(Credit: Art Rachen/Unsplash)
Amazon doesn’t accept Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency directly, but that shouldn’t stop you from using your holdings to buy things from the retailer of record, whether on Prime Day or any other time, you're shopping. Unfortunately, there are some obstacles even when it comes to indirectly paying Amazon with crypto. These usually involve converting your crypto to fiat currency (dollars, pounds, and so on), then using it to purchase a virtual or plastic debit card. Another popular option is to fund Amazon gift cards using Bitcoin, Cardano, Ethereum, Litecoin, XRP, or whatever other cryptocurrency you own.
Unfortunately, since our last publication of this roundup, it has become harder to pay Amazon with cryptocurrency. This is partly because of a US government and Federal Reserve crackdown on institutions that offer services for non-fiat currencies, particularly banks that offer debit cards you can fund with crypto. Amazon itself has cut off some of the methods that were available in previous years' versions of this story. The upshot is that we had to remove several options that are no longer options for paying Amazon.
We can hope the retail behemoth will wake up and join the new decentralized economy for a future Prime Day. Until then, we’re here to help you navigate the waters of paying for those Amazon deals with your mounting cryptocurrency reserves. Browse the options below to see which best suits your Amazon buying needs.
BitPay
BitPay offers a payment app that you can fund with your cryptocurrency—including not only Bitcoin, but also Dai, Dogecoin, Ethereum, USD Coin, and XRP. The app is available for Android, iOS, and Windows. It also serves as a cryptocurrency wallet, which gives it the advantage over an online exchange like Coinbase. A major one is that your account assets stay on your local device, so you can’t lose them if someone hacks the online service that holds your crypto. On the other hand, lose the device and you've lost the money, though you set up a recovery phrase when you join. It’s a cinch to connect your Coinbase account to BitPay to fund the local wallet. Alternatively, you can buy crypto directly in BitPay with a credit or debit card.
I had previously bought an Amazon gift card with BitPay, and there was even a Redeem Now option that took you right to the Amazon website and automatically applied the gift card code to your balance. But Amazon gift cards are no longer shown in the BitPay app, so the only way to purchase on that online store is to use the BitPay debit card. Unfortunately, applications for the card are temporarily on hold as the company improves the program. BitPay still offers direct and gift card purchasing for many well-known stores, however, including Walmart, Best Buy, and Gap. A separate BitPay Checkout app is for stores who want to accept digital currency payments.
Bitrefill
Bitrefill claims that it “allow(s) anyone to live on cryptocurrency more easily.” Like some of the other options here, it lets you buy gift cards with your cryptocurrency. Buying gift cards using Bitrefill earns you 1% to 10% rewards in your account for some sites, like Barnes & Noble, Hotels.com, Lowes, and Gap. This no longer applies to Amazon cards. You can fund a card by connecting a Coinbase wallet using QR code scanning. You can also get a Lightning address, which is like an email address where you can directly send Bitcoin from any wallet app. Paying Amazon with Bitrefill is streamlined with a link that takes you right to the filled-in gift card redemption page on Amazon's site.
Cash App
The Cash App (from Block, Inc., formerly "Square, Inc.") lets you easily purchase Bitcoin; but unfortunately, it doesn’t support any other cryptocurrencies yet. To send or receive Bitcoin on the standard blockchain, you need to verify your identity with a driver’s license and selfie. (So much for anonymity in cryptocurrency.)
One you’ve earned a pile of Bitcoin in the Cash App, you can choose Sell, which dumps the amount you specify into your Cash App balance. After that, to buy something on Amazon, you just use the debit card info on the shopping site. In the app, just tap the card button in the bottom toolbar, tap the eye icon at the top-right corner of the card, and enter your PIN or authenticate with biometrics to see the card number, expiration date, and CVV number. If you have a plastic Cash card, just enter the info from that.
I should note that I’m not a huge fan of apps like Cash App and Venmo that let people display payment-receiving IDs, because they all too often lead to illegitimate uses like criminals paying you with funds from stolen credit cards, resulting in big legal headaches. I went through the arduous process of canceling my Venmo account because of all the illegitimate requests and remittances of money to it.
Coinbase
Paying Amazon using your store of DeFi coins in in Coinbase is a cinch: Just use a Coinbase card. This automatically converts your crypto into US dollars for use on the site. Even better, you earn crypto rewards when you spend with this Visa debit card. Getting the card entails no credit check (since you're funding it with your assets on Coinbase) and no fees aside from the exchange conversion rate. Unfortunately, applications for the card are not open to all users yet: There's a waitlist. And the card is not available in Hawaii.
Crypto.com
Despite having a web address as its name Crypto.com only works in its mobile app, not on the web. It lets you pay with cryptocurrency not only on Amazon but also at eBay and Walmart. The company offers a Visa card with up to 8% cash-back rewards. New York State residents, however, are out of luck, as they are with many digital currency benefits, thanks to the state's restrictive regulations.
For those outside New York, Crypto.com lets them fund accounts with about 1,300 different types of crypto coins—any with a market cap over $1 million. Paying Amazon with your Crypto.com card is just like using any Visa debit card. A balance of $400 worth of crypto in your account earns 1%, with higher balances getting higher-percent rewards on purchases—you can even have your $14.99-per-month Amazon Prime membership reimbursed if you pay it with the Crypto.com card.
Moon is a promising newer service that gets you a prepaid debit card that you can load using your crypto assets. You can load it using your Coinbase account or via a Lightning wallet address that can accept value from any crypto wallet. You install Moon's browser extension and then at any online site's checkout page, the extension can fill the payment details. This method works anywhere Visa is accepted, including Amazon. The downside is that Moon applications are currently on hold as the company retools its system.
Beyond Amazon, and The Future of Payments
Although Amazon doesn’t accept direct cryptocurrency payments, several other shopping sites do accept the new form of money, including Microsoft, though you can't buy a Surface tablet with Bitcoin directly, you can add money to your Microsoft account from your Bitcoin wallet and then use that for paying. NewEgg, Ralph Lauren, and AT&T also accept cryptocurrency. You'll also find some VPNs that accept crypto since privacy is part of the game for those services. NordVPN and Surfshark VPN are two Editors' Choice VPN picks that accept crypto.
Or maybe you prefer shopping at De Louvois, where you can always pay with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more…assuming you’re in the market for a Bentley, Lamborghini, or maybe some upscale real estate. If you're just starting to dip your toes in the world of digital currency, read our Bitcoin for Beginners: Simple Tips to Get Started With Crypto.
