A cunning ploy to get bars/pubs/clubs to accept bitcoin.

[J-Norm]

It is sticky legal ground to use someone elses card and pin to buy stuff from your own bar. It also looks really sketchy to the IRS when you buy drinks from your own bar with your own debit card all the time.

I think there are actual payment providers that handle bitcoin for merhcents.

I do like the idea of using the card to run a tab after explaining that people are sending money to the card via bitcoins. Then mentioning later how easy they are to accept.

I don't think we have the critical mass of bitcoin users needed for it to be much more than a gimmick to draw in new customers at this point.

[justusranvier]

I don't think we have the critical mass of bitcoin users needed for it to be much more than a gimmick to draw in new customers at this point.

If you live near a large metro area you can probably find enough interested people to start a Bitcoin group on meetup.com and use have meetings at the venues you'd like to convince to accept Bitcoins.

[franky1]

I like it, but lets take it further:
Bitinstant debit card flash mobs

+1

It is sticky legal ground to use someone elses card and pin to buy stuff from your own bar. It also looks really sketchy to the IRS when you buy drinks from your own bar with your own debit card all the time.

I think there are actual payment providers that handle bitcoin for merhcents.

I do like the idea of using the card to run a tab after explaining that people are sending money to the card via bitcoins. Then mentioning later how easy they are to accept.

I don't think we have the critical mass of bitcoin users needed for it to be much more than a gimmick to draw in new customers at this point.

i understand your statements, ill edit out the whisper pin number into bar managers ear and skip to the pay for them to get their own card. plus IRS dont care about who pays for the drinks.. Aslong as the tax bill tally's up at the end of the year. many pubs that i know of, the bar manager/landlord would put his own money into the cash till to keep the books straight knowing that on pay day he will get it back in the form of his weekly/monthly profits.

[rebuilder]

Sounds good. Who pays the fees?

[Yankee (BitInstant)]

Sounds good. Who pays the fees?

I can see us paying the fees if this was part of a preplanned event.

[franky1]

Sounds good. Who pays the fees?

that is something that came to my mind too. but more concerning who pays once the service is fully released.

 as the community is stil small.. telling a merchant he would have to talk to his staff about bitcoin so they know what to do.
or change his EPOS-cashiers till system slightly if using the non bitinstant service. i find it then unfair to mention if they sell $10 of product. that they would only receive $9.50 or less. due to card issuer fee's bitinstant conversion fee's and commission

i think its best that merchants get exact retail prices given to them. and bitcoins being higher then mtgox prices to cover the costs.

ofcourse later on when bitcoin is more widespread then the, who pays the fee's can be re-evaluated once bitcoin becomes more popular.

secondly it would add value to bitcoin and as we are burdened with the fee's it would help to increase bitcoin prices to compensate.

[luv2drnkbr]

This is exactly why this debit card is so awesome.  It allows people to be introduced to bitcoin in a familiar way that shows not only can it be as liquid as USD but also has so many other advantages.  When I get that card, I'm closing (or at least emptying) the little bit of money I keep with my local credit union and using bitcoin and that card to pay for 100% of things.