If you own Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other crypto coins, you can use them to shop at Amazon for Prime Day deals, but it’s not easy. We show you the best ways to pay Amazon with cryptocurrency.
Amazon doesn’t accept Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency directly, but that shouldn’t stop you from using your holdings to buy things from the retailer of record, whether on Prime Day or any other time, you’re shopping. Unfortunately, there are some obstacles even when it comes to indirectly paying Amazon with crypto. These usually involve converting your crypto to fiat currency (dollars, pounds, and so on), then using it to purchase a virtual or plastic debit card. Another popular option is to fund Amazon gift cards using Bitcoin, Cardano, Ethereum, Litecoin, XRP, or whatever other cryptocurrency you own.
Unfortunately, since our last publication of this roundup, it has become harder to pay Amazon with cryptocurrency. This is partly because of a US government and Federal Reserve crackdown on institutions that offer services for non-fiat currencies, particularly banks that offer debit cards you can fund with crypto. Amazon itself has cut off some of the methods that were available in previous years‘ versions of this story. The upshot is that we had to remove several options that are no longer options for paying Amazon.
We can hope the retail behemoth will wake up and join the new decentralized economy for a future Prime Day. Until then, we’re here to help you navigate the waters of paying for those Amazon deals with your mounting cryptocurrency reserves. Browse the options below to see which best suits your Amazon buying needs.BitPay
BitPay offers a payment app that you can fund with your cryptocurrency—including not only Bitcoin, but also Dai, Dogecoin, Ethereum, USD Coin, and XRP. The app is available for Android, iOS, and Windows. It also serves as a cryptocurrency wallet, which gives it the advantage over an online exchange like Coinbase. A major one is that your account assets stay on your local device, so you can’t lose them if someone hacks the online service that holds your crypto. On the other hand, lose the device and you’ve lost the money, though you set up a recovery phrase when you join. It’s a cinch to connect your Coinbase account to BitPay to fund the local wallet.
