How major brands and trusted payment platforms are making crypto payments feel familiar and fast
From grocery aisles to fast-food counters, shops of all types and sizes across the U.S. are accepting crypto payments. Paying with crypto is now as seamless as using Apple Pay or Venmo, whether online or in-store. That’s because services automatically convert crypto into dollars in the background, so businesses can accept it just like cash or card.
The Power Behind the Scenes: Crypto Payment Processors
A growing number of big-name retailers now let you pay with crypto, right alongside credit cards or Apple Pay. Behind the scenes, apps take care of instantly turning your crypto into dollars so the store gets paid smoothly.
Some of the most popular apps are:
Flexa: A payments network that lets you spend crypto instantly at stores, with built-in support for loyalty points and rewards.
Spedn: A mobile app that works through the Flexa network to let users spend crypto at stores.
Bakkt & Fold: Allow customers to pay with crypto while earning rewards in the process.
BitPay: One of the earliest and most widely used processors, powering crypto payments.
MoonPay: Makes it easy to buy crypto using familiar payment methods such as Apple Pay or credit cards.
PayPal: Supports over 100 cryptocurrencies, connects to major wallets, and instantly converts crypto into USD at checkout with a 0.99% fee.
These platforms offer familiarity, security and reliability by plugging directly into existing checkout systems to instantly convert crypto into dollars so neither the merchant nor the shopper feels a difference.
Merchants Embracing Crypto Payment Options
From coffee runs to big-box shopping, crypto is going mainstream with businesses across the country.
Food & Beverage: Restaurants like Chipotle and Steak ’n Shake, along with food markets such as Whole Foods and Sheetz, are now accepting crypto payments directly at checkout.
Retail: Major retailers are experimenting with digital assets, too. In 2024, Walmart tested Bitcoin payments in 50 stores, while apparel brands like Alo accept crypto for online purchases.
E-Commerce: Crypto has been part of online commerce for years. Overstock was one of the first large e-commerce companies to accept Bitcoin, while Amazon supports payments through integrated processors like BitPay. Shopify works with multiple providers—including BitPay, Coinbase Commerce, and Crypto.com Pay—enabling thousands of independent stores to accept crypto instantly.
PayPal: Bridging Crypto and Everyday Payments
PayPal is making it easier to spend crypto, letting U.S. merchants accept over 100 different cryptocurrencies at checkout. Payments go through quickly and usually cost less than traditional methods. Users can pay with crypto stored in PayPal, choosing to spend with a stablecoin or cash. Holding PayPal’s stablecoin earns 4% interest for users. The result is a consumer checkout experience that feels modern, yet familiar.
What This Means for Everyday Shoppers
From everyday essentials to leisure shopping, people can now use digital assets just like any other payment method—giving them more choice and a greater sense of ownership.
Crypto payments offer speed, lower costs, and transparency, though volatility and tax considerations remain. That’s why stablecoins, which are tied to steady currencies like the US dollar, are gaining traction with retailers as a way to deliver the benefits of crypto without the price swings.
As a bonus: some retailers are even layering in rewards and promotional perks, giving shoppers extra incentives to try crypto payments—like Fold’s Bitcoin-back rewards, Sheetz offering discounts and loyalty points when paying with crypto, or Bakkt’s ability to spend and earn through points.
Final Thoughts
What makes crypto payments powerful is the added value: new incentives like rewards programs for consumers, lower fees for merchants, and the convenience of paying anytime, anywhere for all.
Together, these shifts signal that crypto is moving further into the mainstream and being embraced in everyday ways by everyday people.
The trend is already taking hold: 39% of current holders in the U.S. are using crypto to shop today, while 23% of non-holders say they would use crypto if they could shop with it (Good news for them: They can! They just don’t know it yet, which is why the NCA is here to help everyday Americans understand and use crypto with confidence).