Cryptocurrencies have been gaining popularity in the last few years, for good reason. It unlocks a level of financial freedom that simply wasn’t possible with traditional banking systems. Crypto is borderless, far more secure, allows for self-custody, and fund transfers are affordable and nearly instant. These advantages make cryptocurrencies a good store of value and an even better way to make and accept payments. Across industries, we’re seeing more businesses integrate cryptocurrencies as a payment method for goods and services. El Salvador, for instance, has even declared Bitcoin as a legal tender, while the website CoinGorilla.com claims that the future of the Canadian online gaming industry lies in cryptocurrency.
Although it’s increasingly common for casinos, gaming, and other online leisure services to offer the option to “pay with crypto,” the corporate world has been slower to adopt this payment method. Well yeah, crypto is volatile, and companies can’t base their revenue on whatever meme coin is trending this week. Nevertheless, some supporters and adopters swear by it, especially after enjoying the ease of use, privacy features, and maybe even some profit. For anyone who holds some already and isn’t willing to go back to traditional finance—or if you’re just as curious as we were—there are a few stores that allow you to stock up on printers and office supplies should you want to pay using cryptocurrencies.
Overstock (Direct Payment)
Overstock is one of the most prominent companies paving the way to corporate crypto adoption; they are a Bitcoin veteran in every sense of the word. Overstock was the first major retailer to enable Bitcoin as a payment option as far back as 2014. Also, they own Bitcoin and were even the first company to issue blockchain stock for its funding round. They made the top of our list for being such avid supporters of Bitcoin and the blockchain.
In 2017, Overstock partnered with ShapeShift, a digital asset exchange platform, to expand its cryptocurrency payment option for users. ShapeShift makes it easy to convert digital currencies without creating an account or providing personal information, making for seamless transactions. The integration allowed shoppers to purchase items from their entire product range with any of the major cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, Monero, and Bitcoin Cash.
Buying printing supplies on Overstock is as easy as selecting your preferred cryptocurrency during checkout, and ShapeShift will automatically convert and process your payment, then send it to Overstock as Bitcoin. The salt lake city retailer seems to really love Bitcoin.
Office Depot (3rd Party App)
Office Depot is a leading provider of office supplies and a well-recognized corporation in its industry. While you can shop their full range of printers, toners, and office supplies with cryptocurrency, Office Depot plays it much safer than Overstock—as they do not hold any crypto on their balance sheets. Also, paying for stuff on Office Depot with crypto is facilitated by a third-party app, Flexa, and not a native checkout integration like Overstock has.
Flexa provides a middle ground for companies who may want to integrate crypto payments but aren’t keen on risking the volatility of crypto. Flexa users can preload their preferred cryptocurrency into an app, and at a point of sale, Flexa instantly converts the user’s crypto into USD before settling the retailer—win-win. It’s a bit of a hassle to create and scan codes, and the app only works at POS terminals in physical stores, but it’s a step in the right direction. Flexa’s app, SPEDN, can be downloaded on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Their payment solution supports 99+ cryptocurrencies and over 41,000 merchant store locations in North America. It’s certainly worth checking out.
Staples (Gift Card)
Staples, similar to Office Depot, does not have a native cryptocurrency payment integration. However, Bitrefill provides a workaround with their Staples gift cards. Essentially, Bitrefill is an exchange platform that allows users to purchase various gift cards with cryptocurrency. They sell redeemable gift cards for leading merchants, including Staples and Office Depot. Thankfully, it’s a much simpler process than the Flexa payment method.
To purchase a Staples gift card with cryptocurrency, head over to Bitrefill’s website, and you’ll be able to pay with any of their supported cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, USDT, Ethereum, and Doge. Your gift card is instantly emailed to you and can be redeemed in any Staples retail store within the US or on their website. And in case you’re wondering, there is no downside to using a gift card. You still enjoy all the perks Staples offers, including discounts and promotions when you pay with a gift card.
NewEgg (Direct Payment)
An online retailer founded in 2001, NewEgg is one of the go-to locations for office supplies and computer peripherals. The electronics giant is bullish on Bitcoin and has put their money where their mouth is. Unlike Staples and Office Depot, which require 3rd party workarounds, NewEgg lets you pay directly on their site, and users can conveniently choose to pay with their card or cryptocurrency. Like many other companies that accept crypto, NewEgg has partnered with BitPay to allow users to checkout with Bitcoin, Doge, Litecoin, Ethereum, and any other one of their supported cryptocurrencies. BitPay also allows users to integrate directly with wallets like MetaMask, Exodus, and Coinbase.
Keep in mind, though, orders placed with cryptocurrencies cannot be refunded in crypto or USD. According to a disclaimer on their site, NewEgg would only return cryptocurrency-initiated orders as a store gift card. Furthermore, you must use the NewEgg website to pay with cryptocurrency since their mobile app does not currently support BitPay.
Crypto Payments Will Soon Become Commonplace
Given the uncertainty surrounding cryptocurrencies, it would seem as though large corporations are reluctant to dip their foot in the pool. In a market as competitive as this, it’s no surprise the big players want to play it safe and stick to traditional, more predictable means of collecting and storing income.
That said, cryptocurrencies are here to stay. According to recent statistics, the number of cryptocurrency users is increasing by 80% yearly, making it the fastest-growing technological adoption in human history—surpassing the internet’s inception. Akin to the arrival of the internet, it may only be a matter of time before native cryptocurrency payment integration is no longer a mere consideration but a necessity for every business, from small enterprises to multinational chains.