BitPay users in the US can now add their prepaid bitcoin cards to Apple's Wallet app and use it to pay for things with Apple Pay. Non-Apple customers will soon be able to add their MasterCard-branded BitPay cards to Google Pay and Samsung Pay.
How to Add Your BitPay Card to Apple Wallet
To add your BitPay card to an Apple device, open the Wallet app on your iPhone and tap "+" in the top-right corner, then follow onscreen instructions to finish adding the card.
With your BitPay in the Wallet app, you can add the card to Apple Pay by going to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay, then tap the option labeled "Add Card." To become a BitPay user and order your prepaid card, download the BitPay Wallet app from the App Store.
A New Way to Spend With Apple Pay
A post on the BitPay Blog says adding a BitPay card to Apple Pay is a convenient way to spend cryptocurrencies in more places than before. "We have thousands of BitPay Wallet app customers using the BitPay Card who are always looking for new places and ways to spend their crypto," BitPay CEO Stephen Pair said in a press release.
With Apple Pay, holders of BitPay cards can make secure contactless purchases in physical stores, apps that support Apple Pay, and on the web. The company notes that customers waiting on delivery of a plastic card can add its virtual counterpart to Apple Wallet through the official BitPay Wallet app. Doing so will allow you to start spending immediately.
What Is the BitPay Card?
A prepaid card that uses the Mastercard network, the BitPay card makes it easy to make both contactless payments and PIN payments, as well as withdraw cash from any compatible ATM. With the app, customers can do things like view their balance, request a new PIN, reload instantly, as well as convert cryptocurrency into fiat currency (which is then loaded onto the card, ready to be spent anywhere Mastercard debit is accepted globally).
For power blockchain users, the BitPay Wallet app supports an array of options to buy and store crypto and make online payments. Users can instantly buy gift cards from hundreds of top retailers in store and online.
The card has an EMV chip and can be locked in case of an emergency with the app.
According to the company, support for Google Pay and Samsung Pay is planned for "later this quarter." As for the BitPay app, it currently supports Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ether, as well as four dollar-pegged stablecoins, USDC, GUSD, PAX, and BUSD cryptocurrencies.