Title: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: ineededausername on January 07, 2012, 04:48:06 AM Clearly, Amazon isn't about to start accepting Bitcoin anytime soon. This proposal outlines how a userscript could basically fully integrate Bitcoin into Amazon, whether they like it or not.
For the developer's convenience, the proposal outline is so specific that all a developer has to do to fill this need is blindly and brainlessly code up a userscript. I'm too lazy at the moment, but someone's probably going to code this up. Now, you ask, what are the benefits? One can already buy products on Amazon with Bitcoin. However, from the technically-challenged end users' viewpoint, a familiar interface is infinitely better than another site. Also, integration is good for everyone... nobody likes having two tabs open when one would do, or ordering a gift code, waiting for it, and then finally receiving it and using it to buy things. Requirements: 1. Service for placing Amazon orders via Bitcoin. This must accept API calls for the following: > Create new order with selected items and shipping/billing address > Get new address for an order > Get current price of one bitcoin The service must also be able to detect if the appropriate amount has been paid to the address, upon which someone (bot or user) is notified and orders the product. 2. Cloud wallet API 3. Transaction radar websocket API Actions taken on all pages: BTC / USD / Both options for price display. Replaces all prices with the appropriate amounts using the Amazon service's determined price (whatever it is). Actions taken during checkout: Add "Pay with Bitcoin" to the payment options. This does not open a new page, but overwrites the current one. New Bitcoin checkout page: Displays payment address, final payment amount, deadline for payment and a QR code just for kicks, and also submits a request to the backend to create a new pending order. Opens a websocket connection to some transaction radar API, and listens for your payment, while displaying a scrolling address bar. A confirmation popup then appears, saying that you need to pay X bitcoins to address Y, and asking whether you authorize the transaction. If you click OK, it executes the transaction with the cloud wallet. (Alternatively, we could use a local Bitcoin client with RPC, but this is not necessary because of the demographic we're targeting.) When you are done paying, the page hides the scrolling address bar and tells you that you're done, but that the order needs to confirm. While you go get a coffee, another scrolling address bar appears. When X confirmations have been detected by the transaction radar, the page displays a success message. Big green check mark included. To be clear, the backend does its own confirmation, and does not rely on the userscript for confirmation. (Of course!) This page must conform to Amazon UI standards and look exactly like an Amazon page. This is probably not the most secure userscript (I don't know much about security). However, I'm just throwing the idea out there, and maybe one of you can make it usable, intuitive and secure. Is this a stupid idea? If not, can it be made secure? If not, are there any other problems with this implementation? If this can work, one of you can code it up in 10 minutes and we can have a new marketing tool. Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: Maged on January 07, 2012, 06:53:00 AM The interesting part is that there is a place to enter a gift card on the final order page, AND it's AJAX. That would make it really easy to have the script wait for the gift card code from the server, submit the gift card code, and then submit the order.
Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: grubles on January 07, 2012, 07:04:39 AM If you decide to go through with your idea, BitVPS.com can help you host it! We have discounts for Bitcoin related projects that are hosted with us :). If you need more info you can visit www.bitvps.com or #bitvps on freenode.
grubles Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: scintill on January 07, 2012, 08:27:21 AM Cool idea! Here's a stab at replacing the prices, with a hardcoded exchange rate. Hover to see original price. Tested in Chrome and Firefox, it seems to get most prices; I've noticed some that get loaded after the page has loaded don't get replaced. I'm not sure the best way to handle that. It's only USD right now.
Code: // ==UserScript== As for the actual purchasing part, http://spendbitcoins.com/ (http://spendbitcoins.com/) takes BTC and gives Amazon gift codes in several currencies. If they could provide an AJAXable API for price quotes and retrieving the code (including updates on them waiting for confirmations, etc.), we'd be mostly done, right? EDIT: Updated code and link Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: ineededausername on January 07, 2012, 03:16:16 PM The interesting part is that there is a place to enter a gift card on the final order page, AND it's AJAX. That would make it really easy to have the script wait for the gift card code from the server, submit the gift card code, and then submit the order. Hmm, that's another way to do it... we have two approaches then, essentially: (1) Pay for the order in BTC, and don't actually complete the order. Hand the order to the Bitcoin Amazon service and have it complete the order (whether through a human operator or by bot) (2) Pay for the order in BTC, get an equivalent gift card code, and use that to complete the order instantly. I do like the second one more. Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: Phinnaeus Gage on January 07, 2012, 04:07:57 PM I recon this approach would work for any site or B&M that accepts their gift card. Let's say I want to go to dinner tonight at Applebees and want to use my re-loadable gift card which is low on funds at the moment. I could top it off via Bitcoin with your approach. Genius!
Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: ineededausername on January 07, 2012, 04:10:07 PM I recon this approach would work for any site or B&M that accepts their gift card. Let's say I want to go to dinner tonight at Applebees and want to use my re-loadable gift card which is low on funds at the moment. I could top it off via Bitcoin with your approach. Genius! Oh wow, you're right. This approach to Bitcoin integration actually has far-reaching implications. We should probably get it working ASAP and have it mentioned on lovebitcoins.org. Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: ineededausername on January 08, 2012, 12:39:32 AM bump... any devs interested?
Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: Phinnaeus Gage on January 08, 2012, 12:45:31 AM bump... any devs interested? Nevermind! There's not as many as I thought, even though most below have an affiliate program attached to them. :o Source: http://www.icardgiftcard.com/gift-cards/ CHECK 'EM OUT! 1-800-Baskets 1-800-Flowers 77kids A Pea In The Pod Acapulco Aerie AMC Theatres American Eagle Outfitters Applebee's Aquarium Restaurant Athleta Athleta.com Babin's Seafood Baby Gap Bahama Breeze® Banana Republic BananaRepublic.com Barnes & Noble Booksellers Barnes & Noble College Bookstores Barnes & Noble eGiftCards Bass Pro Shops Bass Pro Shops. com BathandBodyWorks.com Bealls Bergner's Big Cedar Lodge Big Fish Black Angus Steakhouse Bloomingdale's Boardwalk Inn Bon-Ton Bonefish Grill Boscov's Boston Store Brenner's Steakhouse Brookstone.com Buca di Beppo Cabela's.com Cadillac Authentic Mexican Restaurant Cadillac Bar Carrabba's Italian Grill Carson Pirie Scott CB2 Celebrity Cruises Charley's Crab Chart House Cheesecake Factory Cheryl & Co. Fresh Baked Cookies Chevy's Fresh Mex Children's Place Chili's Chocolate.com Claim Jumper Restaurants Container Store Courtyard by Marriott Crate and Barrel Crew Cuts Crutchfield.com CVS CVS eGift Card Darden Restaurants Dell.com Destination Maternity Dick's Sporting Goods.com Domino's Pizza Downtown Aquarium Drs. Foster & Smith Edwards Theatres El Torito El Torito Grill Elder-Beerman Express F.Y.E. Music, Movies, Games and More Fairway Rewards Fandango.com Fannie May Chocolates Fleming's Steakhouse Foot Locker FragranceNet.com Gap Gap Kids Gap Maternity Gap.com GapBaby.com GapKids.com GapMaternity.com giftback Charity Card Golden Nugget Goody's Grand Concourse Grotto Guitar Center Gymboree H&M Harlow's Restaurant Harry London Chocolates Herberger's HomeGoods HoneyBaked Ham Inn at The Ballpark iTunes J.Crew Journeys Journeys Kidz Kazoodles Toys Kemah Boardwalk Kids Foot Locker Kmart.com Kohl's L'Occitane L.L.Bean Digital Gift Cards L.L.Bean Signature Digital Gift Cards La Griglia Lady Foot Locker Landry's Seafood House Landrys Restaurants Lands' End Lands' End CANVAS Lands' End.com Legal Sea Foods Logan's Roadhouse LongHorn® Steakhouse Lord & Taylor Macy's Macys.com Magazines.com Maggiano's Little Italy Marriott Marriott Vacation Club Int'l (rentals only) Marshalls McMenamin's Historic Hotels McMenamin's Pubs & Breweries Meez Meriwether's Restaurant Modell's.com Morton's The Steakhouse Motherhood Maternity Muer Seafood Restaurants NASCAR.com NFLShop.com NHL.com Nike Nike.com Ninety-Nine Restaurants Nutrisystem.com O'Charley's Restaurants Old Navy OldNavy.com Olive Garden® Omaha Steaks.com On the Border Mexican Grill Outback Steakhouse Overstock.com P.F. Chang's China Bistro Palais Royal Panera Bread PapaJohns.com PBteen Peebles Peohe's Pesce Pier 1 Imports Piperlime Piperlime.com Pottery Barn Pottery Barn eGiftCards Pottery Barn Kids Rainforest Cafe Red Door Spas Red Lobster® Red Robin Regal Entertainment Group Theatres REI.com Renaissance Hotels & Resorts Residence Inn Romano's Macaroni Grill Roy's Ruby Tuesday Sally Beauty Salon Wish Saltgrass Steak House Sears Sears.com Sephora.com Sharper Image Shi by Journeys Shoebuy.com Shutterfly.com Spa Finder Spaweek.com Sports Authority.com Stage Stores Staples Starbucks Coffee Stardoll Stoney River Legendary Steaks Sunglass Hut T-Rex T.G.I. Friday’s T.J. Maxx Texas Roadhouse The Crab House The Popcorn Factory The San Luis Resort, Spa & Conf Center The Voice Library Timberland.com Tony Roma's Tower of the Americas TownePlace Suites TravelocityIncentives.com United Artists Theatres Vic and Anthony's Steakhouse WeeWorld West Elm Williams-Sonoma Williams-Sonoma eGiftCards Willie G's Seafood and Steakhouse Wine.com Yak & Yeti Younkers Zappos.com Zwinky Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: scintill on January 08, 2012, 08:14:43 AM I replied in the newbie area, but Maged has moved my post here, and I assume it was he that whitelisted me. (Thanks!)
I wasn't sure if anyone noticed the moved post, so if you haven't, check out my userscript for replacing the prices (hardcoded exchange rate right now) and let me know how to improve it. I've also asked Jeremy West of spendbitcoins.com about an API to help us do the purchasing. (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=40806.msg680535#msg680535) It would be awesome to get lots of gift cards working like this! spendbitcoins.com might help in that respect; they've got several already. Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: Jeremy West spendbitcoins.com on January 08, 2012, 10:17:09 AM We're actually working on something very similar... for a lot more than just Amazon.
Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: Jeremy West spendbitcoins.com on January 08, 2012, 10:26:02 AM Cool idea! Here's a stab at replacing the prices, with a hardcoded exchange rate. Hover to see original price. Tested in Chrome and Firefox, it seems to get most prices; I've noticed some that get loaded after the page has loaded don't get replaced. I'm not sure the best way to handle that. It's only USD right now. Code: // ==UserScript== As for the actual purchasing part, http://spendbitcoins.com/ (http://spendbitcoins.com/) takes BTC and gives Amazon gift codes in several currencies. If they could provide an AJAXable API for price quotes and retrieving the code (including updates on them waiting for confirmations, etc.), we'd be mostly done, right? EDIT: Updated code and link Wow! Just downloaded the script. Pretty cool! This should help us big time in finishing up our browser extension. Thanks! Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: Phinnaeus Gage on January 08, 2012, 08:04:32 PM Cool idea! Here's a stab at replacing the prices, with a hardcoded exchange rate. Hover to see original price. Tested in Chrome and Firefox, it seems to get most prices; I've noticed some that get loaded after the page has loaded don't get replaced. I'm not sure the best way to handle that. It's only USD right now. Code: // ==UserScript== As for the actual purchasing part, http://spendbitcoins.com/ (http://spendbitcoins.com/) takes BTC and gives Amazon gift codes in several currencies. If they could provide an AJAXable API for price quotes and retrieving the code (including updates on them waiting for confirmations, etc.), we'd be mostly done, right? EDIT: Updated code and link Wow! Just downloaded the script. Pretty cool! This should help us big time in finishing up our browser extension. Thanks! When you're done with Amazon, do The Popcorn Factory gift card, since popcorn was the first purchase from a vending machine retrofitted to accept Bitcoin. Then follow that up with the 100's of other gift card accepting companies. That should keep you busy for the rest of the year. ~Bruno~ Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: ineededausername on January 08, 2012, 08:31:56 PM We're actually working on something very similar... for a lot more than just Amazon. Wonderful... hope it gets done soon :) Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: Jeremy West spendbitcoins.com on January 09, 2012, 10:42:22 AM We're actually working on something very similar... for a lot more than just Amazon. Wonderful... hope it gets done soon :) Looking for a programmer to make it happen ASAP. https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=57275.0 Title: Re: Idea: Userscript for Bitcoin integration into Amazon Post by: ineededausername on February 29, 2012, 05:12:51 PM This looks like it's close to getting done :o
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