Announcing payment links

Every Backslash user can now receive payments through their own payment link. It’s way easier than digging up a Bitcoin address, copying it, and pasting it somewhere.

When Backslash users click on your payment link, they’ll be redirected to the payment form with your information filled in. Other users will see your beautiful payment page:


Your payment page displays your username, profile picture, and social accounts as proof of identity. It also includes a Bitcoin address and QR code linked to your Backslash account.

Check out your page now at: backslash.io/YOUR_USERNAME

Here are ours:

• backslash.io/benigeri
• backslash.io/roneilr
• backslash.io/littlemooon
• backslash.io/derekchiang

[/list]

Thank you for the great feedback!

Ah, thanks Small. I just sent TheButterZone a PM so we can figure out exactly what's going on.

What do you mean?

Thanks again for trying it out.

As I've mentioned, we think that establishing trust is very important, and we're always working on it. You can learn more about us here: https://www.backslash.io/about

I'd love to hear any new ideas for ways to continue building trust with our users and the Bitcoin community.

Thanks you! Glad you like it! 

Ha! You do need to sign up in order to get your BTC. 

Try it though, maybe you'll be surprised and enjoy using Backslash. And if you don't want to keep your account,  just email us, and we can delete it for you.

But seriously, if you do end up signing up, please let me know what you think. We'll take your feedback very seriously, and if you bring up specific concerns there's a good chance we'll address them in future releases.

We aren’t licensed yet, but we’re working closely with our legal advisors to determine what licensing requirements apply to us.


Yep! Backslash lets you send payments to Bitcoin addresses. We don’t support the payment protocol (i.e. BIP70-73) yet.

Update: We're now giving out 500 bits instead of 5000 bits

So far, we've sent 55,000 bits / 0.055 BTC to users who have responded to this thread. We have more Bitcoin to give out, but we are going to do so in smaller chunks of 500 bits / 0.0005 BTC (instead of 5000 bits / 0.005 BTC).

I also updated the original post to make the change clear for readers that don't see this reply.

Establishing trust with our users is incredibly important for us. We're aware it will take a lot of time and effort, especially in our industry, and we're going to do what it takes. Here are some things we have done / are doing to build trust:

• We make our identities public. You can find out who we are on our about page.
• We spend a lot of time talking to our users to answer questions and concerns, both publicly (here, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit) and privately (email, chat, DMs)
• We've put in a lot of thought and time into making sure our systems are secure.

This is just a quick, high-level description of what we're doing. If you're interested, I'm happy to elaborate on anything I mentioned.


Great to see all three of you sign up! I just sent each of you 5000 bits.  Remember, please respond to this thread with feedback and ideas!

Thanks! I hope that you find Backslash even more useful after trying it. If not, let us know why and we'll work on making it better.


Thanks! I really appreciate the feedback. Both of those are great suggestions, and we'll definitely address them.

Aside from the amount and the recipient, is there anything else you'd like to confirm when sending a large transaction?

Hey Basket Case and Wadily89,

I just sent the both of you 5000 bits.

I'm glad you've found things to be simple so far! Please let me know if you run into any problems, or if you have any feedback.

Happy holidays!

Thanks for signing up! I just sent you 5000 bits on Backslash.


We give new users a tiny amount of Bitcoin is so they can immediately try sending payments on Backslash. We don't want users to have to wait for block confirmations, for instance, before they can try Backslash.

One of the side benefits of doing this is that, as you pointed out, people get a small 'reward' for signing up. 10 Bits might not be much for some people, but many still find it appealing, especially if it's their first Bitcoin.


The primary difference between Backslash and ChangeTip is the way you send Bitcoin. Backslash uses an auto-completing search to help you find your recipient, and payments are kept private, while ChangeTip payments are generally made through public posts (ex. reddit comments, tweets). Backslash also lets you send Bitcoin to email addresses and friends on Facebook.

This difference stems from different goals of the products: ChangeTip is built for online tipping, while Backslash is targeted at more general peer to peer payments (ex. paying a friend back for dinner).


All of your email addresses, Facebook accounts, and Twitter accounts can be linked to your Backslash account. There's no limit. All the Bitcoin sent to any of your identities goes straight to your single Backslash balance. Does that answer your question?


If you send a payment to someone's email, Backslash automatically sends them an email to let them know.

When you send Bitcoin to a Facebook friend, Backslash prompts you to share the payment with your friend. They'll get their Bitcoin as soon as they sign up and link their Facebook account.

Sending to Twitter accounts works the same way as sending to a Facebook friend.

Yup, I've got your email and website saved.

Thanks! We've been working very hard to make Backslash as easy to use as possible, and messaging/marketing plays a huge role in that.

Hey pdg, thanks for signing up! I just sent you 5000 Bits.

How would you want your balance to be displayed? Is there a specific currency that you like? Or do you want to be able to easily change between two currencies (i.e. bits <=> USD)?

Thanks for the suggestion!

Thanks, I'm glad to hear you like Backslash! Can you think of anything we can do to improve?

I just watched your videos, and I really liked the Gem one. Although we don't need a video or PR help right now, we'll keep you in mind for the future.

Hey peligro, thanks for signing up! I just sent you 5000 bits.   



Thanks for the suggestion! We have plans to add 2FA soon. What are your preferred methods for 2FA? SMS, phone calls or apps like Authy and Google Authenticator? 

And please keep in mind that, although we go through many steps to make sure your BTC is safe, Backslash is not meant to hold large sums of Bitcoin. We're trying to build the best way to send and receive Bitcoin, not a bank for BTC.

Hey monbux and Miftach, I'm sorry for the lack of clarity!

1 bit = 0.000 001 BTC

so

5000 bits = 0.005 BTC

I'll edit the original post so that readers don't get confused. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Hey pedrog!

I just sent you 5000 bits on Backslash. Let me know if you run into any issues, and please let me know what you think of Backslash!


When you send Bitcoin to someone who doesn't have a Backslash account, the payment is never 'locked'. You can cancel the payment at any time, as long as it hasn't been claimed yet. Once the payment is claimed, the transaction is non-reversible and cannot be undone.

In other words, if you send a payment to a friend and they don't claim it, you can cancel it. If you cancel the payment, the Bitcoin is immediately sent back to your Backslash account.

In case you are wondering, here's how you can cancel an unclaimed payment:

• Sign in to Backslash
• Click 'Transactions'
• Click the unclaimed transaction you wish to cancel
• Click the big red 'Cancel Payment' button

Hey everyone!

Backslash is the easiest way to send and receive Bitcoin. We just launched, and we hope you’ll give it a try!

If you need some Bitcoin to try Backslash, respond to this thread with your Backslash username and we’ll send you 500 bits / 0.0005 BTC (only because it's the holidays, and while supplies last).



How does it work?

Just start typing an email address, Twitter handle, or Facebook name, and Backslash will automatically suggest relevant people. You can send Bitcoin to anyone, even if they haven’t signed up yet.
  
You can also pay Bitcoin addresses, but that includes a miner fee (doesn’t go to Backslash). Payments within Backslash are instant and free.

How can I get free Bitcoin?

When using Backslash, you’ll receive:

• 10 bits for adding your phone number
• 5 bits for connecting your Facebook account
• 20 bits for each friend you invite

Who are we?

We’re Paul and Roneil, two Stanford CS grads from the class of 2014. You can learn more about us on our about page.

We want your feedback!

Please respond to this thread to tell us what you think of Backslash! We’re looking for ways to improve, and we’d love to know what you would change.

Click here to sign up!

Happy holidays!

Paul & Roneil

Update 12/26/2014

So far, we've sent 55,000 bits / 0.055 BTC to users who have responded to this thread. We have more Bitcoin to give out, but we are going to do so in smaller chunks of 500 bits / 0.0005 BTC (instead of 5000 bits / 0.005 BTC).

Update 02/17/2015: Announcing Payment Links

Every Backslash user can now receive payments through their own payment link. It’s way easier than digging up a Bitcoin address, copying it, and pasting it somewhere. See our full post.