(Rejected) Bitcoin Payment Firm BitPay Rolls Out Apple Pay Integration for Its US Prepaid Mastercard Cardholders

BitPay, the Atlanta-based Bitcoin payment company, has announced that US cardholders of the BitPay prepaid Mastercard can add their cards to their Apple Wallets and make purchases using Apple Pay. Based on the announcement, Apple Pay functionality is set to allow the cardholders to use their mobile devices to make purchases in-store and online using cryptocurrencies held in their BitPay wallet.

Customers can now add their BitPay prepaid Mastercard cards to their iPhone’s Wallet apps. Although BitPay already has its own wallet app that serves the same purpose (converting cryptocurrencies into fiat currencies for daily purchases), the company hopes that the partnership with Apple Pay will add a greater level of flexibility. The commitment is part of the company’s broader effort to turn cryptocurrencies into a more universal mode of payment.

Meanwhile, BitPay is planning to support Google Pay and Samsung Pay later in the quarter.

As per the announcement, BitPay CEO Stephen Pair, said: “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. Adding Apple Pay and soon Google and Samsung Pay makes it easy and convenient to use the BitPay Card in more places, from day-to-day items to luxury purchases.”

Last year, BitPay formed a partnership with Mastercard for a type of prepaid cryptocurrency debit card that converts stored cryptocurrencies to fiat currencies and can be spent wherever Mastercard debit card is accepted throughout the world. BitPay Prepaid Mastercard cardholders can make cash withdrawals from ATMs (automated teller machines) and make purchases online with the cards.

Making Crypto Purchasing Secure and Seamless

BitPay, the US-based Bitcoin payment service provider, started its business operations in 2011 and since then the firm has been focusing on achieving its key objective of making crypto payments faster, less expensive, and more secure for businesses and customers across the globe. BitPay has been partnering with major companies to create a simple way for customers and businesses to make purchases with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.  

April last year, BitPay partnered with Binance cryptocurrency exchange to enable merchants and consumers across the world to accept Binance stablecoin as a form of online payment. May last year, the firm partnered with Beliani, European online furniture and home accessory seller, to allow household furniture buyers to make purchases using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, and dollar-pegged stablecoins like USD Coin (USDC). December last year, BitPay filed with the OCC (Office of The Comptroller of The Currency) to become a national bank in the US – to establish a federally regulated bank called the BitPay National Trust Bank.

BitPay has offices in Europe, South America, and North America and has secured more than $70 million in funding from investment companies like Index Ventures and Founders Fund, Virgin Group, and Aquiline Technology Growth.