Things are constantly evolving in the world of bitcoin and cryptocurrency. eGifter, one of the world’s most popular bitcoin-to-gift card services, recently forced cryptocurrency users to have a Coinbase account. That restriction has been lifted ever since, as the company now accepts bitcoin payments through BitPay. It is good to see companies listen to their customers.
No More Coinbase Requirement for eGifter Purchases
When eGifter announced they would only accept bitcoin payments when the customer had a Coinbase account, the community responded with mixed reactions. Forcing bitcoin users to go through a centralized company collecting their personal information before they can make a payment seems rather strange. Although Coinbase is a solid exchange and wallet service, eGifter worked themselves into a corner a bit by going that route.
Thankfully, the company has seen the light and reversed their initial decision. It is once again possible to complete regular bitcoin payments through the platform without being a Coinbase customer. Instead, the company is now processing bitcoin payments through BitPay, the world’s leading bitcoin payment processor. This is a great change that will please a lot of cryptocurrency community members, that much is certain.
One thing that will remain a mystery is how big of an impact the decision to rely on Coinbase has had on the company’s sales. It is only to be expected the number of sales will have dwindled by a bit, as not everyone wants to rely on an exchange platform account to buy gift cards with bitcoin. Moreover, Coinbase is not available in all countries, which somewhat limits the appeal of this service as well. It is impossible to gauge the impact, although it seems safe to say switching to BitPay will allow sales volumes to pick up once again.
Companies have to take customer feedback seriously and act upon it as quickly as possible. In this case, that is exactly what eGifter did, and they should be applauded for doing so. Payment processors such as BitPay are a far better choice than using a bitcoin payment service provided by any of the centralized exchanges. Moreover, it allows for customers from all over the world to use eGifter services once again. All things considered, a very positive and welcome change.
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