who wants more bitcoin expansion locally + a job

[Eotnak]

jeff garzik (one of the bitcoin-core devs) works for bitpay. if your looking for a software solution, seek him out.

as for the tablet. it doesnt have to be a big deal. if the merchant already has a smart phone then he can just book mark a website that API calls bitpay. or buy a cheapy $50 item himself. i even have merchants that just show a single QR code that is laminated to customers.. so the upfront costs are not as critical as you may think.. but trying to add product costs into the small commissions is not really good for your profit line nor the amount of work you are technically doing before it ROI's.

I know the OP is about keeping it simple, but is it possible that we could do a small crowd source thing to develop a solution to bypass bitpay?  It would be our responsibilty to find out about fincen rules and state laws, but some software solution that allows us to plug in account credentials for exchanges and merchant bank accounts?  Eventually making it a free solution?  Feel free to tell me I'm dreaming.

[franky1]

jeff garzik (one of the bitcoin-core devs) works for bitpay. if your looking for a software solution, seek him out.

as for the tablet. it doesnt have to be a big deal. if the merchant already has a smart phone then he can just book mark a website that API calls bitpay. or buy a cheapy $50 item himself. i even have merchants that just show a single QR code that is laminated to customers.. so the upfront costs are not as critical as you may think.. but trying to add product costs into the small commissions is not really good for your profit line nor the amount of work you are technically doing before it ROI's.

I know the OP is about keeping it simple, but is it possible that we could do a small crowd source thing to develop a solution to bypass bitpay?  It would be our responsibilty to find out about fincen rules and state laws, but some software solution that allows us to plug in account credentials for exchanges and merchant bank accounts?  Eventually making it a free solution?  Feel free to tell me I'm dreaming.

agreed owning the exchange rate of your town is a solution, but when you start getting to country size level and lots of money transfers, you better have the paperwork ready. but there is nothing stopping you, your not dreaming.

[AliceWonder]

The problem I have is in my area, all the independent bookstores, coffee shops, pet stores, etc. are vanishing to corporate mega-stores with managers who can't make this kind of decision.

And I don't like bitpay. Maybe they fixed some issues since I last looked, but 15 minutes to pay? And if you miss the window, you have to ask for a refund? And QR codes without showing the address in text?

I don't like bitpay, I don't think it is the right solution. It is a solution but I don't think the right one.

I also don't trust the android client enough to use it, not after they trusted the flawed Android random number generator. So paying local vendors with bitcoin isn't something I can recommend until the bitcoin foundation (or someone) pays for a serious third party audit of the android wallet(s).

[franky1]

1)The problem I have is in my area, all the independent bookstores, coffee shops, pet stores, etc. are vanishing to corporate mega-stores with managers who can't make this kind of decision.

2a)And I don't like bitpay. Maybe they fixed some issues since I last looked, but 15 minutes to pay? And if you miss the window, you have to ask for a refund? And QR codes without showing the address in text?

2b) I don't like bitpay, I don't think it is the right solution. It is a solution but I don't think the right one.

3) I also don't trust the android client enough to use it, not after they trusted the flawed Android random number generator. So paying local vendors with bitcoin isn't something I can recommend until the bitcoin foundation (or someone) pays for a serious third party audit of the android wallet(s).

1) yes that is a problem, walmart at the moment with all the conversations i have had, are very tight lipped and not rally showing that loving feeling.. if any feeling at all.. but if we can get the independents in first, even if thy are few and far between, then that is then ammo to use on their corporate competitors.

2a) the only way to avoid the 15minute burden but still have atleast confirmed coins. is a pre payment wallet. if any of you have used mtgox or btc-e, where they have 'btc-e codes' and 'mtgox codes' you would understand this. basically people put in their $50 of bitcoins at the start of the week into the service, this gets confirmed, then when customers 'spend' bitcoins the system just moves funds from customers account to the merchants account using codes.. (kind of paypal-esq idea)(research offchain transaction)

2b) well you are the bitcoin representatives, if you want to start your own exchange, or tally the prices to localbitcoins, coinbase or anything else, take it on.. its all your project, your own service and its all your own profit to play with.

3) the QR codes would be generated on webservers so the flaw of android wont be usd.. all the android would be ultimately used just for merchants to send a dollar amount to the web service, and then display the QR code.. the android wont do any calculations or anything, its just a display terminal in essence.

[AliceWonder]

Well I assume if I am paying at a local vendor I am paying from an Android wallet, I don't lug my laptop around everywhere.

I have the android app installed but I won't fund or use it until it has had a quality code review, and I don't think anyone should.

Using bitcoins for local purchases is not an option until we have a mobile wallet with a proper quality code audit.

EDIT

I know this is bitcoin forum, but maybe with 10 minute confirm times, bitcoin isn't the best for local purchases.

[shkiser]

This is a very interesting idea. Being an entrepreneur I will be doing some brainstorming with this. There are not many ppl that even know what bitcoin is in my little town, but many could benefit from it, especially business owners who are tired of sending a % of their earnings to visa everytime someone swipes a card.

[franky1]

Well I assume if I am paying at a local vendor I am paying from an Android wallet, I don't lug my laptop around everywhere.

I have the android app installed but I won't fund or use it until it has had a quality code review, and I don't think anyone should.

Using bitcoins for local purchases is not an option until we have a mobile wallet with a proper quality code audit.

EDIT

I know this is bitcoin forum, but maybe with 10 minute confirm times, bitcoin isn't the best for local purchases.

as a customer the wallet can be HTML5 based(website based suitable for any smartphone)

but the android tablet part most of us are talking about is a simple display terminal for merchant to show customer a QR code that is generated by bitpay/coinbase/wherever

[AliceWonder]

This is a very interesting idea. Being an entrepreneur I will be doing some brainstorming with this. There are not many ppl that even know what bitcoin is in my little town, but many could benefit from it, especially business owners who are tired of sending a % of their earnings to visa everytime someone swipes a card.

Yes, but they are worried that the taking bitcoins will cost them more if the value against USD drops before exchange.
So that's why they want to work with instant transfer to USD which I think bitpay offers, but that only results in an illusion of using BTC - it's still fiat based (and bitpay isn't free to them either)

[AliceWonder]

Well I assume if I am paying at a local vendor I am paying from an Android wallet, I don't lug my laptop around everywhere.

I have the android app installed but I won't fund or use it until it has had a quality code review, and I don't think anyone should.

Using bitcoins for local purchases is not an option until we have a mobile wallet with a proper quality code audit.

EDIT

I know this is bitcoin forum, but maybe with 10 minute confirm times, bitcoin isn't the best for local purchases.

as a customer the wallet can be HTML5 based(website based suitable for any smartphone)

So to buy I have to keep my funds in a web wallet where it's really someone else who owns the coins and all I have is an IOU?
No, too many people have been burned.

Too many web wallets keep private keys on publicly accessible servers and there is no way for me to know until they say "sorry, all your coins are gone"

[franky1]

So to buy I have to keep my funds in a web wallet where it's really someone else who owns the coins and all I have is an IOU?
No, too many people have been burned.

Too many web wallets keep private keys on publicly accessible servers and there is no way for me to know until they say "sorry, all your coins are gone"

p only ever recommend people putting pocket money amounts into webwallets for temporary measure.. like the example given here, but i understand your point about theft risks. thats why i thought for the local stores that a person of that town manages, it would be easy for merchants and customers to slap them with a wet fish if they did steal it... by living in the same town..

but that was just one option, i did mention others

[hollowframe]

This is a very interesting idea. Being an entrepreneur I will be doing some brainstorming with this. There are not many ppl that even know what bitcoin is in my little town, but many could benefit from it, especially business owners who are tired of sending a % of their earnings sales to visa everytime someone swipes a card.

Small businesses stand to profit the most from accepting bitcoin as they have the least negotiating power with credit card processors and as a result tend to pay the most to have credit card payments processed.