Cryptocurrencies have been making the headlines almost every day these past months. Despite fluctuations, the value of Bitcoin is still very high, and the currencies that follow do very well as well. At the moment of writing this article, one bitcoin is worth over $51,000 and one Ethereum over $4,400.
While trading cryptocurrencies is a popular sport, it was about time we started doing something more valuable with the technology that lies in front of us. Blockchain technology is rapidly evolving, enabling safe and transparent transactions, putting the user first, and cutting the middleman.
Companies have started to get on board with the crypto trend, and an increasing number of businesses are now enabling crypto payments. It’s already no news that you can buy a car, a house, and even your daily coffee with crypto, but many people don’t expect to also be able to pay for everyday services with crypto.
Thanks to increased adoption in crypto from companies all over the world, 2021 marks a new milestone for a large number of services that now allow digital currency payments. Bitcoin users all over the world can now use unique and innovative ways to replace fiat currency payments in their daily lives.
If you are looking to use your hard-earned Bitcoins, there are many ways to spend them on your living expenses. At this pace, businesses that don’t move towards accepting crypto payments in the near future will have a significant disadvantage compared to those who understand the value of this technology and use it.
The following methods are only a handful of the most common ways to pay your bills and invoices using BTC, so keep reading to understand your options.
But first things first, what are bitcoin payment services?
If you’ve been living in 2021, you can’t know about blockchain. Put simply, blockchain technology is a distributed database that stores information in an electronic format. It may not seem that different from traditional databases, but what sets the blockchain apart is the fact that data is structured in blocks of information. The blockchain’s novelty is that it ensures the accuracy and security of a data record and produces trust without the requirement for a trusted third party.
Electronic invoicing is also benefiting from blockchain technology, and it has the ability to change the way transactions are validated, invoices are produced, and payments are made. If used correctly, it can remove the opacity and inefficiency of traditional payment processes.
With blockchain, documents are stored on a decentralized network and may be read and edited by several users at the same time, with a record of who made the changes and when. It is tamper-resistant and transparent. Each record or block is connected and secured by cryptography, and all transactions are viewable to all participants, eliminating the need for a middleman. Using a blockchain-based invoicing system will enable smooth payments to be made automatically from a customer’s digital wallet to a business’s digital wallet. Transactions are simple to track and monitor, and the blockchain can be used to retrieve the whole history of a trade. This is beneficial not only for the customer but also for businesses.
When it comes to the options people and businesses have to pay their bills and invoices with crypto, the environment is still under massive development. Day after day, new and improved options appear, but the most popular and widely used are:
- Crypto bill payment platforms
- Bitcoin debit cards
- Direct to biller options
Crypto bill payment platforms
There are a number of platforms that enable you to pay bills and invoices directly out of your crypto wallet. Some of these platforms convert crypto into fiat currencies before sending it to the recipient, while others allow users to use both crypto and fiat currencies to cover their expenses. Depending on the merchant, some payment platforms may also send the payment in cryptocurrencies, allowing vendors to keep the digital currencies if they wish to do so – a very convenient and important aspect for businesses.
The greatest advantage of using a crypto payment option is transparency, as there are very few risks of fraud for both vendors and users. What’s more, banking fees are replaced with the small fees that these platforms apply, resulting in lower processing costs. Being an online payment system, these platforms allow for great mobility, enabling users to make payments from wherever on the globe and avoid additional fees.
Crypto debit cards
Crypto debit cards may operate in a variety of ways, but the majority use a mechanism that transforms your crypto into fiat cash the minute you swipe your card. You will be charged a tiny processing fee for the transaction, but it will be far less than what some banks would charge you.
You may use your crypto debit card at any shop that accepts credit cards because the seller is just getting fiat dollars. As a result, crypto debit cards are ideal for paying bills. You may also set up automated bill payments with your card, just as you would with a standard credit or debit card.
The main advantages of using crypto debit cards are convenience – you can swipe your card even at vendors that don’t accept crypto payments – enhanced security, and flexibility.
Of course, there are also a few perils users need to look out for, including increased fees from certain debit card providers and the fact that spending crypto on regular expenses can lead to decreased overall profits.
Direct to biller
Given how fast companies are adopting crypto payments, it’s always worth checking with your service providers to see whether they take crypto as a direct form of payment. There is a high chance you will be informed that they already do or plan to do so in the near future. Corporations and governments all around the globe are waking up to the benefits of adopting cryptocurrencies, and it may not be long before you can even pay your taxes in cryptocurrency.
A number of US states, including Arizona and Ohio, have made efforts to allow citizens to pay their taxes using crypto, and while it may take some time to see it implemented correctly, it is still a huge step towards bringing cryptocurrencies into everyday use.
In 2021, a plethora of companies will already allow customers and business partners to use cryptocurrencies as an official payment method, and it’s safe to assume the numbers will only continue to grow in the years to come. The top brands that accept cryptocurrencies include:
- Mastercard
- Visa
- Microsoft
- Tesla
- Amazon
- PayPal
- Sotheby’s Auction House
- Coca Cola
- Lush
