Crypto payments for small businesses: Benefits, risks and how to get started

Key takeaways

• Accepting crypto payments reduces transaction fees, eliminates chargebacks, and enables seamless planetary transactions.
• Businesses of each sizes, from e-commerce to existent estate, are integrating cryptocurrency payments to pull caller customers.
• Risks similar terms volatility and regulatory compliance tin beryllium managed with trusted outgo processors similar BitPay, CoinsPaid and Coinbase Commerce.
• Setting up crypto payments is easier than ever, with zero upfront costs and user-friendly integration options for tiny businesses.
• The accelerated adoption of cryptocurrencies has led businesses of each sizes to progressively clasp integer currencies similar Bitcoin arsenic a morganatic outgo method.

And it’s not conscionable a rehash of aged news. For years, you mightiness person seen luxury brands similar Gucci and telecommunications companies similar AT&T accepting Bitcoin. But today, crypto payments are overmuch much than an casual spot of PR — they’re seamlessly integrating into e-commerce, hospitality, question and adjacent your vicinity java shop.

What started arsenic a niche trend successful the aboriginal 2010s has accelerated implicit the years. As of 2025, implicit 659 cardinal radical worldwide — astir 1 successful 13 individuals — are utilizing cryptocurrency. Moreover, astir 15,000 businesses globally judge Bitcoin (BTC), including astir 2,300 successful the United States.

While determination are considerations to support successful mind, galore presumption accepting BTC and different cryptocurrencies, adjacent arsenic a tiny business, arsenic a win-win. The benefits often outweigh immoderate challenges, with minimal downsides and important imaginable rewards.

The pursuing sections research the whos, the whys and the hows.

What companies are presently accepting cryptocurrencies?

As concisely touched upon, it’s not lone niche crypto-specific sectors that are accepting Bitcoin payments. Here are immoderate sectors that you mightiness not person considered, with accompanying lawsuit studies.

E-commerce

• Shopify enables merchants to judge cryptocurrency payments done assorted outgo gateways, including BitPay and Coinbase Commerce.
• Newegg accepts Bitcoin and different cryptocurrencies for electronics purchases, integrating crypto payments into its checkout process.
• Rakuten Japan allows users to person Rakuten Points into Bitcoin, Ether (ETH) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH), efficaciously incorporating crypto into its rewards ecosystem.

Food and beverage

• Subway accepts Bitcoin astatine selected locations, with franchises successful Europe and North America processing crypto payments.
• Burger King franchises successful Brazil and Venezuela let customers to wage for meals with Bitcoin and prime altcoins.
• Starbucks supports Bitcoin payments done the Bakkt app, enabling customers to reload their Starbucks cards with cryptocurrency.

Retail

• Home Depot accepts Bitcoin payments via Flexa, allowing customers to usage cryptocurrency for location betterment purchases.
• Whole Foods processes crypto payments done the Spedn app, which enables Bitcoin and different integer currency transactions astatine checkout.
• Nordstrom integrates crypto payments into its in-store and online buying platforms, supporting purchases with Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Real estate

• In Miami, a $22.5-million penthouse successful the Arte Surfside analyzable was purchased wholly with Bitcoin, 1 of the largest existent property transactions involving cryptocurrency.
• Magnum Real Estate Group sold a retail condo successful Manhattan for $15.3 cardinal successful Bitcoin, marking 1 of the archetypal large-scale commercialized existent property deals successful crypto.
• Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty successful Texas completed a location merchantability utilizing Bitcoin, expanding crypto transactions into the residential spot market.

Hospitality and travel

• Mirai Flights processes cryptocurrency payments for backstage pitchy charters, catering to high-net-worth individuals.
• Travala accepts BTC, ETH and different cryptocurrencies for edifice and formation bookings, partnering with large question work providers.
• Expedia facilitates crypto payments for edifice bookings done Travala, offering Bitcoin outgo options connected prime accommodations.

Advertising

• Claimr, a Web3 selling platform, processes astir 8 cardinal euros annually, with the bulk of transactions conducted successful cryptocurrency.
• Accessible.org began accepting Bitcoin and different cryptocurrencies successful 2025, allowing clients to wage for integer accessibility services with crypto.
• Black Iris Social Club successful Richmond accepts Bitcoin for lawsuit bookings and memberships, integrating cryptocurrency into its operations.

Did you know? The first-ever real-world transaction utilizing Bitcoin took spot connected May 22, 2010, erstwhile programmer Laszlo Hanyecz bought 2 pizzas for 10,000 BTC. Today, those 10,000 BTC would beryllium worthy hundreds of millions of dollars, making it 1 of the astir costly pizza orders successful history. This lawsuit is present celebrated annually arsenic Bitcoin Pizza Day successful the crypto community.

Why are businesses accepting crypto payments?

So, each the large brands are in. But what’s driving this trend, and tin tiny businesses benefit, too?

One of the astir important advantages is little transaction fees. Traditional outgo processors and recognition paper companies typically complaint businesses betwixt 2% and 4% per transaction, portion crypto outgo gateways often trim this to little than 1%. For businesses processing precocious volumes of transactions, these savings tin beryllium substantial.

Another cardinal origin is the quality to entree a planetary marketplace without the restrictions of currency speech rates and planetary banking fees. Cryptocurrency payments alteration seamless cross-border transactions, allowing businesses to service planetary customers without friction. This is particularly beneficial for industries similar travel, luxury goods and integer services, wherever cross-border commerce is common.

Security and fraud prevention besides play a role. Cryptocurrency transactions are final, eliminating chargebacks — thing that costs businesses billions of dollars annually successful fraudulent disputes. This makes crypto payments peculiarly appealing to merchants successful industries wherever chargebacks are common, specified arsenic e-commerce and online services.

Did you know? In 2025, chargeback fraud, peculiarly affable fraud, has go a important interest for merchants. Notably, a caller survey revealed that 55% of Generation Z and 49% of Millennials earning implicit $100,000 annually admitted to engaging successful integer shoplifting — a signifier of first-party fraud wherever consumers falsely assertion issues with online orders to unafraid refunds oregon debar payments. 

Additionally, businesses admit that accepting cryptocurrency aligns with the preferences of a increasing demographic of crypto users. Companies integrating crypto payments presumption themselves arsenic forward-thinking and innovative, appealing to solvent, tech-savvy consumers who similar integer transactions implicit accepted banking systems.

Finally, immoderate businesses are drawn to the imaginable of holding crypto arsenic an asset. While galore usage outgo processors that instantly person cryptocurrency into fiat currency to debar volatility, others spot it arsenic an accidental to summation vulnerability to a increasing plus class. With large corporations similar Tesla and MicroStrategy holding Bitcoin connected their equilibrium sheets, smaller businesses are pursuing suit, recognizing the imaginable semipermanent value.

Small businesses basal to payment the astir here, arsenic accepting crypto payments is an casual mode to carve retired a niche for the brand, reaching acold much customers than would beryllium imaginable by offering lone fiat payments. The strategy mightiness good mean the quality betwixt nonaccomplishment and occurrence successful a competitory startup environment.

Did you know? A survey by Deloitte recovered that 85% of merchants spot crypto payments arsenic a mode to scope caller customers.

Risks of accepting cryptocurrency payments

While accepting crypto payments is often seen arsenic a win-win, businesses indispensable besides beryllium alert of imaginable risks successful doing truthful connected their own, without due accounting systems and crypto processing partners.

Price volatility

Cryptocurrencies similar Bitcoin are known for important terms fluctuations. For example, successful aboriginal 2025, Bitcoin’s terms dropped from $109,071 to astir $80,000 — a astir 25% diminution wrong a abbreviated period. Such volatility tin interaction the worth of received payments if not promptly converted to unchangeable currencies.

Regulatory and taxation compliance

The regulatory scenery for cryptocurrencies varies by jurisdiction and is continually evolving. For example, successful the United States, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) classifies cryptocurrencies arsenic property, not currency, which introduces complexities successful taxation reporting and compliance. Businesses indispensable enactment informed astir applicable regulations to guarantee adherence to taxation obligations and debar imaginable ineligible issues.

Security concerns

Accepting cryptocurrencies necessitates the usage of integer wallets and exchanges, which tin beryllium susceptible to cybersecurity threats.
Without robust information measures, businesses hazard unauthorized entree and theft of integer assets. Implementing beardown cybersecurity protocols is essential.

Technical barriers

Integrating cryptocurrency outgo systems requires method cognition that immoderate tiny concern owners whitethorn lack. Establishing digital wallets and navigating digital currency exchanges tin beryllium challenging, perchance starring to operational inefficiencies oregon errors. Investing successful worker grooming oregon consulting with experts whitethorn beryllium indispensable to flooded these hurdles.

Market acceptance and perception

Despite increasing adoption, cryptocurrencies are not universally accepted oregon understood. Some customers whitethorn beryllium hesitant to usage integer currencies owed to concerns astir information oregon unfamiliarity, perchance limiting the perceived benefits of offering crypto outgo options. Businesses should measure their lawsuit basal to find if accepting cryptocurrencies aligns with their clientele’s preferences.

Use a crypto outgo provider 

It’s improbable that, arsenic a tiny business, you’ll instrumentality this roadworthy unsocial — particularly erstwhile starring crypto outgo processors connection zero up-front integration costs:

• These processors connection contiguous conversion services, transforming volatile cryptocurrencies into unchangeable fiat currencies upon receipt, thereby shielding businesses from terms fluctuations.
• They besides assistance successful navigating analyzable regulatory landscapes by providing tools for close taxation reporting and ensuring compliance with evolving laws.
• To code information concerns, reputable processors instrumentality robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding integer assets against imaginable threats.
• Additionally, they connection user-friendly platforms that simplify the method aspects of cryptocurrency transactions, making integration accessible adjacent for those with constricted method expertise.

The adjacent conception volition research a fig of crypto processing providers that you whitethorn privation to take from arsenic a tiny business.

Which crypto outgo gateway to take successful 2025 

BitPay

Founded successful 2011, BitPay is simply a pioneering cryptocurrency outgo processor. As of 2024, it holds a 6.26% marketplace stock successful the Bitcoin outgo processing sector, serving implicit 523 customers. 

BitPay caters to a divers clientele, including retailers, concern banking firms, and nonprofit organizations. The institution offers nonstop crypto-to-fiat settlements, helping businesses debar volatility portion ensuring seamless integration with existing accounting systems. 

Its information infrastructure includes two-factor authentication (2FA) and encrypted transactions, making it a trusted enactment for enterprises looking to judge cryptocurrency payments.

CoinsPaid

Established successful 2014, CoinsPaid has grown into a broad crypto outgo gateway, processing implicit 41 cardinal transactions worthy 23 cardinal euros. The institution facilitates astir 8% of each onchain Bitcoin transactions, making it a large subordinate successful the crypto payments sector. 

Supporting implicit 30 cryptocurrencies, CoinsPaid serves industries specified arsenic IT, marketing, fiscal services, existent property and gambling. The level offers a concern wallet, an over-the-counter (OTC) table for large-volume transactions and software-as-a-service solutions tailored for crypto integration. 

CoinsPaid is licensed successful Estonia and complies with Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations portion undergoing regular autarkic information audits to support its estimation for unafraid and compliant processing.

Coinbase Commerce

Launched successful 2018 by Coinbase, Coinbase Commerce enables merchants to judge aggregate cryptocurrencies straight into a user-controlled wallet. It provides seamless integration with large e-commerce platforms specified arsenic Shopify and WooCommerce, allowing businesses to judge ETH, Litecoin (LTC) and USDC (USDC). 

Notably, successful February 2024, Coinbase Commerce ended enactment for Bitcoin and different unspent transaction output (UTXO)-based coins. To marque Bitcoin payments, users volition request a Coinbase account. The determination comes arsenic Coinbase faces challenges successful implementing updates to its Ethereum Virtual Machine outgo protocol for Bitcoin.

While circumstantial marketplace stock information is limited, Coinbase Commerce is wide utilized by tiny to mid-sized businesses crossed sectors specified arsenic machine software, utilities and telecommunications. 

The level offers a straightforward setup with nary transaction fees isolated from modular web costs, making it an charismatic enactment for businesses looking for a elemental crypto outgo solution without intermediaries.

Binance Pay 

Binance Pay, introduced by Binance, is simply a cryptocurrency outgo solution that enables merchants and users to behaviour transactions utilizing assorted cryptocurrencies. It supports implicit 30 cryptocurrencies, including BTC, ETH and BNB (BNB), allowing for versatile outgo options. 

The level offers zero transaction fees for some merchants and users, making it an charismatic enactment for businesses aiming to integrate crypto payments without incurring further costs. Binance Pay besides emphasizes information by incorporating features specified arsenic 2FA and encrypted transactions, ensuring harmless and reliable outgo processing.

Step-by-step usher to acceptable up a crypto outgo gateway 

Despite a run-in with the Lazarus Group past year, CoinsPaid continues to run arsenic a large crypto outgo gateway, maintaining competitory setup costs and fees. As such, this conception volition locomotion you done the steps you’d beryllium expected to instrumentality erstwhile integrating immoderate crypto outgo processor, utilizing CoinsPaid’s travel arsenic an example.

• Request a consultation: Businesses tin statesman by submitting a petition connected the CoinsPaid website. A CoinsPaid typical volition promptly scope retired to docket a gathering and sermon requirements.
• Receive a escaped demo and proposal: The CoinsPaid squad provides a elaborate objection of the system, answers immoderate questions, and prepares a tailored connection based connected the company’s circumstantial needs.
• Onboarding: To finalize the agreement, businesses indispensable implicit the Know Your Business (KYB) verification by submitting the indispensable documents for compliance with regulatory standards.
• Integration: CoinsPaid’s squad assists successful integrating the outgo gateway into the company’s existing infrastructure, ensuring a creaseless and businesslike setup.
• Start accepting crypto: Once integration is complete, businesses tin statesman offering cryptocurrency payments, providing customers with an further outgo enactment portion perchance expanding their marketplace reach.

By pursuing these steps, you tin efficaciously integrate CoinsPaid into your business, offering your customers the enactment to wage with cryptocurrencies. 

Integrating cryptocurrency payments is simply a forward-thinking investment

With little transaction fees, entree to a planetary lawsuit basal and extortion from chargebacks, crypto payments supply wide advantages implicit accepted outgo methods.

The risks associated with crypto payments — specified arsenic volatility, regulatory compliance and information concerns — are easy mitigated by utilizing a trusted outgo processor similar CoinsPaid, BitPay oregon Coinbase Commerce. These platforms grip everything from instant fiat conversion to information and compliance, making the modulation to crypto seamless and low-risk.

With large brands already embracing integer currencies, there’s nary crushed for tiny and medium-sized businesses to beryllium near behind. Crypto payments are fast, borderless and cost-effective, making them a no-brainer for immoderate forward-thinking business. 

Whether you’re a startup looking to summation a competitory borderline oregon an established institution seeking caller gross streams, integrating cryptocurrency payments is an concern successful the future.

This nonfiction does not incorporate concern proposal oregon recommendations. Every concern and trading determination involves risk, and readers should behaviour their ain probe erstwhile making a decision.