Cryptocurrencies can be a great investment, but that’s not all. Payments are their first reason for existence (they’re money, after all), so, you can actually pay with them in a lot of places and for a lot of services. Shops, entertainment, health, food, transport, lodging, you pick. And, believe it or not, paying your monthly bills with cryptos is also possible.
Energy, gas, Internet, phone, insurances, rents, and even credit cards and taxes are included in the available list to spend your Bitcoin and cryptos. Of course, you can always exchange your local money for your favorite service, but paying your bills directly with cryptos can be faster and easier. Let’s discover the ways to do it.
Bill payment services with cryptos
Several online services offer to pay your bills by receiving payment in cryptos. They usually work with a few steps. First of all, a register is required. Then, you need to send the cryptocurrency of your preference to your account there and select the option to pay your bills. Mark the bill/rent/credit card you want to pay for, introduce the amount to pay, the bank account of the recipient, and, if necessary, the biller reference or code. Finally, send your order.
Behind the scenes, the company will exchange your cryptocurrency for local money and pay the biller in a maximum of 5 business days. Of course, informing you beforehand about their crypto exchange rates and fees. These usually vary from 2% to 7%, so, you should pick the service wisely. Bitcoin (BTC) is the most accepted cryptocurrency, but a lot of others are available. The list includes Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Tether (USDT), DAI, XRP, and even Dogecoin (DOGE).
Some known services of this type are Bitcoin Well (Canada), Bity (Switzerland), Living Room of Satoshi (Australia), Bill Pay for Coins (USA), and Alfatop (Worldwide, for mobile bills). But always research thoroughly a service before sending any money. They should have clear terms and conditions and show public fees and exchange rates.
Cryptocurrency cards
Almost everybody accepts debit cards, right? So, you shouldn’t have problems paying your bills with cryptos… inside a debit card by Visa or Mastercard. Several companies already offering this kind of product. And they don’t work only to pay your bills, but to pay for virtually everything if the merchants have the means to accept debit cards. You can even withdraw from ATMs worldwide and access extra benefits, like some cashback in your purchases.
Additionally, if you’re going to travel, you can save money like this. What these companies do is exchange your cryptos into fiat money at the moment of every payment. So, you don’t need to worry about how to exchange for local money in every country. To order one of these cards, you’ll need to pick a company that suits your needs and it’s available in your country. They very popular in Europe and usually offers multiple cryptocurrencies.
The costs and fees vary from brand to brand. Some of them only ask for a one-time payment to issue and send the card, but others have monthly maintenance costs. The limits and exchange rates are different too, so, don’t forget to check that beforehand. Once in your hands, you can top up your card with cryptos through an app and that’s it. Popular brands are SpectroCoin (Europe), Wirex (EU, UK, and Singapore), Bitnovo (EU), and BitPay (USA).
Crypto-friendly companies/individuals
You can always ask people if they want to accept cryptocurrencies. Landlords and small merchants are easier targets in this case (like the guys of “Life on Bitcoin” did years ago). Not to mention that there are crypto-friendliest countries than others. However, it may surprise you that some utility companies are already accepting cryptos as payment.
On the energy sector, we can count Enercity (Germany), Bas Nederland (Netherlands), Eva Energy (Romania), NextGen Energy (New Zealand), and Luzboa (Portugal). On Internet Service Providers (ISP), we have a long list, including WorldStream (Netherlands), Karma, Wisprenn (USA), Zare (UK), Isper (Slovakia), and Travelers Telecom (Worldwide).
Companies like Inguard (USA) and Axa (Switzerland) offer insurances paid with Bitcoin. Meanwhile, others like the real estate Caruso and Vacation Rentals Las Vegas (both in the USA) are renting properties for Bitcoin. In Croatia, around 46 gas stations of the company Tifon are already accepting cryptocurrency payments. In places like Zug (Switzerland) and Miami (USA), pay your taxes with cryptos is available.
Probably, this is just the beginning of paying your bills with cryptos. So, never forget to ask your favorite providers if they already started to accept cryptocurrencies! In the meantime, you can always exchange your cryptos for local money on Alfacash.