Along with technological improvement comes the change in our daily transactions and purchase behaviour. The best example of this is shopping for our everyday needs. Majority of us are now using different forms of online platforms for our purchase. Payment methods used are evolving from cash to credit cards and now cryptocurrency. We’ve listed 15 major companies accepting cryptocurrency.
In the physical world, there exists a wide range of currencies. Each of which differs from country to country. In the United States, their currency is the US Dollar. It is the most used currency, followed by the Euro, and then the Japanese Yen. While all of these exist in the physical world, cryptocurrency is what’s famous in the virtual world.
Cryptocurrency is the type of currency most commonly used in the virtual or digital world. It is procured by cryptography and is based on a network that transmits into a large number of computers. While trading also exists in the physical world, crypto trading is also well-known in the virtual world. The leading cryptocurrency right now where majority are investing is Bitcoin. The popularity of cryptocurrency continues to grow. Major companies around the world is getting more interested in adapting this type of currency into their business. The list below are just 15 of the major companies accepting cryptocurrency.
Expedia
This company is an American online travel company and agency that caters to both customers and all small business travelers. Expedia Group also has different websites which are Trivago, Hotwire.com, Expedia.com, CarRentals.com, and Orbitz. It is where customers can also book their online travel appointments too. This booking company started to accept BTC (Bitcoin) payments in 2014 in partnership with Coinbase. The aim was to provide their customers easier access to their crypto wallet but this halted in June 2018. In 2020, Expedia widely opened and started to accept cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoins, Binance Coin, and Ethereum.
AT&T
One of the largest providers of mobile services and telecommunication services is AT&T. It is an American multinational company that has been dubbed the “First Mobile Carrier to Accept Payment as Cryptocurrency”. The company started to provide cryptocurrency as a payment method in 2019, through the use of BitPay. It is a Bitcoin payment service provider in every customer’s account. The customer’s crypto wallet through BitPay will be accessible online or with their MyAT&T app on their mobile devices.
Microsoft Corporation
The world’s largest vendor of computer hardware and software and one of the 15 major companies accepting cryptocurrency is Microsoft. It is an American multinational technology corporation that is known to provide services for software and hardware. Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975, Microsoft has also jumped into the cryptocurrency trend. It started to accept cryptocurrency as a payment method in 2014. You can use to purchase devices made by Microsoft, such as the Windows Phone. You can also use cryptocurrency to purchase gaming consoles such as the Xbox, and the Windows operating system.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
The world-renowned German luxury car and motorcycle vendor is the Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. It is most commonly known by its acronym and logo, BMW. It has also accepted cryptocurrency as a payment method for purchasing its luxury cars and motorcycles in 2021. From then on, a lot of car companies has also established and used cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Binance as payment methods.
The Home Depot
The Home Depot is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation. They sell a variety of materials used for homes, such as tools, construction materials, and appliances. This company started to accept BTC payments in 2019. They partnered with Flexa, a payments startup, through the use of the application called “Spedn”. Although Home Depot accepts BTC payments, customers would need to have bitcoins converted into US Dollars. This means purchasing Home Depot gift cards through EGifter with their bitcoins.
United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
The United Services Automobile Association, or the USAA, is an American Fortune 500 bank, founded in San Antonio. It issues insurance, investments, and banking solutions. They cater specifically to the members of the Military as well as Veterans who fought in the war. This bank started to support cryptocurrency, with Bitcoin being the most used type, in 2015. They partnered with Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange platform, for customers to link their accounts with Coinbase.
Starbucks
This company, which offers coffees and pastries to customers in the United States, has also accepted cryptocurrency. While it accepts cryptocurrency, customers would need to have Bitcoin or BTC, converted into US Dollars using the Bakkt App. This amount needs to be reloaded in the Starbucks Card on the Starbucks App to be able to pay upfront.
PayPal Holdings Inc.
Paypal Holdings, Inc. is an American multinational financial technology company. It provides online payment systems for purchases all around the world. Last October 21, 2020, Paypal announced a new service. They allowed customers to purchase, hold, and sell cryptocurrency directly from their PayPal accounts. With this program, only Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin Cash were accepted. Paypal has control over the encrypted key while customers have full ownership of their account.
Whole Foods Market IP Inc.
Last from the list of 15 major companies accepting cryptocurrency is Whole Foods Market, a subsidiary of Amazon. This company works to provide customers in the United States with fresh and organic foods. This company also has accepted cryptocurrency as a payment method, through a partnership with Flexa. Customers would need to use the “Spedn” app with their crypto wallet. The app is used to convert cryptocurrency to dollars and use it to pay.
Rakuten
Rakuten is a Japanese company based in Tokyo, Japan that specializes in electronic commerce and online retail. This also lets customers find free coupons and earn money through purchases on their website. In August of 2019, Rakuten started to allow cryptocurrencies as one of the means to pay and has also allowed crypto trading for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin Cash.
Yum! Brands Inc.
This corporation is an American corporation that comprises different fast food chains and restaurants. Subsidiaries of this corporation include The Habit Grill, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Wingstreet. In November of 2020, due to the Venezuela crisis, Yum! Brands Inc. has started to accept cryptocurrencies in their retail locations in Venezuela as an alternative for customers to still pay.
Overstock
Famous for selling furniture and helping customers in their home interior design. This corporation also boasts its furniture, home decor, bedding, and area rugs. Just like most retail stores, Overstock has also begun to accept bitcoins through a partnership with Coinbase and became the very first large stock company to ever do so.
Twitch
This company is a subsidiary of Amazon and is well-known in the live streaming community. With a twitch, users can put out content through a live stream such as music broadcasts and live shows. In 2014, Twitch already presented a cryptocurrency payment option but had it removed in 2019 and brought back again in 2020. Twitch partnered with BitPay and has allowed customers to pay in Bitcoins and Bitcoin Cash.
Pacsun
PacSun, or Pacific Sunwear of California LLC, is an American retail clothing brand that focuses on selling lifestyle apparel, swim, and footwear accessories, especially for teenagers. Since PacSun has accepted cryptocurrency as a payment, it became the first major brand in the industry of fashion to ever do so. This corporation partnered with BitPay to allow customers convenience in purchasing apparel using crypto with their crypto wallet.
Namecheap
Well-known for registering domain names and web hosting, Namecheap assists businesses to have their business setup in the online world. This corporation has also set up cryptocurrency as a payment method and became the first major registrar to enable this in 2013. With bitcoin, customers can purchase domains, SSL certificates, and domain privacy in Namecheap.