Shopping with Crypto: More Than 240 Locations in Slovenia Accept Payment Via New App

The team behind a mobile application enabling shoppers to pay with crypto at online and brick-and-mortar stores has unveiled new features and a redesign — enabling consumers to shop as post-New Year sales are in full swing.

Eligma, a startup dedicated to smart commerce and blockchain advocacy, says the latest version of its Elipay app has been built with simplicity in mind. As well as offering immediate payments with selected cryptocurrencies, free transfers between users worldwide, balance and transaction history, and loyalty rewards, the app also now enables enhanced store navigation and discovery.

More than 240 locations now accept Elipay as a payment method, and the app update has sought to make it easier for shoppers to find new places where they can spend their crypto. Users can search for stores and service providers in their vicinity, or browse outlets by category. Moreover, Elipay created a feature which they can save their favorite venues — meaning contact details and opening hours — are never more than a click away.

The app is currently available on Google Play and the App Store. Since its launch, it has enabled users to make payments using Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and the specially created ELI token — as well as transfer funds to other Elipay users worldwide. There is also a referral program, offering users rewards in Bitcoin for recommending Elipay to friends.

Elipay in action

From bars and restaurants to shops and salons, Eligma says its platform is being accepted by a rich variety of venues — meaning it is possible to pay using crypto for the entire day. Elipay users can kick off their day with an indulgent piece of cake at a premium hotel, challenge themselves in escape rooms, indulge in retail therapy, sip a cocktail at a trendy bar and enjoy high-end cuisine without ever resorting to fiat.

All of these venues can be found in the tiny Central European country of Slovenia, which is quickly becoming a hub for crypto, as it pursues the title of “Europe’s Silicon Valley.” Eligma claims that the nation boasts one of the world’s highest concentrations of crypto-friendly locations per capita — with Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, hitting global headlines with the launch of “Bitcoin City,” a collaboration between Eligma and the BTC City shopping and business center, one of the biggest in Europe.

The company says buzz about Elipay is also spreading well beyond Ljubljana, for example, to Slovenia’s second city, Maribor — featuring guest houses, coffee bars and design studios where payments made using the app are welcomed and encouraged.

Why smartphones?

Eligma says shopping with smartphones is the future, offering the kind of convenience and immediacy that cash in a wallet cannot provide. Given its focus on crypto, the company believes it has a distinct advantage over other payment processing platforms that have retained a laser-like emphasis on old-fashioned currencies.

The service also wants to address the long-standing issues surrounding reward programs, in which consumers are left overwhelmed by dozens of membership schemes that offer disappointing returns in exchange for their loyalty.

Elipay offers a universal loyalty program in which shoppers receive 2 percent of the value of their purchases back in ELI. It applies at each of the venues that accept the app as a payment method. As well as enabling loyal consumers to save up their rewards and treat themselves, it gives merchants and retailers an opportunity to drum up repeat business, as it results in inter-store loyalty. The customer can earn and use their loyalty rewards at any of the participating locations.

Overall, Eligma’s objective is to bring crypto into the mainstream — and raise awareness about blockchain among everyday consumers. One of the next milestones for Elipay will be credit and debit card integration into the app, enabling fiat buyers to make purchases with their smartphones. Given that they will receive loyalty rewards in crypto, the company hopes this will give the public a chance to give this new approach to shopping a try — all without requiring any knowledge of the mechanics of blockchain.