets, at least with digital retailers. But even if you’re unable to spend your Ethereum directly with a retailer, there is likely a way for you to still use it as your payment method. In this guide, we’ll show you the various ways in which you can pay with Ethereum including directly, with crypto debit cards, and through gift cards.
Ethereum Payments
As the second largest cryptocurrency by market cap, there are many ETH holders, perhaps even yourself, who want to be able to use it as a payment method. Luckily, there are a variety of ways to do so. Below we’ve outlined some of the most common ways to pay with Ethereum.
Paying with ETH Directly
There are a couple different ways to pay with Ethereum directly. The first way is through payment gateways provided by processors such as BitPay or NowPayments, and the second is directly on marketplaces on the Ethereum blockchain.
Payment Gateways
BitPay, NowPayments, and other crypto payment gateways can be implemented by retailers as a way to accept Ethereum (and other cryptocurrencies) on their sites. With this type of payment, you’ll be given an Ethereum (or another digital asset) wallet address to send ETH to. In order to use this method, your ETH will need to be held on an external wallet (not on a crypto exchange) such as MetaMask or Trust Wallet.
When you go to checkout on a site that accepts crypto, you select the asset you wish to pay in, and then the site automatically creates an exchange rate and provides you with a deposit address. You simply send the amount of ETH specified at checkout to the address provided. Once the funds are confirmed to be deposited at the provided address, your transaction will be completed as if you used a credit card or more traditional payment method. Not every site will have this option, so you’ll have to use another method mentioned in this guide if they don’t.
Ethereum Marketplaces
The easiest way to pay with Ethereum is directly on Ethereum marketplaces such as OpenSea. These types of marketplaces only offer Ethereum-based assets such as NFTs, but are one of the easiest ways to spend ETH as it is often the only acceptable payment method.
Crypto Debit Cards
Cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Gemini offer users a crypto debit card backed by Mastercard or Visa. BitPay offers a Mastercard for users as well. These debit cards can be used anywhere Visa or Mastercard is accepted, and can be funded with a variety of digital assets including Ethereum. In order to get one of these cards you’ll need to register for the exchange, complete identity verification, and then sign up to receive the card. Some sites currently have waiting lists, while others give you an immediate digital option to use while a physical card is sent to you.
To spend Ethereum using one of these cards, you’ll either need to load the ETH into some type of spending account, where it will be automatically converted when you make a purchase, or pre-convert the ETH when loading the card. The former option is more desirable as it means you pay with an exchange rate that is based upon time of purchase, whereas with the latter you are stuck with whatever the rate was at the time of loading the card. You then simply enter your card details at checkout as if you were using a Visa or Mastercard to pay with the Ethereum you loaded onto the card.
Gift Cards
The final way to pay with Ethereum is a little more unorthodox, but can be just as effective. Rather than registering with an exchange and getting a crypto debit card, you can use a site like BitRefill to buy a gift card for the store you’re looking to purchase from. This is a good alternative if you want to keep your crypto holdings off an exchange or are simply trying to stay more anonymous.
To spend Ethereum with gift cards, you simply go to a site like BitRefill. Then find the site you want a gift card for and enter the amount you want on the gift card. The platform will automatically figure out a conversion to ETH, and then like the payment gateways it will provide you with a deposit address for you to send the ETH to. Once the transaction is confirmed, you’ll be given the relevant gift card which you can spend on the site just like you would with a normal gift card given to you by friends, family, or loved ones.
