Eastern Europe appears to be warming up to Bitcoin and digital currency in recent months; there is Chip Chap, providing an easy-to-use service for converting cash to and from Bitcoin at 4,000 ATM’s in Poland. But, a more recent use case has been made public, as Lukoil gas stations in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are now accepting Bitcoin payments.
SpectroCoin Integrates WoraPay
When the news about Lukoil accepting Bitcoin payments originally broke, many digital currency enthusiasts around the world were quite stunned. Creating Bitcoin use cases is a difficult challenge, yet Spectrocoin has somehow managed to convince one of the major gas stations in Europe to work with Bitcoin payments from now on.
All of this is made possible due to SpectroCoin successfully integrating WoraPay into their mobile phone wallets [available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone]. Most of our readers will have never heard of WoraPay before, so let me briefly explain what this is. WoraPay allows merchants and business owners to create a self-service checkout system for their customers.
Instead of people having to wait in line at a cashier’s desk, they can process their bill and payment at a self-service checkout terminal. There are many advantages to such a system, such as speeding up queues, a higher turnover increase [because people don’t have to wait in queue], and the introduction of new sales channels.
The most interesting part about WoraPay is the fact that this is an open mobile payments network that is focusing heavily on remote payment services. For example, you could create a poster for an event, add an image/link to it to purchase tickets directly, and have people order it directly through the poster you put up. No physical shop needed, no staff to hire, everything can be done remotely.
Depending on your monthly sales volume, WoraPay charges a service fee as low as 1.7% and as high as 3%. However, considering the alternatives out there when you want to start accepting remote mobile payments, this is a small price to pay. And, this also opens up the market for mobile Bitcoin payments in several countries.
Bitcoin in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia
Everyday use cases for Bitcoin are not easy to come by. But, that is about to change, thanks to the integration of WoraPay into SpectroCoin’s mobile application. Residents of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, can now use Bitcoin as a payment method at some of the places they frequent on a regular basis.
Petrol stations are always a great way to bring Bitcoin to a mainstream audience. Anyone who buys petrol at a Lukoil gas station in the three aforementioned countries will now be able to pay their bill in Bitcoin. And, for those of us who do not drive a car ourselves, taxi service Vilnius Veza is accepting Bitcoin payments as well.
Bitcoin would not be a proper currency if you couldn’t pay for a lovely dinner. Twelve different restaurants and bars across Lithuania, Spain, Poland, and Latvia, have a self-checkout system in place for mobile payments, and now accept Bitcoin. Last, but not least, Kingitus [Estonia], Euronics and LaisvalaikioDovanis [both Lithuania] orders can be paid in BTC as well.
How Does it Work?
In order to make use of this new service, you will need to have the SpectroCoin wallet installed on your mobile device. Launch the application and scan the QR code presented to you during checkout. The application will guide you through the steps to finalize payment. Once your bill has been paid, the app will confirm it on your device, and you can enjoy your purchase.
Source: SpectroCoin Blog
All images courtesy of SpectroCoin and Worapay
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