Expedia announces plans to accept Bitcoin payments
Expedia has become the latest e-commerce website to accept payments made from customers using Bitcoin as well as generic generic forms of currency.
Though big news for Bitcoin enthusiasts (replete in their tinfoil hats and Ron Paul t-shirts), the acceptance of the cryptocurrency will only apply to customers in the US booking hotels for now.
Despite this restriction, the move is being hailed by supporters and could lead to further retailers taking the plunge.
This is perhaps especially remarkable because it follows months of concerns over the currency facing security concerns following a number of high profile “heists”. But this obviously hasn’t affected Expedia’s decision to take on the currency.
In a statement, Expedia’s global vice-president, Michael Gulmann, said the company was “in a unique position” to “solve travel planning and booking for our customers and partners alike by adopting the latest payment technologies”.
Gulmann also confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that his company would be running the currency based on its exchange Coinbase and not as a main form of payment.
So good news if you’re looking to book a trip to Libertarian World Congress, held in a cave in the middle of the desert, and your normal travel agent won’t accept lumps of bullion.
