Bitcoin Debit Cards: A Real Alternative?

[logger]

Once a mere novelty, Bitcoin debit cards are getting smarter and their providers
are stepping up to ensure their products have a tangible competitive advantage.

However, can Bitcoin cards provide users with proper anonimity?

[Amph]

they cannot provide proper anonimity ever, because from the moment, you purchase a thing and you write your address and name, for the shipping tdetail you are already out of luck in regard to anonimity

also they are very expensive, when bitcoin is aiming at reducing cost for moving money, so a bit contradictory to use something that go against the philosophy of crypto

[GreenStox]

Once a mere novelty, Bitcoin debit cards are getting smarter and their providers
are stepping up to ensure their products have a tangible competitive advantage.

However, can Bitcoin cards provide users with proper anonimity?

I have 1 question about these bitcoin debit cards? Do they work with all ATM's or the banks have to uppgrade the ATM's software in order to read BTC. I`m sure ATM's, whatever software they use, dont even have the 'BTC' character implemented in their software.
So i`m sure the banks have to do work too to implement this feature.

Once a mere novelty, Bitcoin debit cards are getting smarter and their providers
are stepping up to ensure their products have a tangible competitive advantage.

However, can Bitcoin cards provide users with proper anonimity?

A debit card is never for anonymity, if you go to a large store dont expect anonymity when atleast 500 people see what stuffs are you buying.

[Alley]

Not everyone cares about anonominity.

[Argwai96]

Not everyone cares about anonominity.

Thats right i dont think anonymity matter to every one, unless they are really up tight to what they are doing or to have more security in their daily activities, i guess is up to people to choose what level of anonymity they want to use or not.

[twister]

But you'd have to trust the supplier of these cards to load your money into it everytime, I don't think I can get myself to trust them.

[JackRipper]

For those who don't care about remaining anonymous and don't care about centralizing their personal Bitcoin (depositing Bitcoin onto an ATM card would be a form of voluntary centralization), it might be a very convenient way to spend their bit coin. At this point, I would be extremely leery of any ATM cards. The major payment processors (VISA and MasterCard) are not open to the idea of Bitcoin and could force the card issuer to stop excepting Bitcoin deposits with little to no notice.

[pawel7777]

I have 1 question about these bitcoin debit cards? Do they work with all ATM's or the banks have to uppgrade the ATM's software in order to read BTC. I`m sure ATM's, whatever software they use, dont even have the 'BTC' character implemented in their software.
So i`m sure the banks have to do work too to implement this feature.

It's pretty simple. Your BTC debit card provider (ie XAPO, Bit-x, Bitstamp etc) keeps your BTC funds and converts to fiat whenever you want to use the card, therefore you're paying with fiat (but it comes from your BTC deposit). So yes, it works like a regular card and you can pay pretty much everywhere.

[jeannemadrigal2]

This is great with all of the cards coming out.  It makes it really easy to use your bitcoins in stead of having to deal with wire transfers, 2 week waits, and other nonsense just to turn crypto back into fiat.  Maybe the fees are high right now but I hope that eventually there will be more competition and the fees will go down a little.

[pawel7777]

For those who don't care about remaining anonymous and don't care about centralizing their personal Bitcoin (depositing Bitcoin onto an ATM card would be a form of voluntary centralization), it might be a very convenient way to spend their bit coin. At this point, I would be extremely leery of any ATM cards. The major payment processors (VISA and MasterCard) are not open to the idea of Bitcoin and could force the card issuer to stop excepting Bitcoin deposits with little to no notice.

I don't see it likely. First of all, they do directly benefit from this form of bitcoin activity, second of all, it would be very bad PR for them, and last but not least, if they did that, they would be possibly facing anti-monopoly actions and large fines (in some countries, where their lobby is weaker). You cannot just deny service because you don't like bitcoin, you'd need a better reason for that (and money-laundering/supporting terrorism is not a case here, since there's no anonymity).

[melody82]

I don't personally see the point in having these cards, it really is not that hard to move bitcoins around especially with services like local bitcoins.  But I suppose that more options are always a good thing.

[Hazir]

I don't personally see the point in having these cards, it really is not that hard to move bitcoins around especially with services like local bitcoins.  But I suppose that more options are always a good thing.

I have the same feelings. I don't need additional bitcoin services and payment processors where I could use it directly to buy my stuff.
Bitcoin was created to fight this type of situations where you need cards ensued by 3rd parties to be able to pay. I won't get it and I won't need it.

[yayayo]

I see Bitcoin Debit Cards only as a temporary solution to the problem that Bitcoin is not yet widely adopted. I hope that this will gradually change and conversion services will become obsolete, because you can purchase anything directly with Bitcoin.

Anonymous services can only exist, if the service provider does not know his customers. That's mostly not the case for issuers of debit cards, because they collect personal information if you exceed certain usage thresholds.

ya.ya.yo!

[sugarfree]

Not everyone cares about anonominity.

Still, the whole idea of crypto includes anonimity, right?

[ShetKid]

Not everyone cares about anonominity.

Still, the whole idea of crypto includes anonimity, right?

Not really. its just a side advantage. The whole idea behind crypto is speed / almost no fees / decentralization and Transparency. Anonymity is just another advantage.

[Anirban Sarkar]

Hmm its a good news !!!!

[Amph]

Not everyone cares about anonominity.

Still, the whole idea of crypto includes anonimity, right?

Not really. its just a side advantage. The whole idea behind crypto is speed / almost no fees / decentralization and Transparency. Anonymity is just another advantage.

mmh transaprency is the opposite of anonimity, basically...

so one of that two is not included in the crypto

you can't have both for sure, unless you use one coin for the first purpose(transparency) and a second coin for anonimity, in this case altcoin could be considered a good thing

[oblivi]

they cannot provide proper anonimity ever, because from the moment, you purchase a thing and you write your address and name, for the shipping tdetail you are already out of luck in regard to anonimity

also they are very expensive, when bitcoin is aiming at reducing cost for moving money, so a bit contradictory to use something that go against the philosophy of crypto

Well, that is the case if you do any payments thought platforms like Bitpay or whatever, or when you withdraw from an exchange that requires ID data. Bitcoin stops being anonymous when it's linked to your credentials.. that's why we need improvements in privacy like the ones proposed by Gmaxwell.

[chopstick]

American Express Serve > any of the bitcoin cards that have come out so far.

Sell your BTC in exchange for re-loadit, no need for a bitcoin card.

[regtrade]

For those who don't care about remaining anonymous and don't care about centralizing their personal Bitcoin (depositing Bitcoin onto an ATM card would be a form of voluntary centralization), it might be a very convenient way to spend their bit coin. At this point, I would be extremely leery of any ATM cards. The major payment processors (VISA and MasterCard) are not open to the idea of Bitcoin and could force the card issuer to stop excepting Bitcoin deposits with little to no notice.

I don't see it likely. First of all, they do directly benefit from this form of bitcoin activity, second of all, it would be very bad PR for them, and last but not least, if they did that, they would be possibly facing anti-monopoly actions and large fines (in some countries, where their lobby is weaker). You cannot just deny service because you don't like bitcoin, you'd need a better reason for that (and money-laundering/supporting terrorism is not a case here, since there's no anonymity).

This is exactly why you cannot withdraw BTC deposits into Neteller with their Mastercard. Mastercard forced their hand.