This page is for merchants/retailers/service providers who are interested in accepting bitcoin as a form of payment.
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin was launched in 2009 (in response to the 2008 financial crisis) with the aim of being an alternative form of money.
It was designed to be entirely digital and be used without intermediaries or borders. Bitcoin is a free and open form of money that isn’t controlled by a government or central authority. It isn’t controlled by anyone except the people who use it. You can learn more here.
Why Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is a radically new way to store and transact value. Unlike existing financial systems, Bitcoin can operate without central authorities or trusted administrators. That makes Bitcoin the first ever open and borderless currency.
Bitcoin is a currency that gives you complete knowledge and ownership. For the first time ever everyone can own an asset that is scarce, permissionless, decentralized, borderless, easily divisible, and totally censorship resistant. Bitcoin can be sent anywhere in the world, quickly and very cheaply. It has no need for a third party like a bank, or money transfer service.
In the short term, the value of bitcoin tends to fluctuate against the pound, but the day-to-day volatility is smoothed out over the long term.
The more people that use bitcoin, the more its value will stabilise.
Bitcoin tends to appreciate against the pound.
When you receive and save in Bitcoin, everything tends to get cheaper in the long run. With fiat currency (GBP), everything tends to get more expensive due to the pounds purchasing power decreasing as more money is continually added into circulation.
It is an investment in your own business if you are interested in autonomy, independence, and sovereignty over your own money.
Fiat’s rules change regularly due to political issues and these changes rarely benefit the population.
Bitcoin’s rules are fixed and equal for everyone, immune to political or corruption issues.
Bitcoin is scarce and has a limited supply.
The scarcity defined in Bitcoins code is what gives it value, making it an ideal currency. With more users, more purchasing power is derived since the total amount of Bitcoin is limited. In contrast, fiat currencies like the pound (GBP) can be effectively created out of thin air by the central bank. There is no limit to the quantity of pounds present in circulation, leading to inflation and consequently a decrease in the purchasing power of each pound.
Moreover, the government has the power to manipulate the currency value through political or corruptive influences.
Do you need to understand Bitcoin to use it?
No. Do you understand how the Visa network works for processing payments? Not many people do, but it is used by millions of people every day.
Whilst learning about bitcoin is very worthwhile and rewarding, you do not need to understand how the network works to use it. It is far simpler to use than many people think to use day-to-day.
What benefits will accepting bitcoin bring to my business?
The number of people using bitcoin is growing rapidly. Bitcoin users will normally favour a business/merchant who accepts bitcoin for payment over an equivalent who doesn’t. As there aren’t currently many businesses accepting bitcoin as payment, being an early adopter of the technology may give you a great competitive advantage.
By accepting bitcoin as payment, you save yourself expensive Visa/Mastercard processing fees, it’s like accepting digital cash.
I Like The Idea Of Accepting Bitcoin As Payment… So, How Do I Get Started?
If you are totally new to bitcoin and like the idea of accepting it as payment for your goods/services, there are three main ways to do so which are detailed below:
1) Custodial services / Exchange
This is by far the easier option. There are several companies operating in the UK that do all the hard work for you. You can simply set up a business/merchant account and they will provide you with means of accepting bitcoin as payment on any computer, tablet, or phone. The customer simply scans a QR code with their bitcoin wallet or taps a bitcoin enabled NFC payment card. They also have options to accept bitcoin payments via your website.
This is a great option for anyone new to bitcoin who wants to accept bitcoin payments hassle free.
The company we recommend for this is CoinCorner. They are a UK based company who make the process very simple. If you don’t wish to hold the bitcoin, they also allow you convert the bitcoin to pounds at the point of sale.
Whilst accepting bitcoin for your goods/services is a great way to start building a position, not everyone wants the risk of bitcoins price volatility. turning into pounds (GBP) at point of sale protects you from this. You basically just receive the pounds. Of course, you can hold the bitcoin if you prefer – The choice is yours.
For a demonstration of the CoinCorner check-out, they have an interactive demo at: https://www.coincorner.com/Demo/Checkout
It is worth pointing out CoinCorner charge a 1% fee for each transaction.
Pro’s
- Very straightforward way to start accepting bitcoin payments
- Allows you to keep the money received as bitcoin or swap it directly for pounds on receipt
- Customer services offered by the exchange company in the event of any problems
Con’s
- 1% fee charged by the exchange (1% on CoinCorner, some charge more)
The funds you receive are in the custody of the exchange until you withdraw them. Like a bank, you are trusting someone to keep funds safe until you withdraw the bitcoin to a bitcoin wallet or the pounds to a bank account. You can do this anytime.
If you feel this is the best option for you, please see the section at the bottom of this page for information on opening a CoinCorner business account.
2) Semi-Custodial services / Hosted wallets.
This would normally be a ‘wallet’ app on a phone or tablet. Blue Wallet, Munn, or Wallet of Satoshi are lightning enabled bitcoin wallets that allow you to easily create an invoice for payment. When using a semi-custodial wallet, you are in control. The channel management is handled by the wallet provider (hence semi-custodial), but there is no customer support to get assistance like you would get with CoinCorner (or other custodial service providers). The bitcoin you receive from the payment will remain in that bitcoin wallet until you choose to spend it or sell it for pounds on an exchange.
Pro’s
- You have full control of your bitcoin. Providing you keep the recovery phrase safe (that is generated when you download wallet) no one can take your money from you without your permission
- Totally free to use and receive payments
Con’s
- You have the full responsibility of keeping your recovery phrase safe
- You are responsible for rectifying any problems
- You would need to move bitcoin to an exchange account if you wanted to sell it for pounds
3) Non-Custodial Option
To receive a lightning payment in an entirely non-custodial way you can set up your own lightning node. Projects like Rasblitz, Umbrel, and RunCitadel allow you to run a node on a Raspberry Pi4 (single board computer). This can be used in conjunction with BTCPay Server to create QR codes for your customer to scan. If you are new to bitcoin, we suggest considering getting started with the simpler options above before moving on to a fully non-custodial option. Whilst running your own node gives you full custody over your bitcoin and is very rewarding, it does require some technical knowledge.
Whichever method you choose for accepting bitcoin as payment, we’d love to get your business added to the map of merchants that accept bitcoin and promote your business amongst the cryptocurrency community. Please see our page of merchants that accept bitcoin payment and fill in the form on that page to be added to the map.
Getting Started With Coincorner
Coincorner make accepting bitcoin incredibly simple, no matter what your level of experience.
Follow the 2 simple steps below to get set up with a CoinCorner merchant account and start accepting bitcoin immediately.
- The First Step is to set up a Business Account on Coincorner. To do this please click here. Enter the required details, submit your ID to meet legal requirements and wait for your account to be verified.
- Download the ‘Coincorner Checkout app’ on any android phone from Google play store here. Log in with the username and password you registered for your business account.
This app will allow you to very simply create a bitcoin invoice for your next customer who wants to pay in bitcoin.
Need Help?
If you are feeling overwhelmed or have any queries regarding the practicalities, safety, or tax liabilities of accepting Bitcoin as a payment method, Bridges2Bitcoin provides free services to facilitate the growth of the Bitcoin economy. With their experienced team, they have successfully onboarded merchants across the UK to accept Bitcoin Lightning payments and are familiar with the ever-evolving solutions available to businesses wanting to access the future of money. If you have any questions, Bridges2Bitcoin can assist you free of charge. You can contact them via their website.