Ten days ago my Bitpay VISA Debit Card arrived.
First order of business (after activating it), was to get some of my crypto odds and ends turned into Bitcoin. That took a few days, but I finally had a decent balance to work with loaded onto the card. Small fees apply to the 'top off' transaction, so I did one lump sum deposit from each external source.
Oddly, the most difficult part was trying to decide on the first purchase. I'd been dithering over it for long enough, so I did some comparison shopping for a few items we needed. Some were too pricey. Some were too close to my available balance. I didn't want a fee to cause an overdraft, because that would trigger an additional fee.
I finally settled on three reversible washable cotton rugs. The ones with the no-skid backing wear out too fast, plus I can put these kind in the dryer. Surprisingly, this style is hard to find and often expensive. These three will be replacing my threadbare ones. Yay!
So, I entered my order just like normal, including the Bitpay Card info as you would a regular debit card. Then, I hit the 'Place Your Order' button and hoped for the best.
Next thing I saw was this:
Woohoo! Halfway there... now, it was only left to see if the payment would be accepted and the amount deducted from the balance. Also, I was curious to see if any fees would be assessed.
Good news across the board!
The payment was accepted, the balance reduced, and no additional fees were charged. This part of the process mirrors my experience with my bank debit card. I couldn't be more pleased with the whole process. The only real test left is to try it at a physical store. I'll let you know how that goes in a future post.
Yes, magic internet money DOES work!
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Upvote, ReSteem, 
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
That's great! Once I have a regular "income" (for lack of a better word) with Steemit, I am definitely going to get a bitpay card! I am glad to see it all went well!!
Yup, that's totally possible and I've no doubt you'll like it!
Awesome!
I still have not used mine yet. Just so you know I was reading the fee schedule(you may already know this) but if you don't use the card for 90 days there is a $5 fee charged for each month afterward that you don't use it.
Yup, I did catch that, but a reminder is a good idea! Thanks!
I must look into the card for making purchases here in England. At the minute I turn BitCoin into giftcards and top up my Amazon balance that way. Can you put this in an atm and withdraw paper currency?
I haven't tried it at an ATM yet, mostly because I'm pretty sure I'll get zapped for a fee. Once I get the balance up on again, I'll have to give it try.
Yeah, no doubt there'll be a fee. Might vary depending on what bank owns the atm too.
Nice feeling when you go spending money you have earned on here :)
It sure is! You know that first hand, too! Your experiences helped spur me on to take that step. The U.S. isn't really crypto-friendly, so I was pleased to find a reasonable way to get it set up.
Look at us go! Hehehehehee....
Yay go for it, it feels great doesn't it, I couldn't believe I put it off for so long, Glad I spurred you on :)
Yay! I shop a lot of amazon so that's encourages me to get one. So cool what you can do online.
It is mind-boggling what can be done online these days. I'm betting you'll like this card for Amazon. Was smooth as butter....
Well, I don't have any bitcoin, so this card probably wouldn't do me any good. For those who do have bitcoin, it seems like a pretty good idea.
I converted some of my Steem and SBD to Bitcoin on an exchange (Poloniex). I sent the funds from here to the exchange and then just bought a micro amount of Bitcoin with my Steem & SBD. There are lots of exchanges to choose from. I just bailed from Poloniex because they're having too many issues. I'm using Tradeqwik from now on, I think, for a whole host of unrelated reasons.
In a nutshell... you, too, can own some Bitcoin. ;~D
Interesting post. Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome!
Excellent!
Does anyone know another card for cryptocurrencies?
I think there's one called Shift or something like that, but it was tied to Coinbase.
Bitpay is a free-standing pre-pay debit card.
I'd suggest doing an occasional web search because there are a bunch of different ones getting ready to launch . Fun times!
At this time, only residents of the United States may apply for a Shift Card :(
That would explain why it was on my list to investigate. Getting a card in the US is tougher than I though it would be. I don't know why I'm surprised. We're backwards about a lot of things. ;~P
interesting post
thank for sharing
You're very welcome!
Great post aunt-Deb had been wondering how this type of card would work. Nice clear explanation with screenshots🐓Thanks!
You're welcome! I generally look for the easiest, most low-tech way to move things around. This is by far the best tool so far. Practical, efficient, AND a great conversation starter for crypto.
That is very interesting! I have been asked by a few people about this and if it's legit or if it really works because they "don't get it". Well I don't really either but now there's proof that it DOES work. Thanks for sharing!
That's exactly the reason I ordered the card - to prove it's legit, if even only to myself. I'd say it passed this test with flying colors!
Congrats! I'm glad that you tested it out. I've been curious, but have just been plugging away figuring this many people couldn't ALL be wrong. Ha!
Lol! True that!
It's no lie the learning curve for this stuff is steep, but if enough of the pieces fall into place, it starts making more sense. Heck, half the battle is just learning the lingo. Plugging away is the ONLY way to get it to make sense, in my opinion.
Hang in there!
I may need a dictionary ;-)
I sure did!
Great Info! Mine is on the way!
Cool! I think you'll be pleased with it!