Bitcoin Forum

Let me premise this by saying that I am a firm believer of bitcoin as a revolutionary technology. I whole-heatedly believe that bitcoin will gain traction in the future, but right now, it's a consumer's nightmare.
Today for lunch, I went to the Mexicali Burrito in Cambridge expecting to pay with bitcoin. I was pretty excited, because this store was the latest to accept bitcoin in the area. I made my order and had my coinbase app fired up, ready to scan a qr code. However, the cashier wasn't ready.

Okay... Not such a big deal. He spends a few seconds to pull out an iphone, and launches what looked like the bitpay app. A few more seconds pass and it still doesn't load.

The line behind me is getting busy and the next customer is ready to pay...but this app still hasn't loaded. In the end, I paid with credit to speed up the process. When I finished paying, the bitpay app still had not loaded.

I had a little chat with the clerk during this time and he said that they were planning to stop accepting bitcoin in the upcoming month.

As it is now, bitcoin needs a face lift. It needs better PR and it needs better consumer/merchant interfaces. I still think that bitcoin is awesome, but there is still much that needs to be improved.

I've had similar experiences. The Bitcoin payment system gets too little use and staff forget how it works. The line piles up and it's not nice for anyone.
The underlying problem is that a second, disconnected payment system at a physical store is a lot of hassle, and the benefits of Bitcoin don't make up for that in every case.

Bitcoin desperately needs near-field communications and integrated POS solutions. The current user experience - for both customer and merchant - is clunky and hacked-together feeling. This, more than anything else, is where crypto-currency needs the most development. Ease of use.

I'm a bitcoin believer, too, but I still don't see a point for using bitcoin to pay in person, and for amounts I have fiat cash in my pocket? To pay online is completely different story for me, even more as I don't have a credit card. Bitcoin is then the only option for me.

ApplePay competes with cash as do Bitcoin NFC payments. What's preventing Bitcoiners from creating a half decent NFC payment experience denominated in BTC? The only hard parts are making that experience fully decentralized and open source, and then finding people with enough money who are willing to piss it away in order for desperately needed core infrastructure to get built.

TL;DR: new tech (not just bitcoin) requires new processes and training.
I ate at a restaurant over the weekend that was using the ""TabbedOut"" app for managing payments. Basically allows you to download your tab and pay it online instead of paying the server. Lady behind me ordered at the bar, but the bartender couldn't bring up the order online. She had to pay with a CC instead. I immediately thought about bitcoin and the challenges managing the payments. Training is essential for acceptance.

I have never bought or paid with bitcoin.karna with circumstances in some bitcoin country in Legal but it's very convenient if bitcoin can pay a kind of buy sng tickets This is a dream from the first. Who knows next year bitcoin can pay anything

I think BTC just good as an investment. Do you ever read or hear about 10K BTC for pizza? And that's what I mean. The price are not stable, but when the price goes up, you'll be disappointed that Bitcoin has spent. I think BTC are more like Gold, you can use it as payment system but you will disappointed when you spend it.

Very interesting! I think at this point that Bitcoin is no longer meant for such transactions. Maybe litecoin would be better suited for this. I believe Bitcoin is more useful as a store of value like gold. You wouldn't neccesarily pay for something in a shop with gold, but you could use it to store value, or transfer the value into something else.

Love the story though, thanks for sharing!

I completely agree with this statement, while Bitcoin was intended as a new form of payment why would you use it as such? I mean yes you are paying a  set price at the time of purchase but when Bitcoin goes up or down then what you actually paid can change dramatically. Not that I would complain if it meant I actually was paying less for a good or service but realistically we might actually be paying ten times what it would have been in fiat in the near future and then I would personally be kicking myself for that fact alone honestly. However if you are a person that totally believes in using Bitcoin as a payment system, maybe you should look into seeing if your state (if your American) allows the shift card from coinbase. It works like a Visa card but takes the money out of your cryptocurrencies account.

https://support.coinbase.com/customer/en/portal/articles/2228646-the-shift-card

Yes, technologies still have a lot to grow and develop, but it seems there are already working projects that allow you to remove bitcoin from your crypto-wallet, but to pay through swift payments in dollars.

what they need is a better and more experience team to manage and expand the ability of the apps so that there will be no bug anymore, maybe some kind of an expert on the field of programming not a lazy team though.

Since this is one of the drawbacks of this system, hence they have introduced the Lightning Network. Such problems should be fixed by the time its mass adoption comes into picture. Bitcoin's payments are slow and this is the reason why other coins claim themselves superior to Bitcoin. I am sure the developers would fix this in future.

Yes, Many really need to change to the Bitcoins system. It's hard to really use Bitcoins as a way of paying because businesses can lose their way. The Bitcoins price falls and rises so if it falls, it will definitely be difficult for entrepreneurs to arise because their money is in bitcoins that they should buy their merchandise.

I have to admit I gave up paying directly with Bitcoin. Too much complications and unconvenient situations. This is one of the problems that Bitcoin has and needs to be fixed.
The solution I found is Bitcoin debit card. The truth is the choice of providers is very poor after Visa left this market but still cards are excepted everywhere online and offline and you don't need to worry if the merchant accepts Bitcoins and how much time you will need for transaction to be confirmed and accepted.

Thanks for sharing real life experience related to bitcoin use. It gives us a better insight on the current situation as opposed to the fancy threads made here by some members.

I have to accept Mononuclear​ did leave the direct payment with Bitcoin. Many complications and inconvenient circumstances. This problem has bitcoin and needs to be fixed. Yes, many really need to change the bitcoins system. Businesses can lose their way, there are so many people, such as Bitcoin that many times the market price increases and decreases.

I wonder why the merchant does not provide a billboard where the address is available there in the form of QR code already in print. That way, merchants do not have to eject their smarphone to open any application either coinbase or bitpay so it will not happen anything like the above. Buyers simply scan QR address bitcoin code that has been printed and attached to a board with their smartphone.

It is good to see that bitcoin is now applicable in real life and you are lucky because you experienced to buy using bitcoins in a store yet, it is an epic failed.
The firm you've went was not ready in the revolution of technology. Hence, even their cashier can't do anything just to make your transaction smooth. However, the only way that will help bitcoin to improve is the Lightning Networks. Our transaction becomes more fast and easy using LN.

I have faith in Bitcoin to be the best currency in the future. But nowadays its payment system in real life (shops etc.) isn't completely ready yet. They need to make betterments on it.

There are some instances that we can't avoid mistakes and failure using technology but instead of being disappointed with bitcoin, we should be more positive about it because we can now experience using digital currency in real life.
I think the cahier in that firm is not yet oriented in using QR-code or he/she doesn't know how to solve these kind of troubleshoot. However, I don't think it is a reason why that firm will suddenly stopped accepting bitcoins. In fact, they must organize their management and services more in order for them to attract customers.

Well person to person exchange has been happening already. I've made a couple of p2p transactions with btc already with people from the crypto community. Much better if you personally know the person you're dealing with.

I unfortunately have never paid bitcoin in the online store. There was a possibility twice when I was buying expensive things. But the course was not acceptable to me. If I exchange for fiat, then it was cheaper for me. Of course, I understand that in the near future, the link to the course will not be of much importance. Since everyone will think not in national currency but in bitcoin. But I still consider everything in Fiat. This is more clear to me.

I haven't tried making payment with bitcoin because most platform haven't started accepting it but I heard Amazon will soon accept the bitcoin payment for their product.

I'm sure making payment with bitcoin shouldn't be stressful as bitcoin have cone a long way in developing their platform.

POS machines should have been manufactured by now and deployed to ease payment especially in sales outlets. I believe this will encourage the use of not just bitcoin but other crytocurrencies. I don't think the failure of an app should cause an organisation to discontinue accepting Bitcoin as a mode of payment.
It should be encouraged as an alternative mode of payment especially by young people who, actually are the ones really driving new applications/usage for Bitcoin. Lightening networks should correct the disruptions in networks experienced during transactions. I suggest dedicated networks be built to sustain this aspect of bitcoin usage if possible.

I believe Bitcoin is the future of Internet funds transfer and payment systems.

In my opinion bitcoin to improve is the Lightning Networks.we should be more positive about it because we can now experience using digital currency in real life.

Bitcoin can not be used for popular payment because its price is unstable. You pay when Bitcoin costs  9000$ an hour and its price is 8000$, which is a problem in the business. If there is a It is acceptable to have a stable price tag for allcoins :)

I've never experienced anything like that as there is no place in my country that accepts Bitcoin as payment. But it would be great to be able to pay using Bitcoin as I love this coin and I would love to see it being used as a payment method.

I agree wholeheartedly - for Bitcoin to succeed, the payment process needs to be seamless.

With that said though, many new technologies have teething problems. Also, I think it might be a bit unrealistic to expect Bitcoin payment to be as fluid as that of Visa or MasterCard. Those payment systems had huge budgets to ensure everything went smoothly. Bitcoin has nowhere near this, plus the fractured nature of app development means it will take a little longer to mature.

What would be helpful, would be if Apple and Google Pay incorporated BTC

I completely agree. Though I haven't experience such thing yet, I also thought that as of now there is still no improvement on bitcoin pertaining to its use as a currency itself with the purpose of buying goods. Until now, the main function of bitcoin is for long-term investment and storage for future profits. I still can not see the main point of the convenience of it as a technology for consumers. I do not even know how regulation by the Government will help to encourage investors and companies to use it since they will add tax even before they gain sure profits.

I don’t pay anyone with bitcoin because still the some people don’t trust the bitcoin this is the main reason for not improvements in paying with bitcoin but soon all companies will accept the paying and using of crypto currencies.

I have never made a sale and purchase transaction with Bitcoin, because here there is no Mall store, and what are the buying and selling places that accept Bitcoin as a means of payment. so if I want to shop, then I will melt my Bitcoin first into a regular Fiat money.

I also think that greediness is one of the attitudes being portrayed by many users this days. I do admire people from the time that it only worth less than a thousand dollars. Though I know that they somehow regret spending, I knew their intention is for the technological development. People are in here now mostly for earning and gaining profits. I think it is quite practical but still greed is all over the place.

I guess they are working on it now and hope that it will be fully implemented with a good app.

Bitcoins is not up to the task to fulfil the role as a national currency that is why there are a lot of setbacks in the use of bitcoins for transactions. So unless the merchant is ready to accept your crypto, you can't use your crypto to purchase.

So far i can't experience using bitcoin as payment in any restaurant or in the supermarket, bitcoin are legal herein my location, because the establishment are not already accepting bitcoin as payment hoping for the future i can use my btc to pay in any establishment like supermarket.

Bitcoin is ready for the current level of usage. What OP is talking about has nothing to do with Bitcoin itself, but with a centralized service functioning as payment gateway. If they accepted Bitcoin directly it would have worked.

Merchants however will not accept Bitcoin directly due to the volatility, so these payment gateways will keep playing an important role for many more years to come. Stability is all that we need, LN will do the rest.

People keep complaining about Bitcoin not being able to function as proper currency, but the far majority of the people aren't even using it as such, and more importantly, they are just interested in Bitcoin's investment aspect.

What's the point of complaining about something you don't use?

unfortunately in my country there is no sale and purchase transactions using a payment system with bitcoin. this may be the impact of news banned bitcoin in my country. but I hope the government can legitimately bitcoin, so transactions in my country there are using bitcoin system.

The only thing you can buy now using Bitcoin is light drugs)) ;D

You pay when Bitcoin costs  9000$ an hour and its price is 8000$, which is a problem in the business. If there is a It is acceptable to have a stable price tag for allcoins

I agree with your opinion. If in the case payment in daily life, I think cash is better and faster than bitcoin. But if online payment, bitcoin is the most used

A person share a story, it was the believe and return story of bitcoin. He invest $400 against 100 bitcoin. He have the believe the bitcoin will pay more one day. $400 was his full capacity of invest. Truly it increase day by day. Now he have five bitcoin between 100 and rest of already sold. Now his life is settle. What can we learn from here?

I do not understand the service of the store you mentioned above because they should provide a board containing the QR code of the store bitcoin address to make it easier for their customers to pay using bitcoin so that the workers/servants in the store do not have to open Bitpay applications first to serve customers who want to pay using bitcoin.

I agree to you that improvements are needed in bitcoins and crypto so as to enable mass adoption. I am sure that the developers will look after the current limitations.

There is no bitcoin's experience in my real life. Even so, I know bitcoin too much a crypto currency. It depends on other crypto currency and this bitcoin. In my life, I saw my sister, brother Bitcoin, and used to succeed and see.

I think that soon the bitcoin will recede into the background, and it will be replaced by a more technically better coin.

I think soon bitcoin will become like gold in the fiat world. They will not be used in payments. But bitcoin will have a constant price. Other crypto currency will have a price in bitcoins and will be used in daily payments.

To me this is all weird. I ONLY use bitcoin to pay. Like every day. I never have had a problem like the one the OP mentioned. Which was a wallet problem, not a bitcoin problem. I also continuously find new places that take bitcoin.

I agree with you guys, but nevertheless it is sad that he couldn’t pay with BTC. As for me, bitcoin and all crypto are popular among investors, traders, all those people, who want some profit. But, if we are talking about regular selling and purchasing products in real life there aren’t a lot of moves around crypto. Because all have cash or credit card and even those, who have BTC in the wallet probably will not pay with it in reality.

it feels more happy and do not have too complicated to exchange money with the currency of the country we want to visit. certainly in countries that have joined and received bitcoin as a legitimate payment.

Bitcoin and blockchain is the latest technology regarding the payment system,but only some people who develop it further,with no support from major power,the improvement will be slow.If bitcoin popularity reach the whole world with positive reaction,only then bitcoin will be used as currency with no problem.

Actually we don't have this kind experience in this part of world.I Don't think this would even in next 2 year or so because the financial technology of India is very weak and outdated.People have learned the online payment and Cash transaction method in last 2 year.And this would not change until the legality comes in my country.

This is exactly what is wrong with Bitcoin today! We are too reliant on third party services as intermediaries for eCommerce and merchant payments for services and goods. We should pay directly with bitcoins without all these third parties with their poor software and exploitable code.

These services has hijacked the vision that Satoshi Nakamoto had for Bitcoin. We will not have financial freedom, if we stay reliant on these services.  ::)

But in countries that have issued a ban on digital currency, it would be very difficult to exchange digital currency with each country's official currency. Even, the exchange may result in a violation of the law.

Tell me please, how much does it cost for miners, in percent. I think that this is a big sum for lunch.
This creates inconvenience with small amounts.

Bitcoin being accepted as a currency in real life is a characteristic of its intended revolutionary framework.. To be a revolution mean it mustcause far reaching and drastic change in the trditional systems. This cannot happen if its usage in real life is still low. Nevertheless, looking at its impact in recent years the future of bitcoin cannot be underestimated.

thats really good people need examples so they can dare to try it too. If we let people see how we pay our bills or have a small mobile recharge using bitcoin then they will feel the power of this new technology. Its hard to take risk rather than telling others. Real life experience is needed and its good to see some useful posts in this discussion board after all.

This is the problem that I want to discuss, the value of bitcoin is not stable, how can an individual or an organization accept it as a means of payment? I'm always curious about it.

You simply have an algorithim in the back that swaps out the Bitcoin for USD instantly which would mitigate your volatility. The main problem I see is with the speed of transactions not the volatility. If the app had loaded successfully then none of this will be a problem. Look to LN to solve these issues, but sadly those solutions won't be available to the public until some time next year.

Yes that is needed. Bitcoin should be used for transaction. That is the main purpose of bitcoin. Most of people don't try to learn blockchain technology and bitcoin. They need something that can be seen easily.
Sadly, Bitcoin is not used for the purpose it has been created.

I think that all of us already had an experience in paying with the used of bitcoin, I personally did that paying my bills for it, and it really made my day easier that time since I don't need to fall in line in a bank or in a business center for me to pay my bills, it was so much great help.

I think it is not necessarily to pay bitcoins in every transactions needed because as we knew bitcoin price is volatile. The price might goes down or risen up. For me, bitcoin is for long term investments which we can used it for our emergency needs or like savings for our future. If you have fiat cash why not pay it? Why use bitcoin right? There are circumstances transactions that doesn't need to pay with bitcoins.

Bitcoin is doing well as an investment than as a currency. There are many challengrs facing the use of bitcoin for payment,until all these issues are resolved,Bitcoin would never be takn serious when it comes to paying