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Bitcoin => Bitcoin Discussion => Topic started by: DeathAndTaxes on May 02, 2012, 06:58:44 PM



Title: Gauging interest. Pay for prepaid wireless with Bitcoin.
Post by: DeathAndTaxes on May 02, 2012, 06:58:44 PM
If you currently are using prepaid cellphone/wireless/mobile broadband or planning to in the future would you be interested in a service which provides pin codes and RTR (real time recharge directly to phone #) paid for with Bitcoins?

Would you honestly use such a service?  
What if 1% of purchase price was donated to Bitcoin open source development team?
Prices would be slightly below retail (i.e. $50 prepaid PIN or RTR would be $48 to $49 equivalent in BTC)?

Pin codes would need block confirmation(s) but I think the risk of double spend is low enough on RTR to have them processed 0-confirm.

Interested? Comments?


Title: Re: Gauging interest. Pay for prepaid wireless with Bitcoin.
Post by: twobitcoins on May 02, 2012, 07:21:43 PM
I think this is a good fit for Bitcoin.  It seems like a risky business that could really benefit from Bitcoin's irreversibility.  You could do it without collecting any identity information.

I would give your service a try as long as it is reasonably competitive with other discount sellers.  Discounts of around 5% off of face value seem fairly common.  By avoiding CC/PayPal fees you should have a better margin (though much lower volume for now unfortunately).


Title: Re: Gauging interest. Pay for prepaid wireless with Bitcoin.
Post by: Yankee (BitInstant) on May 02, 2012, 07:26:18 PM
We're working on a similar service as well  ;D

320 Mobile Operators, 100 Countries


Title: Re: Gauging interest. Pay for prepaid wireless with Bitcoin.
Post by: Indemnified on May 02, 2012, 09:59:26 PM
I would use such a service if available in Canada for my Virgin Mobile prepaid.


Title: Re: Gauging interest. Pay for prepaid wireless with Bitcoin.
Post by: teste on May 02, 2012, 10:10:03 PM
Yankee,

Brazil is included in the list of countries?


Title: Re: Gauging interest. Pay for prepaid wireless with Bitcoin.
Post by: jwzguy on May 02, 2012, 10:12:06 PM
Thumbs up to you guys.
Not a service I currently need, but with the way this country is going, I am overjoyed to see anything that protects what's left of people's privacy.
Hope it is successful.


Title: Re: Gauging interest. Pay for prepaid wireless with Bitcoin.
Post by: Yankee (BitInstant) on May 02, 2012, 10:13:51 PM
Yankee,

Brazil is included in the list of countries?

Yes,

Brazil:

Claro
Nextel
Oi
TIM
Vivo


Title: Re: Gauging interest. Pay for prepaid wireless with Bitcoin.
Post by: edd on May 02, 2012, 10:16:57 PM
I've bought pre-paid mobile minutes before and will surely do so again and I would love if I could pay for it with bitcoins. I can't honestly say I would sign up for it immediately, but I can promise that I'd use it eventually.


Title: Re: Gauging interest. Pay for prepaid wireless with Bitcoin.
Post by: Stephen Gornick on May 02, 2012, 10:19:46 PM
If you currently are using prepaid cellphone/wireless/mobile broadband or planning to in the future would you be interested in a service which provides pin codes and RTR (real time recharge directly to phone #) paid for with Bitcoins?

PIN codes for U.S. carriers sold here:
 - http://www.btcbuy.info/CallingCards.cshtml
 - http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=78050.0

Pin codes would need block confirmation(s) but I think the risk of double spend is low enough on RTR to have them processed 0-confirm.

Yup, PIN codes are like a bearer negotiable instrument, so you'ld site pretty vulnerable the risk of a race attack or a Finney attack.


Title: Re: Gauging interest. Pay for prepaid wireless with Bitcoin.
Post by: datafish on May 03, 2012, 05:11:06 AM
I have the bitcoinwireless.com and bitcoinwireless.net domains.  I would be willing to transfer them to a reputable member of the community if he/she were going to do something awesome with them.  I also think this is a great idea.  You should offer a selection of phones, too.  It would provide the opportunity of having a completely anonymous phone service, with the ability to refill without going into a retail store.


Title: Re: Gauging interest. Pay for prepaid wireless with Bitcoin.
Post by: DeathAndTaxes on May 03, 2012, 03:48:16 PM
I have the bitcoinwireless.com and bitcoinwireless.net domains.  I would be willing to transfer them to a reputable member of the community if he/she were going to do something awesome with them.  I also think this is a great idea.  You should offer a selection of phones, too.  It would provide the opportunity of having a completely anonymous phone service, with the ability to refill without going into a retail store.

PM sent.  

Selling Phones is something I have considered however it will require holding (depreciating) inventory so I would want to see enough demand first but I agree that it would be a great idea.  You could pay for phone, SIM card, and airtime all by BTC.  Only phone & SIM need physical delivery and it could be anywhere you want.

Prepaid wireless is really starting to reach parity with contracted plans.

Google is selling the Galaxy Nexus (unlocked w/ no contract usable on 200 carriers globally) direct to consumers.
https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=galaxy_nexus_hspa

Simple Mobile (T-mobile reseller) offers unlimited plan for $40 a month.
http://www.mysimplemobile.com/plans-40-unlimited.aspx


Title: Re: Gauging interest. Pay for prepaid wireless with Bitcoin.
Post by: datafish on May 03, 2012, 07:39:37 PM
I received a lot of inquiries on the domains, so I decided to auction them and donate the proceeds to the bitcointalk.org forum.  Please see this thread:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=79115.0