Accept Bitcoin in a retail store
This post is about how you can accept Bitcoin in business.
Bitcoin payment in business describes the situation when payer and payee face each other in person.
Thus, the description “accept Bitcoin in a retail store” is also suitable for restaurant, hotels, service companies and craftsmen. So all businesses where a Bitcoin payment can be made face-to-face.
Those who want to accept Bitcoin in business have various options available to them.
We briefly present these different options here and refer to further instructions that then deal with the various possibilities in detail.
If you want to accept Bitcoin in your shop, you have the following options:
Cash register system
Those who run a retail store usually already have a POS system. In a POS system, sales are recorded, merchandise management, invoicing, receipts are printed and the corresponding entries are recorded for accounting purposes.
Payments are also recorded within this cash register system. A POS system has the appropriate payment buttons that are clicked by the cashier, depending on the payment method the customer wants to use.
Payment or card terminal
For cashless payments, some POS systems are directly connected to a payment terminal. Card payments are then processed via a card terminal.
These card or payment terminals can be connected directly to the POS system or operated as a stand-alone device in parallel with the POS system.
If the customer wants to pay, his order is entered in the POS system and an invoice is created. Likewise, it is recorded how the customer would like to pay. In the POS system, there are preconfigured buttons for the various payment methods.
If a card payment is requested, then the invoice amount is transmitted from the POS system to the card terminal and automatically reported back to the POS system if the payment is successful.
If the card terminal is not directly connected to the POS system, the process is performed manually by the cashier.
The invoice amount is entered into the card terminal and manually recorded in the POS system after successful payment.
Bitcoin-Terminal
Analogous to a standalone card terminal, payment can be made using a standalone Bitcoin terminal.
It is noted in the cash register system that payment is now made with Bitcoin. The invoice is created and recorded via the POS terminal and the payment is made via the separate Bitcoin POS terminal.
Since most POS systems do not have a predefined field for Bitcoin payment, it is recommended if a field that is no longer used (American Express, check payment) is used as a substitute.
Below we present the different ways that can be used as an external terminal to accept Bitcoin and Lightning payments in the retail store along with a POS system.
Accept Bitcoin via Bitcoin Wallet
The easiest and cheapest way to accept Bitcoin in business is with the help of a Bitcoin wallet on your own smartphones.
Any Bitcoin wallet that can be installed as an app on your smartphone is suitable for accepting Bitcoin payments.
Do you already have a Bitcoin wallet installed on your smartphone? Then check the “Receive Bitcoin” function once. Can you enter an amount like Euro or USD here?
The Bitcoin Wallet will then convert the respective amount into Bitcoin and display it as a QR code. The payer can be shown the smartphone display with the QR code. The payer can scan this QR code with his own Bitcoin wallet on his smartphone and thus execute the payment.
The merchant’s smartphone then displays when the payment was successful.
All popular Bitcoin wallets have this function.
There are some Bitcoin wallets that have extra functions for transactions integrated.
The Bitcoin Wallet has a Point of Sale function integrated. Here a shop can shop its own products with price and then select them for payment. However, the sole invoice amount can also be entered. As shown in the picture opposite.
The Breez Wallet can receive Lightning payments as well as Bitcoin.
Here you can find a detailed description of the Breez Wallet
If you have only a small group of potential users and expect a small volume, it is recommended that you ask your customers to send the payment directly to your wallet.
Thus, the easiest way to accept Bitcoin in stores is to install your own Bitcoin wallet on your smartphone. When a customer wants to pay with Bitcoin, they pick up their smartphone, enter the amount in Euros on the wallet app and show the customer the QR code so they can send the payment.
This is the fastest and easiest way to accept straightforward Bitcoin payments.
However, this requires that the store owner is on site with his own smartphone and takes the Bitcoin into his own possession.
Any mobile wallet is suitable for this form of Bitcoin acceptance.
If it turns out that demand for the bitcoin payment option is growing, a business smartphone with a bitcoin wallet may be a solution that employees can then use to process payments.
Point-of-Sale Bitcoin Payment App on Smartphone
Besides the possibility to use a normal Bitcoin wallet in the store, there are some providers who have developed special Bitcoin payment app for use in the store (point-of-sale). These apps are installed on one’s smartphone or tablet and can then be used for in-store payments.
These are providers such as BitBucks, Bitpocket, Lipa or inapay.
At Bitpocket, you can deposit your own xPub key and then receive the credit directly on your own Bitcoin wallet, and at inapay, customers from Switzerland can have the amount paid out directly to their own bank account.
Shop owner accepts Bitcoin
Using your own smartphone with your own Bitcoin wallet is the ideal solution for shop owners and merchants who are in business for themselves.
You always have your smartphone with you and if a customer wants to pay with Bitcoin, you can use their own smartphone.
It can be a little more time-consuming if you are not in the shop yourself all the time and there are different people working at the till.
Here, it would make sense to use a discarded smartphone as a pure Bitcoin point-of-sale smartphone.
Such a solution also makes sense if you are represented at several locations and you want to accept Bitcoin in all shops.
These solutions are low-cost entry-level solutions that allow any business to accept Bitcoin instantly.
It is advisable to gain initial experience here and to switch to more professional solutions once you have gained the necessary experience and turnover increases.
Bitcoin-POS-Terminal
A more professional solution is offered by special Bitcoin terminals or also called Bitcoin point-of-sale terminals.
A Bitcoin POS terminal is a standalone hardware for in-store cashless payment processing.
Most store owners use a similar terminal for credit card and debit card payments.
These terminals come in a wide variety of forms and functions, including for accepting cryptocurrencies.
The terminals differed mainly in the scope of cryptocurrencies that can be accepted with the terminal. What these devices have in common is that the trader does not have to worry about the current Bitcoin rate or about settlement.
The euro amount is communicated to the terminal, the end customer pays with the cryptocurrency of his choice, and the merchant receives a credit in euros to his bank account.
Bitcoin POS terminals can either be purchased or rented for a monthly fee. In addition, a turnover-based transaction fee is charged.
Payment to the trader is made by weekly settlement to the trader’s own bank account.
Bitcoin cash terminal providers are for example:
- Salamantex
- Walledo
- Coinwayworld
- C-Novation
BTCPay Point of Sale App
There is an app on the BTCPay server that can be used to create a point-of-sale terminal.
This app is called the PointOfSale app and is available when you have set up a BTCPay store.
The Point-of-Sale app is a Bitcoin cash terminal that can be used via your own smartphone or iPad.
If the customer wants to pay with Bitcoin, the point-of-sale app is called up via their own website.
On this website, the purchase amount (in euros, USD) can be entered and the corresponding bitcoin amount is displayed in the background in the form of a QR code.
Accept Bitcoin in shop with the BTCPay Point-of-Sale App
The BTCPay Point-of-Sale App is available in different variants:
BTCPay POS App with amount input
When entering the amount, the amount to be paid is entered by the store owner. The Bitcoin amount is then determined by the BTCPay Store from the amount entered and displayed to the customer in the form of a QR code.
BTCPay POS terminal with product catalog
With the web-based point-of-sale terminal including product catalogue, the products on offer are stored in advance.
During payment, the cashier can select the products that the customer buys from the products stored. The shopping basket function calculates the total amount.
The customer can add an additional amount for tip and then complete the purchase.
Here you will find detailed instructions on how to set it up yourself: Bitcoin Point-of-Sale Terminal with Product Catalogue
BTCPayWall Point of Sale App
Accept Bitcoin payments in retail with BTCPayWall
The BTCPayWall is a WordPress plugin that can be used in conjunction with a BTCPay server to process Bitcoin and Lightning payments.
The BTCPayWall has an application called Donation Page. This application can also be used as a Bitcoin terminal.
The cashier enters the invoice amount in euros and then has the option of entering his or her own value in a comment field.
This can be, for example, the voucher number from the cash terminal.
This way, the accounting department can make a clear allocation of the Bitcoin payment with the corresponding proof of purchase.
BTCPayWall POS Terminal
Try out such a payment in the adjacent BTCPayWall POS terminal. Enter an invoice amount.
Then click on Continue. Then you will be asked to enter a voucher number and after that you will be redirected to the Bitcoin payment page.
Powered by BTCPayWall
Accept Bitcoin via the BTCPay Point-of-Sale App
On the BTCPay server there is the PointOfSale app, which can be used to accept Bitcoin in the shop.
With the help of the BTCPay Point-of-Sale App, a web-based Point-of-Sale terminal can be set up in just a few steps.
To accept Bitcoin in the retail store is required:
- BTCPay Store for bitcoin payment processing
- Point-Of-Sale App on the BTCPay Server
- Bitcoin wallet for for crediting incoming payments, as with your account
BTCPay Store
Bitcoin payment processing is organized by a BTCPay store and you set up the required account on a BTCPay server.
You can run your own BTCPay server or you can use an existing BTCPay server.
Coincharge provides a BTCPay server at the address https://btcpay.coincharge.io, which you can use for free.
Further information:
Instead of using the Coincharge BTCPay server, would you rather use your own BTCPay server for your BTCPay store?
Then set up your own BTCPay server.
You can find more information about your own BTCPay server in the article:
If the customer wants to pay with Bitcoin in your shop, then you select the corresponding products from the catalogue or enter the invoice amount in the input mask.
The BTCPay store takes the USD or Euro commodity value and calculates the corresponding value in Bitcoin based on the current Bitcoin rate.
BTCPay Store creates a payment checkout page that contains all relevant information for payment.
It contains the amount to be paid in Bitcoin and the Bitcoin address to which the Bitcoin payment should be sent.
All relevant information is displayed in the form of a QR code.
The appearance of the payment page can be designed in the shop’s design and can be provided with your logo.
When the customer pays, the BTCPay Store verifies that the payment was properly executed.
Since a unique and unambiguous Bitcoin address is generated for each Bitcoin payment, an incoming payment can always be clearly assigned to an order.
It checks if the expected bitcoin amount has been received and credits the merchant’s bitcoin wallet with the equivalent amount.
As the operator of the shop, you receive feedback about the successful Bitcoin payment and can hand over the purchased products to the customer.
Point-Of-Sale App on the BTCPay Server
Once you have created a BTCPay store, the various apps are available. One app is the Point-of-Sale app (PointOfSale).
With the help of this point-of-sale app, you can create a simple payment page or even store your product catalogue.
As a restaurant operator, you can use the Point-of-Sale Terminal and the product catalogue to store all the products on your menu.
As a craftsman or service provider, your offered services.
You can find instructions at: Bitcoin Point-of-Sale Terminal with Product Catalogue
But you can also choose the simple variant. You enter the purchase or order as usual in your own cash register system.
If the customer wants to pay with Bitcoin, you enter the amount in the input mask. Just as you would enter the amount into the credit card terminal for a card payment, you enter the amount into the input mask on your smartphone or iPad.
You can find detailed instructions on how to set up and configure the Point-of-Sale App in the article: BTCPay Point-of-Sale App per amount entry.
As a business owner, you need your own Bitcoin wallet to which the incoming Bitcoin are credited.
If you create a BTCPay store, you can also use it to create your own internal Bitcoin wallet.
Only you have access to this Bitcoin wallet, because you receive the private key in the form of 12 words that only you know.
The Bitcoin Wallet can be used not only for receiving Bitcoin payments, but also for payments to employees and suppliers.
Further information:
Do you already have your own Bitcoin wallet?
Then you can store your existing Bitcoin address as an xPub key in your BTCPay store.
How you can determine the xPub key of your Bitcoin wallet, you will learn in the article:
You can transfer your Bitcoin balance from this Bitcoin wallet to another Bitcoin wallet at any time.
Bitcoin Wallet
As already written, for each order a unique Bitcoin address, which is used only once.
Each Bitcoin address belongs to a specific Bitcoin wallet, to which the Bitcoin payment receipt is credited.
As a business owner, you need your own Bitcoin wallet to which the incoming Bitcoin are credited.
If you create a BTCPay store, you can also use it to create your own internal Bitcoin wallet.
Only you have access to this Bitcoin wallet, because you receive the private key in the form of 12 words that only you know.
The Bitcoin Wallet can be used not only for receiving Bitcoin payments, but also for payments to employees and suppliers.
Further information:
Do you already have your own Bitcoin wallet?
Then you can store your existing Bitcoin address as an xPub key in your BTCPay store.
How you can determine the xPub key of your Bitcoin wallet, you will learn in the article:
You can transfer your Bitcoin balance from this Bitcoin wallet to another Bitcoin wallet at any time.
Bitcoin payment processing costs
By using a BTCPay store on a BTCPay server, you are your own Bitcoin payment processor.
If you already accept card payments in your shop, you will be charged up to 2.5% of the value of the goods. You will not incur any transaction fees for payment processing via Bitcoin.
- no monthly fees
- No volume-based fees
- no transaction fees
The costs of payment processing in the form of transaction fees are borne by the payer and not the payee.
If you decide to run your own BTCPay server (which we recommend), you will have to pay for hosting the BTCPay server (at Lunanode about €5,- per month).
But you can also use Coincharge’s BTCPay server for free.
If you’re a bit tech-savvy, you can use our instructions to create a BTCPay store yourself, including the point-of-sale app. You can already accept Bitcoin in the retail store.
If you do not want to do the technical integration yourself, you can also have Coincharge do it for you.
Summary: Accept Bitcoin in a retail store
It has never been easier to accept Bitcoin in a retail store.
Proceed as follows:
- Creation of a BTCPay Store at: https://btcpay.coincharge.io
- Create the point-of-sale app in the BTCPay Store and then either a BTCPay point-of-sale app via amount entry or Bitcoin point-of-sale terminal with product catalogue.
- Creation of an internal Bitcoin wallet or deposit of the xPub key of an external Bitcoin wallet
