Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s time to get your holiday shopping out of the way for good. And while online retail giants such as Amazon and eBay have made online purchasing wonderfully simple for the average person, they do not really cater to a growing population of individuals who are looking to use their crypto for digital payment purposes.
While a number of startups have entered this space over the last three to four years due to issues relating to market volatility, certain remaining setbacks need to be tackled before the sector can really flourish.
But setting the issues aside, here is a list of online retailers that accept not just Bitcoin (BTC), but a whole host of other popular crypto assets.
Overstock.com
Overstock.com is widely considered to be one of the best shopping destinations for Bitcoin holders. For Christmas shoppers especially, this website is an absolute treasure trove, as it allows users to purchase items ranging from television sets to furniture to golfing equipment using crypto. Not only that, even the checkout process is seamless, since all one has to do is click on the “Pay with Bitcoin” button and follow the instructions.
And while Overstock does not allow BTC payments on its mobile site, it does enable customers to use their Bitcoin in conjunction with any other valid gift cards, coupons, and credit points that they may own. Additionally, in the event of a refund, Overstock issues the exact amount of crypto per its price at the time of the transaction.
Alagoria
When it comes to making purchases from retail giants like Walmart, Home Depot and Amazon, most crypto enthusiasts have to first liquidate their coins and then process their payments in fiat. However, this holiday season, Alagoria is allowing its customers to get a 10% discount on all purchases made via HomeDepot and Walmart using cryptocurrencies.
To shop on Alagoria, customers simply need to copy and paste the URL of a product they want to buy into the search bar on the platform. They can then proceed to checkout and pay for the item using the crypto of their choice — with the conversion rate set before the payment takes place.
Once this process is done, Alagoria notifies customers of their completed orders and provides a tracking number. Most items are usually delivered within a period of three to four business days.
Lastly, the company allows customers to use discounted gift cards from Walmart and Home Depot to fulfill order payments, and even have an open buy-back offer on most gift cards from the aforementioned retailers at the moment.
eGifter
People looking to present their loved ones with premium gift cards can use eGifter, a platform that enables customers to buy a wide range of gift cards from big-name brands like Amazon, Apple, Macy’s, Adidas and GameStop. Items can be purchased using digital currencies (like BTC, BCH, Dash, LTC and ETH) and can be obtained in either physical or digital form.
Also, quite like many other retail firms today, eGifter makes use of an internal point system, wherein regular customers can collect eGifter credit every time they buy a gift card. These points can then be used during future checkouts in lieu of instant discounts and other monetary benefits.
Bitcoin Superstore
Florida-based Bitcoin Superstore is the perfect shopping avenue for people looking to make purchases from Amazon.com using their crypto savings. Even though the platform has its headquarters in the United States, it extends its shipping services to more than 50 countries across the globe.
Not only that, for couples and solo travelers looking to explore the world at this time of year, the platform enables flights and hotels to be booked through mainstream platforms such as Expedia or Priceline.
Navigating and operating Bitcoin Superstore is quite simple, as customers only have to copy and paste a product URL in the provided search column and add the price so the platform can automatically calculate the applicable sales tax and present the user with the final amount to be paid.
Bitcoin Superstore currently supports a large number of cryptocurrencies, including many popular ones. Not only that, but the website also sells a wide range of gift cards and discount coupons for merchants from industries such as electronics, travel and hospitality.
CheapAir
People looking to make a quick holiday getaway this Christmas can explore CheapAir.com, since it currently has a number of discount deals on flight tickets to destinations around the globe.
However, what makes this platform really stand out from the rest is the fact that it allows users to complete their purchases via Bitcoin. The entire process is quite straightforward and based on the digital currency’s USD value at the time of booking.
Newegg
For tech enthusiasts looking to buy the latest electronics this Christmas season, Newegg is the place to be. The website offers users with a wide range of gadgets ranging from high-end gaming laptops, desktop computers, hardware components and audio/video peripherals. Additionally, the platform also offers customers quality products from big-name brands like Microsoft, GigaByte, Corsair, AMD, Msi and Seagate amongst others.
Regarding how the payment process works, customers can proceed to initiate a BTC payment after deciding on a product by simply scanning the provided QR code and sending the amount due in crypto to the given address. After the funds have been moved, the Newegg team sends an email confirmation containing all of the purchase and delivery details.
Olodolo
Christmas shoppers looking to buy clothing, jewelry, cosmetics and fashion accessories can consider Olodolo — a platform that specializes in helping people buy items on Aliexpress using cryptocurrencies.
The checkout process is similar to that of other retailers, and delivery is available to a large number of countries worldwide. All payments are processed by a POS operator called Coinpayments, and the final price (including shipping and other associated taxes) is displayed at the end along with the three cryptocurrencies supported — Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum — that a customer can choose from to complete the process with.
Forra
Forra can be thought of as the Ebay equivalent of Olodolo, as it allows customers to purchase a wide range of Ebay listings using crypto assets such as BCH, BTC, LTC and ETH. In order to ensure the security of its internal monetary transactions, Forra makes use of an escrow system and charges users a flat 3% fee on each individual purchase.
For Christmas shoppers looking to buy electronic items (computers and laptops in particular), software, books and game titles, Forra is definitely a website worth checking out.