Cryptocurrency is the future of money, they say, and we couldn’t agree more. Ever since its emergence in 2009, it has grown to become a more convenient way of transacting without any hidden fees or huge transaction costs. For that reason, Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum have made countless people richer.
For the newbies out there who are still familiarizing themselves with how Bitcoin and other cryptos work, we know you might still have questions to ask. For example, where to spend Bitcoin, companies that accept it, and what to purchase with it.
Companies That Accept Bitcoin As Mode of Payment
More companies accept Bitcoin as a mode of payment now than there were two to five years ago. Credit card use is becoming less popular these days when transacting online, thanks to cryptocurrency.
Below are some companies that accept Bitcoin as a mode of payment.
Microsoft
The big retailer and tech giant have long since adopted the use of Bitcoin for purchasing items on the Xbox store, precisely since 2014. Although they paused accepting it at one time due to its volatility, the company has started to accept it again through a partnership with Bitpay.
Home Depot
If you couldn’t find the building material or hardware that you want, there’s a huge possibility that you will find it in Home Depot. This hardware store is the largest in the United States, and luckily for you, they accept Bitcoin payments. If you don’t have enough cash on you to cover the purchase, or maybe you left your credit card at home, you can make use of Bitcoin provided you have it.
Namecheap
Looking for where to purchase domain names and host your website at a welcoming rate? You can go to Namecheap. The good thing about them is you can use Bitcoin to make purchases. You will receive a credit on your account by sending payments in Bitcoin. It’s that easy!
Vultr is another web hosting company that accepts Bitcoin, so you don’t have to be dependent on your credit card to make payment.
Tesla (Inactive)
Like Bill Gates, CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk is another advocate of the worldwide adoption of Bitcoin for making payments and shopping. In February 2021, he announced the purchase of $1.5 billion of Bitcoin and stated that the popular cryptocurrency would be accepted as a means for the payment of his electric vehicles.
It was accepted initially, but the company rescinded its decision a few months later. However, Musk announced in June that Bitcoin would be accepted again if the mining is powered by more than 50% renewable energy.
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market, in partnership with Spend app, allows the use of Bitcoin and Litecoin to purchase foods and groceries via the app. The process is seamless, and users even find it more convenient to use than credit cards.
Overstock
Overstock is a market hub for thousands of household items, furniture, and kitchen items. Not only are they leading the way in the shopping field, but they also accept all kinds of cryptocurrency for payments.
In addition, they act as vendors too, so they are clearly not using cryptocurrency as a marketing strategy for their gain.
CoinCards
CoinCards isn’t a store per se but a service you can use to purchase gift cards using Bitcoin. What this service does is convert your Bitcoin into credit for the gift card store to process. CoinCards is incredibly handy, especially if you want to buy gift cards from merchants that don’t accept Bitcoin.
Like CoinCards, you can also purchase gift cards from over 500 merchants, especially if they don’t accept cryptocurrency. It’s handy and can hide your identity since the service is buying on your behalf.
There are other online websites that don’t accept crypto payments. However, they allow you to earn fractions if you spend on the stores available on the site every day. Example of these websites is Lolli and Fold App. In Lolli, you purchase on stores like Walmart and Godaddy using your credit card, and you earn free Bitcoin in return.
Apart from online stores, sports teams accept cryptos like Bitcoin on their websites for buying game tickets and their merchandise. Examples of these teams are the basketball team Dallas Mavericks and Miami Dolphins. Miami Dolphins don’t only accept Bitcoin, but they also accept Litecoin.
Cell phone network providers AT&T and Virgin Mobile also accept Bitcoin payments. In the Travel niche, Expedia.com and cheapair.com allow travelers to purchase flights using Bitcoin. Surprisingly, the media isn’t left out. Bloomberg and Chicago Sun-Times enable the use of Bitcoin to subscribe to their news outlet.
VPN service providers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN accept the use of Bitcoin as payment.
Other Places Where You Can Spend Bitcoin
Companies, online retailers, and network service providers aren’t the only ones that accept Bitcoin. Non-profit organizations like Wikileaks and Wikipedia allow donations in the form of Bitcoin.
Restaurants like Burger King and Subway allow you to buy snacks and sandwiches using Bitcoin through various apps. Education outfits like Curtin University in Australia, Treehouse, the University of Nicosia in Cyprus accept Bitcoin for their various courses.
Online car marketplaces like BitCars and AutoCoinCars list the prices of their cars in cryptocurrency and fiat currencies.
Spending Bitcoin with a Credit Card
There are a number of different crypto-backed credit cards that will let you spend your Bitcoin literally anywhere Visa or Mastercard is accepted.
Crypto credit or debit cards like Coinbase Card and the Crypto.com credit card let their users seamlessly top up their cards with their Bitcoin balance. Technically your are swapping your BTC for cash but it happens so quickly that it’s almost the same as spending BTC directly.
Sometimes you’ll pay a small fee to top up your card but you can’t beat the unmatched versatility of being able to pay anywhere with BTC.
What Can You Spend Bitcoin On?
Bitcoin is becoming a more viable alternative to fiat currencies, and as such, has become famous for buying things. You can spend Bitcoin on;
- Games at Xbox store
- Gift cards
- Phone cards
- Flights
- VPN subscription
- Furniture and hardware
- Sandwiches, burgers, and fries in restaurants like Burger King
- Groceries
- Cars
- School fees
- Taxis
Conclusion
The question of where to spend Bitcoin is becoming uncommon these days, as many stores, service providers, the travel industry, and even education have adopted its use for payments. You can easily spend your bitcoin on items directly and indirectly.
It’s still worth noting that many companies don’t accept Bitcoin, even when in the same industry as others that accept Bitcoin. An example is Amazon and eBay. However, it’s only a matter of time before these companies and others begin to accept Bitcoin for purchasing goods and services.
