Bitcoin payment app for converting bitcoins to gift cards at various locations?

[Elwar]

As someone who spends bitcoins often, mainly via gift cards, I am finding the process a bit non-user friendly.

I was wondering if anyone would be interested in an app where you just fill a wallet with some bitcoin spending money, then you can see on a map in your area where you can spend those bitcoins (including gift card accepting locations), you go to one of the sites and when you reach the checkout you just pull up the barcode for the cashier and pay. The conversion to gift card happens behind the scenes and you don't have to worry about buying gift cards or figuring out which card you need (location, store location, automatically does it for you).

Not ideal but you would have a lot of options for spending your bitcoins with the focus being on simplicity.

Would people use this?

[devthedev]

This seems like a pretty neat idea if developed properly! Sounds a bit like Fold for Starbucks: https://coffee.foldapp.com/
If you decide to develop this, let me know! I would definitely be interested in contributing to the project.

[btc_enigma]

Not a bad idea, I would say

[OmegaStarScream]

I don't think I understand this very well , is the application going to be for finding places where you spend the gift card balance or you simply deposit BTC and you get whatever Gift card you would like to use , or both ? If It's the second then this would be great If the rates are good , the first would be a good add as well.

[Emerge]

Are you talking about an app like Gyft.co or e-gifter?
They sell gift cards for Bitcoins.. Especially with Gyft, you can load them with Gyft points and eventually you can choose what gift card you want when the time comes.. However its in the US only (Gyft)

[avatar_kiyoshi]

It's kind of app something like combined gyft + coinmap?
So, basically this app just a medium for a spender and any merchant in worldwide?

[Patatas]

As someone who spends bitcoins often, mainly via gift cards, I am finding the process a bit non-user friendly.
Not ideal but you would have a lot of options for spending your bitcoins with the focus being on simplicity.

Would people use this?

Doesn't similar services already exists ? I'm not sure if I have understood your idea clearly but you can still use localbitcoins if you just wish to trade your gift cards in exchange for bitcoins.Now you can just make an app to find out the nearby places around you where bitcoins are accepted and with your existing mobile app/wallet you can pay for the services.That would cut the the necessity for building  your own wallet service.You can club an existing wallet with your bitcoin store finder app.

[jhenfelipe]

If I understood it correctly, this will be a great app. It would be convenient imo. Imagine I will just check what stores are accepting bitcoin or gift cards in the map, buy, checkout with the barcode then pay. Less hassle and time saving I think, because I will not worry anymore about buying gift cards first using my bitcoin before I can spend it.

[Elwar]

Are you talking about an app like Gyft.co or e-gifter?
They sell gift cards for Bitcoins.. Especially with Gyft, you can load them with Gyft points and eventually you can choose what gift card you want when the time comes.. However its in the US only (Gyft)

I use e-gifter and Gyft. They are a great first step. You find a restaurant (or shop) on there that you want to go to then you go to that place and buy a gift card for close to the amount you are going to spend. Then you make the purchase and usually have a few dollars left over.

I was thinking of something that hides all of those steps for the user. You pull up a map, see all of the places nearby that accept Bitcoin (like coinmap) but it includes all of the included gift card places as well.

You walk into the shop and the app detects your location. You get up to the cashier and just pull out your app, you click "Pay" and a barcode pops up. You pay and your bitcoin balance reflects the amount you spent.

Example:
e-gifter & Gyft now:
I want to shop at Walmart. I check to see which one has a Walmart gift card. I see that Gyft provides that card (not e-gifter, and I have to purchase Gyft points to put toward Walmart's card).
Say I have a $17 purchase.
I pay for a $25 gift card.
I send my bitcoins.
I wait for the transaction to go through.
I get a $25 gift card.
I pull open my Wallet on the app and choose my Walmart gift card.
I pay the cashier with the barcode.

Hot Wallet app:
I want to buy some food. I open the app's map and see that there's a Walmart nearby that accepts bitcoin (as well as Whole Foods and maybe a local shop).
I have a $17 purchase.
I go to the cashier and open my payment app.
The app shows a bar code and the cashier scans it.
$17 payment received by Walmart, $17 is deducted from my Hot Wallet bitcoin balance.

If it was a local shop accepting bitcoin directly the step would just be scanning a QR code instead of popping up a bar code.

[ncsupanda]

This sounds very similar to SHIFT but in App form. I go and use a SHIFT card like any other debit/credit card, but it spends my BTC rather than traditional fiat. The vendor gets fiat, but I didn't have to worry about the conversion. Am I correct as to thinking this is what you are proposing?

If this is the case, are there any plans for you to make this an actual business as opposed to just an App? Trying to gauge if this is just a hobby/idea or an actual business venture.

Thanks!

[Emerge]

Elwar, you'll have to urge Walmart or whatever merchant to accept that payment processor.. Would be hard to do unless it's something along the lines of credit cards/Apple Pay

[nemgun]

As someone who spends bitcoins often, mainly via gift cards, I am finding the process a bit non-user friendly.

I was wondering if anyone would be interested in an app where you just fill a wallet with some bitcoin spending money, then you can see on a map in your area where you can spend those bitcoins (including gift card accepting locations), you go to one of the sites and when you reach the checkout you just pull up the barcode for the cashier and pay. The conversion to gift card happens behind the scenes and you don't have to worry about buying gift cards or figuring out which card you need (location, store location, automatically does it for you).

Not ideal but you would have a lot of options for spending your bitcoins with the focus being on simplicity.

Would people use this?

I am sure that it is a good idea, maybe you can organise an email delivery service for gift codes, you can buy them from steem for example as they aleready accept bitcoin, or request a bulk buy operation. The same for wallmart but i don't know their policy for bitcoin, same for amazon.
It may be intersting to do this as a lot of people may experience troubles to get these cards. Even if for some, it is not a problem, it can be an enormous help for a lot of users worldwide.

[SparkedDev]

What part of buying gift cards with btc is hard.
Egifter is pretty state forward, tho your idea could work since most giftcard sites aren't physical cards.
In most cases people are buying online if they are buying giftcards with btc.4

But yeah i can see the idea working but i think you should try to find some data on it.

[exadex.org]

Sounds like a great app, I would use it.

[nemgun]

What part of buying gift cards with btc is hard.
Egifter is pretty state forward, tho your idea could work since most giftcard sites aren't physical cards.
In most cases people are buying online if they are buying giftcards with btc.4

But yeah i can see the idea working but i think you should try to find some data on it.

Thanks for the info, Egifter seems great but i never heard about it, and i was looking for something like this since a long time, it is a great gift idea. Physical delivery is irrelevant nowadays, only Edelivery can be considered, and the more gift card sellers are, the better it is, especially when they use bitcoin.
I know a lot of people who can't access internet based payment options, and bitcoin is a great solution for them, that's why i think there shall be more projects like this one.

[Elwar]

What part of buying gift cards with btc is hard.
Egifter is pretty state forward, tho your idea could work since most giftcard sites aren't physical cards.
In most cases people are buying online if they are buying giftcards with btc.4

But yeah i can see the idea working but i think you should try to find some data on it.

Currently it is a gift card site that happens to take bitcoins. That is a great first step, I use it quite a bit.

I'm looking at it more as a bitcoin spending app that happens to use gift cards (as well as other means down the road).

I have always said that the most likely hybrid solution for spending bitcoins at most places is by letting retailers keep/create their own proprietary payment solutions and finding a method for Bitcoin to talk to each solution. This allows retailers to have control over their funding options and allows bitcoiners to spend their money in more places without the need for the credit card companies, KYC and banks.

We all want the final solution of being able to spend bitcoins directly at each retailer but for that to happen there has to be a large amount of people spending bitcoins in order to justify the transition for each retailer. Without a large amount of retailers accepting bitcoins there is not much justification in holding and spending bitcoins.

The goal of this app would be to be able to spend bitcoins at any location that accepts gift cards, coupon codes, etc. Online and in person.