New Businesses Accepting Bitcoin: Shipito, New Age Auto Sales, and more
More and more business are beginning to love Bitcoin. The digital currency has gained a lot of popularity in the last year, and it's not just being accepted by companies, but also by the general public and small businesses.
Bitcoin features incredibly low fees and commissions, so rather than deal with centralized entities, exchanging bitcoins is a lot cheaper because it is peer to peer, bypassing the hefty fees imposed by credit card companies and banks.
Here are some more businesses that have either embraced cryptocurrency or are looking into the possibility of adopting it sometime in the near future.
First Bitcoin Auto Dealership
Believe it or not, several car dealerships in the US have started to sell their cars for bitcoins. In Miami for example, a dealership known as New Age Auto Sales recently adopted the digital currency. They accept Bitcoin as form of payment and they claim to have extremely competitive prices for vehicles. Find the car of your dream and use the world's most popular cryptocurrency to pay for it.
It now joins the rank of another dealership in Oakland, California, which started accepting Bitcoin back in June as reported by Cointelegraph. Wolfreign Motors, a local business whose owners are two motorsports enthusiasts, are striving to share their passion with the people while offering customers a new and convenient payment option.
Shipito Officially Announces that it Now Accepts Bitcoin
After posting on Reddit that they might be considering accepting Bitcoin for payment, Shipito has officially announced that cryptcurrency is now accepted. The announcement was officially made on Twitter. Shipito is an incredibly popular US mail forwarding company. They offer convenient shipping for products, and now that the company is fully integrated with Bitcoin, its customers will benefit from even better shipping rates.
The path towards Bitcoin acceptance appears to have started over a year ago when members on the official Shipito forum asked the company to consider Bitcoin as an option. One user, Brett P explained:
“The 4.3% bank fee for sending funds to shipito is excessive to say the least. Bitcoin has near zero costs for wallet to wallet transfer, and as little as 0.99% using a payment processor such as bitpay.Can Shipito please please pretty please consider Bitcoin as a funding option?”
To which a Shipito employee and forum moderator Zach S replied:
“Hello Brett, We will look into this as a possible payment method. I cannot really promise anything, but I can make the suggestion. Anyone else use Bitcoin? Would be nice to hear others voice there opinions of Bitcoin as I am unfamiliar with them.”
Petrol Station in Malaysia Trades Gas for Bitcoin
A petrol station in Malaysia has just started accepting bitcoins for gas. The owners are extremely excited about the decision and they would like customers to spread the word. The new Bitcoin POS system is up and running and the petrol station even claims to be the first one in Malaysia to go crypto. There were some really cool pictures taken with the gas station too, where you can easily see the Bitcoin logo in the window.
Beyondhealthy.ca Accepts Bitcoin
An online store in Canada, Beyond Healthy, has started to accept bitcoins after one customer, Marcus, sent them a compelling email. Marcus asked the owners to consider the digital currency because it has so many advantages. Here's how he explained things:
"I am a client of yours for a couple of years and I like your website. I promise you won’t regret accepting this new currency (you could do what InfoWars did, use BitPay, the “Paypal” for Bitcoin to make it simple), since Canada is one of the top countries of bitcoin enthusiasts, it would give a boost in your sales for certain."
A few hours later, Marcus got a reply from Beyond Healthy. The company announced that they've just integrated Bitcoin into their payment system.
EyeTrust Vision, the Only Eye Doctor in Miami to Adopt Bitcoin
EyeTrust Vision claims to be the only eye doctor in Miami to accept bitcoins as payment for products and services. The eye care physician argues that the goal of his business is to ensure patient-centered care and achieve excellence. Customers can use bitcoins to purchase glasses from some of the world's most reputable retailers, such as Gucci, Ray Ban, Prada, and more.
Gold Dealer Ditches Credit Card Payments For Bitcoin
Owner of Agora Communities, Joseph Castillo, has recently decided to ditch credit card transactions for Bitcoin.
The company only accepts cryptocurrency for its online sales, thus minimizing fraud risks and accelerating service. Castillo mentions that protecting the business against credit card fraud was tough, so adopting Bitcoin doesn’t just offer increased protection, but also convenient fees.
Ever since the switch to digital currencies, Agora has had US$10 million in revenue. Clients understood and welcomed the initiative, and right now Castillo is planning on building a BTC exchange for clients. His aim is to come up with a one-stop-shop for people's goldbug tendencies, BTC conversions included. He adds:
“Bitcoin fits perfectly with gold and silver, right? So if people come to the site and want to buy gold and silver, why wouldn’t they want to buy Bitcoin from us as well?”
Sanders Field Farm in Sebastopol, California accepts Bitcoin
An organic farm in Sebastopol, California has recently announced on Facebook that they're accepting bitcoins as payment. They even photographed their first sale with Bitcoin - a dozen eggs.
The sustainable living and growing farm is solar powered and adheres to strict organic farming practices. With over 20 years of experience in the business, the farm produces amazing food. Implementing Bitcoin into their payment system is just another way of supporting the principles of decentralization and that the cryptocurrency is a convenient and less expensive way to pay for goods.
Simon Fraser University mulls Bitcoin
Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada, is seriously considering implementing Bitcoin as a payment system. "Digital currencies are here to stay", says SFU executive director of ancillary services, Mark McLaughlin. The university is currently assessing the situation and we could soon see Bitcoin ATMs appearing in campus bookstores.
“It would be about creating somewhat of an ecosystem on our campus, [...]. It’s one thing to accept Bitcoin. If there were some ATMs around the campuses, at least it’d make it easier for students to obtain Bitcoin.”
For the record, however, the SFU is not looking to accept Bitcoin for tuition yet.
AmagiMetals seriously considers ditching the dollar for Bitcoin
Amagi Metals, an online dealer in precious coins and metals, has recently announced that they will ditch the dollar for Bitcoin at the end of 2016. Stephen Macaskill, CEO for Amagi Metals, has been a digital currency advocate since 2012. He wants customers to be prepared for the change, and that's why he mentioned that conversion to Bitcoin will happen in 2016. He adds:
“We want to be a leader in the sound money movement, [...]. With the adoption of cryptocurrencies increasing every day, their viability is virtually assured. History shows that paper currency, backed by nothing of value, will ultimately fail. It’s only a matter of time until no one will be accepting the dollar. By trading exclusively in cryptocurrencies, we’ll still be in business when that time comes.”
Amagi Metals is a cryptocurrency backer since 2012. They're mainly focused on Bitcoin, and apparently, over 40% of the accounts trade bitcoins for gold, silver, and so on. To support Amagi and the digital world, investment guru David Morgan, recently mentioned in an interview:
“Obviously the world is trying to come up with an alternative to the top-down, banker driven financial system where power is concentrated. Cryptocurrencies are a very clear effort to combat this. It’s no wonder Amagi is rethinking their payment policies.”