US consumers will be given the option to use a debit card to pay with bitcoins. For this, Coinbase, provider of bitcoin wallets, is working with payment provider Visa. It is not yet known whether there will be a European pass.
The debit card is called the Shift Card and is available in parts of the United States. According to bitcoin wallet provider Coinbase, interested parties can get the pass if they pay an amount of 10 dollars, converted about 9.4 euros, the company reports on its blog. Customers can also pay that amount in bitcoin.
The Shift Card is partnered with Visa, so customers can pay in places that accept payment cards from this payment processor. In order to pay with the Shift Card, users must link their Coinbase account. The card can be ordered by providing a physical address; furthermore, no personal information is required to be disclosed.
For now, the conversion from dollars to bitcoin is done at no extra cost, so there are no additional costs associated with paying with the bitcoin wallet, as long as the payment is made in the United States. In the future, however, it is possible that the conversion will have to be paid, but the parties say more about this later.
It is unclear if and when the Shift Card will be released in Europe. However, it is possible to use the debit card worldwide, provided that the retailer accepts Visa as a payment processor.