The Bitcoin Company
Tip Jar 🫙 Bitcoin⚡️expatrioticblog@getalby.com
If you enjoy the post, throw a few sats to help this dissatisfied employee of the rat race.
Preamble
This is the beginning of a series of posts. The first of seven. You need tools for opting out of the fiat world.
Below is the ranking of choices one should consider when getting ready to buy something.
Avoid using dollars, banks, VISA. Pay in bitcoin or monero instead.
Pay in cash to avoid supporting companies like VISA
Use one of the following companies to help one acquire gift cards and prepaid cards:
Recommendations:
Avoid using apps when possible and use a privacy preserving browser instead.
- Tor Browser
- Librewolf/IronFox/Vanadium/Brave/Mullvad + VPN
Use a pseudonym rather than your real name.
Use a unique or disposable email rather than your doxxed email address.
DO NOT give out your home address but rather use a PO Box if you need to take delivery of a physical prepaid VISA card.
The Bitcoin Company
The Bitcoin Company is a company built by Bitcoiners, for everyone. Bitcoin, for everyone.
The Bitcoin Company will help you earn, spend, save, send, buy, and sell bitcoin, all in one place. We are building a simple, private, and easy to use app with all the traditional financial tools you have come to expect from your bank (with none of the headaches), but with Bitcoin at it’s core.
Our Mission
We at The Bitcoin Company have a vision to help everyone in the world own and understand Bitcoin, and to be a one-stop-shop for all your financial needs. Our app rewards you with up to 50% back in bitcoin rewards on everyday purchases, and we offer tools and education for both Bitcoin enthusiasts and those curious about it. Our team comes from diverse backgrounds, but we share the same goal of making Bitcoin accessible to everyone.
We believe that bitcoin is a scarce asset that holds great value, especially in a world where time is precious and financial services often come with hidden fees. We want to change the system by providing a tool that cares about your privacy and time, and rewards you in bitcoin for your spending. Our ultimate goal is to make the world a better place for everyone, and we invite you to join us in our love for Bitcoin.
Team Nikola, Thomas, Justin, Ben
Advisors Marc Boiron, Lisa Neigut, Evan Kaloudis, Dergigi, Carman
Details
- No onion link availability
- Funded by 10 VCs
- Mobile App or Web App
- Payment options: BTC and BTC-LN
- No 3D secure
- When attempting to view the checkout process I was pushed to make an account. The options for creating an account (WHICH I DID NOT DO) were as follows:
- Email + password
- Lightning
- Auth47 paynym
- Spin: This company is best for it's kick back scheme. When you use them you get a certain percentage back as sats. The trade-off is privacy. Their data collection is one of the more egregious of the seven due to the points scheme. Other services optimize for privacy by purging your data/history after 14 days, or not requiring an account/app to use.
Most Popular Cards
- Australia: catch.com.au, Hotels.com, Kmart Australia, Myer, Target Australia
- China: Hotels.com
- Costa Rico: Hotels.com
- El Salvador: Hotels.com
- Estonia (alphabetically): Hotels.com
- Germany: adidas Germany, Hotels.com, Sephora Germany
- Mexico: Amazon MX, Hotels.com, iTunes MX, Nintendo eShop MX, Roblox MX, Sony PlayStation MX, Starbucks MX, Uber MX, Uber Eats MX
- Thailand: Hotels.com
- UK: Deliveroo, Hotels.com, John Lewis & Partners
- US: Ace Hardware, adidas, Airbnb, Amazon, AutoZone, Bass Pro Shops, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Burger King, Cabela's, Chevron/Texaco, Chipotle, Columbia Sportswear, CVS Pharmacy, Delta Air Lines, DICK's Sporting Goods, Disney, Domino's, DoorDash, Dunkin', eBay, Etsy US, Gap, Google Play, Grubhub, Home Depot, Hotels.com, J.Crew, JCPenney, Kohls, L.L.Bean, Lowe's, Lulu's, Lyft US, Macy's, Marriott USA, Michaels, NFL Shop, Nintendo eShop, Office Depot, Papa John's, Phillips 66 USA, PUMA, REI, Roblox, Sam's Club, Sephora, Smashburger, Sony PlayStation, Southwest Airlines, Spotify, Starbucks, Sunglass Hut, Taco Bell, Target, Uber, Uber Eats, Victoria's Secret, Visa 🇺🇸 (US), Walgreens US, Walmart
Visa 🇺🇸 (US)
Details
- 0.21%
- The Visa® Reward Virtual Account is a convenient and flexible way to recognize employees and encourage customer loyalty.
- Available in open denominations
- Maximum card balances up to 10,000 USD
- Virtual Account may be used online, over the phone or in store with a digital wallet everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted in the U.S. and District of Columbia -Virtual Account cannot be used to obtain cash from any ATM or Point of Sale transaction
Terms
- The Visa card can only be used in the US and District of Columbia.
- Before purchasing a high value Visa card, please first buy and test a low value card (eg, $10) to ensure it works as expected with your intended merchant or mobile wallet app!
- These Visa cards are not 3DS enabled and may have issues at some merchants with enhanced transaction fraud screening.
- Warning: These Visa cards cannot be used to pay for subscription services, or to load funds into digital wallets (eg, PayPal, Venmo, Revolut), or to withdraw cash from an ATM.
- Additionally, you must not use these Visa cards to try to purchase something valued far in excess of your card balance (eg, trying to purchase a $200 product with a $20 card balance).
- Finally, you must never view your card details through any website apart from via The Bitcoin Company app or the official www.yourrewardcard.com website.
- If you attempt to use the card for these prohibited purposes, there is a high probability that your card will be disabled by our card provider. We are unable to refund you in this circumstance.
- However, as the cardholder, you are able to follow-up directly with our provider to have your card re-enabled or refunded if this were to happen.
How to add card to a mobile/digital wallet:
- Your Virtual Reward Card can be used in stores once you've added it to a digital wallet like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, Rappi Pay, and Fitbit Pay.
- Open the Mobile Wallet on your device
- Follow the on-screen instructions for "manually adding a debit or credit card".
- Paste your card number, expiration, and pin to add the card to the digital wallet.
- Please note: We do not guarantee these Visa cards can be added to a mobile/digital wallet, as successfully adding the card relies on our card provider's fraud prevention policies, along with many user-based aspects which we cannot control (eg, VPN use, your IP address/location, your current device settings and history, etc).
Tips
- Some transaction types (like bars or restaurants) require a hold of up to 20% above the purchase amount, usually to account for tipping.
- If you need to make a purchase that is greater than the amount on your card, most retailers will allow you to use a second payment method – cash, check, credit card or debit card – for the difference. Not all merchants accept split transactions and some merchants may require that you pay for the remaining balance with cash. Be sure to check with the merchant.
- When paying at the pump, most gas stations will put a hold (up to $100 or more) on your card to ensure that you have sufficient funds. So, make sure you know your balance. To avoid the hold, pay the cashier inside.
Troubleshooting
- Do not claim more than 2 cards from the same device within 24 hours or this may result in a temporary 24 hour hold on your cards.
- Some users have had issues on the card redemption site when using an adblocker or VPN. If you use an adblocker or VPN, please turn both off before redeeming your card on the site. To order a physical US-Only Visa card, please contact support@thebitcoincompany.com Visa® Prepaid Card is issued by Pathward®N.A.(formerly known as Metabank N.A.), Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Cards may be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted in the United State.
Legal
-
- Data Collection: personal data collected, including sensitive information such as credit/debit card details, detailed transaction data, Bitcoin addresses, device information, and browsing history.
- Data Usage and Sharing: personal data used for various business purposes, including marketing, service improvement, and compliance with legal obligations. Data shared with third-party service providers and affiliates.
- Security Measures: SSL and other encryption technologies used to secure data during transmission, as well as privacy protection controls for stored data.
- Tracking Technologies: Cookies, beacons, and other tracking technologies used to analyze user behavior and serve targeted ads.
- No Support for "Do Not Track": The policy explicitly states that it does not support "Do Not Track" requests
- California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): Specific provisions are included to address the rights of California residents under the CCPA. Right to know, delete, and opt-out of the sale of personal information.
- International Data Transfer: Data is stored and processed in the United States.
- Data Retention: The policy retains data for as long as an account is active and as needed to conduct business, which may be longer than necessary for some users.
-
- Gift Card Terms: _The total amount loaded on Visa Gift Cards is capped at 999 USD and on Merchant Gift Cards at 1,999 USD per day._
- Prohibited Conduct: Members must not engage in any prohibited activities, including harassment, unauthorized commercial use, or data mining.
- Indemnification: Members agree to indemnify the Company and its affiliates from any claims arising from their use of the Program or violation of the Terms.
- Limitation of Liability: The Company's liability is limited to the amounts paid by the Member in the prior 12 months or $100, whichever is greater, except where prohibited by law.
- Arbitration and Class Action Waiver: Disputes must be resolved through individual arbitration, not class actions, unless opted out within 30 days.
- Governing Law: The Terms are governed by Texas law, with disputes resolved in Texas courts unless subject to arbitration.
FAQ
I probably had my toddler screaming in the background as I wrote this.
Donations
Bitcoin paynym = +expatriotic
Monero QR
