Western Union considering using Bitcoin

[pekv2]

Damnit, I wish other places would jump on board like "NEWEGG,Tigerdirect,microcenter". We need a large authorized dealer hardware store to accept bitcoin. ugh.

Good news to hear that WU might jump on board, but we need more places too, not these raggedy website shops like bitcoin store.

[BTC Books]

Damnit, I wish other places would jump on board like "NEWEGG,Tigerdirect,microcenter". We need a large authorized dealer hardware store to accept bitcoin. ugh.

Good news to hear that WU might jump on board, but we need more places too, not these raggedy website shops like bitcoin store.

 

There's something you want to buy that isn't here:

https://www.bitcoinstore.com/

 

[justusranvier]

Damnit, I wish other places would jump on board like "NEWEGG,Tigerdirect,microcenter". We need a large authorized dealer hardware store to accept bitcoin. ugh.

Good news to hear that WU might jump on board, but we need more places too, not these raggedy website shops like bitcoin store.

 

There's something you want to buy that isn't here:

https://www.bitcoinstore.com/

 

It might be there, but good luck finding it.

[thebaron]

Damnit, I wish other places would jump on board like "NEWEGG,Tigerdirect,microcenter". We need a large authorized dealer hardware store to accept bitcoin. ugh.

Good news to hear that WU might jump on board, but we need more places too, not these raggedy website shops like bitcoin store.

 

There's something you want to buy that isn't here:

https://www.bitcoinstore.com/

 

It might be there, but good luck finding it.

Or finding it in stock.

I understand that it's in "beta" and all. But when you try and help a friend find a laptop, and you both just give up and order it elsewhere...

[BTC Books]

Damnit, I wish other places would jump on board like "NEWEGG,Tigerdirect,microcenter". We need a large authorized dealer hardware store to accept bitcoin. ugh.

Good news to hear that WU might jump on board, but we need more places too, not these raggedy website shops like bitcoin store.

 

There's something you want to buy that isn't here:

https://www.bitcoinstore.com/

 

It might be there, but good luck finding it.

Or finding it in stock.

I understand that it's in "beta" and all. But when you try and help a friend find a laptop, and you both just give up and order it elsewhere...

The thing is - as I understand it - that bitcoinstore has the mission of putting itself out of business.

Their stated goal is to show the NewEggs and Microcenters that bitcoin is something they should start to offer - and they're doing that by trying to prove that they can take enough business away from the big players to hurt.

So if you want NewEgg or Tiger to start accepting bitcoin, start using bitcoinstore.  I do.  Believe me, Roger will see to it that NewEgg has every sales report dangled in front of their faces...

And yeah - it isn't the prettiest or easiest to use site.  Oh well.

[Minor Miner]

Great point.   Use the SITE so that someday NewEgg and Amazon will start accepting this.   Maybe he could make a website that bascially just sells NewEgg and Amazon gift cards and then show the results?   I would be willing to help with the capital that would be required to get stock.

[BTC Books]

Great point.   Use the SITE so that someday NewEgg and Amazon will start accepting this.   Maybe he could make a website that bascially just sells NewEgg and Amazon gift cards and then show the results?   I would be willing to help with the capital that would be required to get stock.

The problem with gift cards (aside from their not being in bitcoin natively) is that you wind up paying more if you shop at NewEgg with one.

Bitcoinstore is selling the stuff at zero markup, so it's cheaper.  It must hurt a little extra for the guys at NewEgg to see those profits going up in smoke.

Roger's a smart guy.

[JackH]

This is quite a big deal indeed. Lets hope that they will add this to their portfolio.

[World]

No I think its a win-win situation for both bitcoin users and Western Union.

Many of Western Unions customers are people from poor countries working in richer countries and they send money to their family in the home country.
With the progress in developing countries and internet penetration around the globe Western Unions clientbase will decrease when people find easier and cheaper ways to send money home.
So this is an opportunity for Western Union to take the step to the internet age of crypto currencies, or become as obsolete as telegrams.

It is beneficial for bitcoin as well if Western Union "franchises" bitcoin, the moment they do so 7 billion people will be able to buy, sell or transfer bitcoins even if they dont have internet or mobile phones.
Without Western Union this development might take decades to reach 7 billion people.

+ Other services that will be gradually rise around the bitcoin protocol

[stayeduptolate]

Damnit, I wish other places would jump on board like "NEWEGG,Tigerdirect,microcenter". We need a large authorized dealer hardware store to accept bitcoin. ugh.

Good news to hear that WU might jump on board, but we need more places too, not these raggedy website shops like bitcoin store.

I wish newegg would!

[psybits]

Damnit, I wish other places would jump on board like "NEWEGG,Tigerdirect,microcenter". We need a large authorized dealer hardware store to accept bitcoin. ugh.

Good news to hear that WU might jump on board, but we need more places too, not these raggedy website shops like bitcoin store.

I wish newegg would!

Bitcoinstore is pretty amazing actually - they stock so many products! But yes some more big players on board is definitely needed and I am sure it will happen in good time - remember anyone can send an e-mail to a company explaining why they should accept Bitcoin I think some people are doing this daily...

[Elwar]

Or just find the product you want and order it on bitspend.

[pekv2]

Or just find the product you want and order it on bitspend.

Yea, I'd rather order it directly from the authorized dealer them self. I questioned bitspend about how RMA's are delt with for hardware, and was never answered, so I am kinda iffy about that and will just probably order newegg gift cards, that way the invoice is mine, if I ever have to deal with an RMA like I had recently.

[klaus]

At the Moment (due to the US$ Price) we are bigger than Western Union in Daily Transaction Volume (US$) !





Source:

http://coinometrics.com/bitcoin/btix

[e4xit]

Nice bump!

[freet0pian]

At the Moment (due to the US$ Price) we are bigger than Western Union in Daily Transaction Volume (US$) !

It'd be interesting to know how much of that is used for remittance. 0.5, 1, 10%?

[bitcoinminer]

It would be interesting to see how much of that are the same coins being turned over.  Nobody is day trading western union.  So to say you're bigger than western union is kind of silly.  Is it 239 million worth of transactions?  Or 1 million worth, 239 times?  Who knows.

Compare it to a particular stock's volume on any given day, that is a better and more reasonable comparison to make.

[Carlton Banks]

"Bitcoin considers usurping Western Union" would be more like it

[bitcoinminer]

Man sends $500 in Western Union.  Arrives 10 minutes later as $100.  Man sends $100 to his Auntie who now has $1000 10 minutes later.

I can't see what could possibly be wrong with this business model.

[gollum]

Man sends $500 in Western Union.  Arrives 10 minutes later as $100.  Man sends $100 to his Auntie who now has $1000 10 minutes later.

I can't see what could possibly be wrong with this business model.

Auntie sends 1000$ to his son in BTC, that 1000$ is worth 600$ 10 minutes later...
BTC will not function as a payment system or currency until its value stabilizes compared to real life assets such as fiat and commodities.
Right now BTC is only a speculative asset because of the extreme volatility in BTC/USD.