[POLL] Spending bitcoin on Amazon: when will it happen?

[Alley]

I'm guessing amazon can track how much btc traffic there currently getting through gift cards bought from gyft with btc.  When it gets large enough for them to notice they'll take it directly.

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[Lauda]

It doesn't matter how many signatures you gather on that petition. I'm think 2016 or after.

[pabpete]

I'm thinking when the tax laws are more clear people will embrace it more openly

[btcworm]

2017 or later. First bitcoin price should be steady.

I agree with this.

[coindozer7]

It would be awesome when Amazon starts to accept Bitcoin, but I don't think it will happen anytime soon.
There are rumors that Amazon is actually trying to create their own digital currency to use for Amazon shoppers.
We'll see how Amazon will change its perspective about Bitcoin as more shoppers and merchants demands it as it gets more widespread.

[sclaggett]

I don't suspect this will happen until sometime late 2015 at the earliest.  There are many factors involved and not enough inertia to move organizations.

1.  Transactions for product from merchants using bitcoin is currently weak especially in the U.S. their primary territory.
2.  As noted earlier the tax questions remain.
3.  The marketplace needs to decide if bitcoin is going to be a currency or an asset security.  Those investing for the hopes of an increase in the price of a bitcoin are not going to spend it on a latte at their favorite merchant or a music album download from amazon.  "I spent the equivalent of $5US in bitcoin on a latte...if I saved it it would have been worth 10x that" .   This is a big challenge for marketplace as a whole.  If using it as a currency does not increase many would say that this is nothing but a ponzi scheme.  Could it be both?  Yes but the currency side needs to have more activity and not just in micro locations.
4.  The state of Ohio recently banned it for use for the sale of alcohol since it is not a "currency".  This is not helping.
5.  Recently Gyft announced you could buy Walmart Gift cards with bitcoin and then just as quickly the offering was withdrawn.  This is a red flag for many of the larger retailers.  

[Domino]

My own prediciton would be something like 2016 or 2017.

[omahapoker]

I give it 6 months.ebay will go first

[Soros Shorts]

I'm guessing amazon can track how much btc traffic there currently getting through gift cards bought from gyft with btc.  When it gets large enough for them to notice they'll take it directly.

Do you think Gyft reports this information to Amazon? I am not so certain about it. Seems like it would be proprietary information to Gyft and they won't gain anything by giving this to Amazon.

[Bitcoin Magazine]

prime years are good for the market; 1987, 2003, 2011, 2017, etc..

[mjc]

Use Gyft to buy Amazon gift cards and get 3% back.   Works great.

[MNDan]

Use Gyft to buy Amazon gift cards and get 3% back.   Works great.

This! I'm thinking we lose the 3% when Amazon starts accepting Bitcoin, so live it up!

[Prolifik]

I'm one of the Illuminati.
                                 

They already accept bitcoins via giftcard through Gyft and other places.

I think they would prefer to keep it that way as it takes any risk of dealing with Bitcoins directly out of their hands.

[SomethingElse]

If bitcoin is big and there is a lot of money to be made, they will accept it. And if Amazon accepts bitcoin, then everyone will follow.  It is the chicken/egg problem.  Amazon won't accept because it isn't big enough, but it won't be big enough until amazon accepts it.  To me, more than anything else, Amazon is the one site that I look at for bitcoins long term success.  I think Amazon is the tell tale sign. 

[friendlyelmo]

I think bitcoin pricing has to stabilise first for big merchants to accept this. If we look at FX, we can see a 1-2% volatility swing in a day...but not 10-20% like what's possible with btc and other crypto coins. Just my take on this.

[Lauda]

I give it 6 months.ebay will go first

I highly doubt that. 1) It will most likely not happen before 2015 or later; 2) Ebay has Paypal.

[Brangdon]

I don't understand how using a credit card is safer, though?

Chargeback, fraud protection, no need to worry about wallet security. Bitcoin has some drawbacks to the consumer and I want a discount in compensation for using it. It's a boon to merchants in some ways, they need to share the rewards.

Credit cards are fundamentally unsafe, because the information you give to a merchant to pay them a specific amount is the same information a thief needs to steal a fortune. You may feel insulated from this, but ultimately it is the customer who pays for the lack of safety.

[Brangdon]

Any chance one of these mega companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, will start their own coin rather than deal with something they don't control?

Amazon already have their own AmazonCoin. Since they control it, it's effectively a gift token. It's not set the world on fire, nor is it likely to.

[Mobius7]

I guess it will take a few years at least, so I have picked "2017 or later"

[Lauda]

I guess it will take a few years at least, so I have picked "2017 or later"

It should. Amazon has shown no real interest towards Bitcoin, yet.