Bitwage: Bitcoin Payroll and Invoicing Platform

Description

What is Bitwage? Bitwage is a global platform that simplifies international payroll and invoicing with Bitcoin. It empowers businesses and individuals to pay or receive salaries in Bitcoin.

How Does Bitwage Work?

Bitwage simplifies the process of receiving wages in Bitcoin by integrating with your employer’s payroll system. Bitwage facilitates the direct deposit of your paycheck into your Bitcoin wallet. Moreover, the platform offers businesses the flexibility to incorporate the Bitwage API into their existing payroll infrastructure. Freelancers can also use the platform by registering and adding bank details of their clients.

The registration process is available in both English and Spanish. You can choose between the Standard (free) or Premium plans, with the Premium plan offering additional advanced features on top of the standard offerings.

Getting started with Bitwage involves creating an account and linking it to your preferred payroll system. After providing your email address for confirmation, you’ll be prompted to verify your phone number. Once these steps are completed, you can specify the portion of your paycheck you wish to receive in Bitcoin. On payday, Bitwage deposits the allocated Bitcoin directly into your wallet. You are able to connect up to 3 wallets and bank accounts for direct deposit without the need for manual withdrawal.

Additionally, businesses have the option to fund your payroll using Bitcoin, Ether, or select stablecoins like USDC. The platform supports payouts in over 100 countries’ local currencies, allowing users to receive their salary in their preferred form, whether it’s cryptocurrency, stablecoins, or local currency deposited directly into their bank account or Bitcoin wallet on payday.

Bitwage offers a Bitcoin tax calculator tool designed to estimate the taxes owed on your bitcoin gains. This tool calculates the total amount owed based on factors such as investment amounts, annual income, and marital status. Moreover, the platform has integrated the Lightning Network.

Bitwage Products

• For employers. To access all Bitwage features, the platform allows companies to integrate Bitwage API into their payroll system or create a Business account on the site. The Bitwage Business page enables the usage of the account dashboard to manage and update settings, such as payment methods, currencies, and payment schedules. Additionally, businesses can use the dashboard to set up and manage multiple user accounts and administrative profiles, track and manage invoices, and access support resources. Businesses can also utilize the Bitwage API to provide payroll services to other businesses, such as HR organizations. This might provide them with a safe and effective way to pay their personnel.
• For employees. Employees must give their preferred wallets or bank accounts to get paid. They can receive their wages in any combination: for example, in bitcoin and local currency. The workers are not charged any fees for receiving payouts in bitcoin. There is a 1% fee for payouts in local currency. The employer is not required to be registered on the site. He can be provided with bank account details generated by Bitwage and sent by an employee.
• For freelancers. Bitwage offers services to freelancers all around the world to help them avoid the hassle of having to convert local currencies into bitcoin. A freelancer can use any bitcoin wallet or bank account to send invoices. Bitwage solves the key interaction points between freelancers and their customers: international payments, fast and inexpensive transfers, and favorable exchange rates to local currencies.
• Bitcoin 401(k) program. Bitwage modernizes such a traditional field of business activity as pension savings. The 401(k) program is now available in a bitcoin. Use a Roth 401(k) and a Bitcoin Dollar Cost Average (DCA) investment to grow retirement savings. Bitwage cooperates with ForUsAll, a tech company that specializes in retirement programs. It offers advisory services and assists in the creation of an investment strategy for those customers who have a Bitwage account.

Bitwage Fees

Bitwage does not charge any fees for registration or for its base services, which include receiving wages in bitcoin as an individual user, and paying workers on the platform via wire or bank transfer to employers. The fee structure for other services is as follows:

Workers/Individuals

• Bitwage Standard: No monthly fee.
• Bitwage Premium: $15.99 per month, with a 0.25% fee on the amount of Bitcoin received.

Businesses

• Bitwage Standard: No monthly fee.
• Bitwage Premium: $7.99 per employee per month.

For payroll funding, there is a charge of 0.5% plus $0.50 for ACH debit transactions, while credit card transactions incur a higher fee of 3.5% plus $0.30. It’s important to note that there is no fee for incoming ACH credits, making it convenient for users receiving payments. However, for incoming wires, there is a $10 fee applicable.

Bitwage also charges a spread, which is a small additional fee, on the exchange rate between Bitcoin and the local currency. The spread is typically 0.5%, but can be higher for certain currencies. For example, if the spread is 0.5%, it means Bitwage will give you slightly less Bitcoin than the actual exchange rate. So if you were to get $100 worth of Bitcoin, you might only receive Bitcoin worth $99.5 USD. There are also additional fees that may apply, which you can find here.

Bitwage Supported Countries

Bitwage’s services extend to over 100 countries across the globe. These include the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, the Philippines, and India.

What Currencies Are Supported by Bitwage?

Bitwage operates with three types of currencies: Bitcoin, stablecoins, and local currencies. The local currencies supported include U.S. Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR), Canadian Dollars (CAD), Australian Dollars (AUD), Brazilian Real (BRL), Great British Pound (GBP), Argentinian Peso (ARS), Mexican Pesos (MXN), Colombian Pesos (COP), Philippines Pesos (PHP), and Indian Rupee (INR).

Is Bitwage Legit and Safe?

Bitwage is a legitimate company that has been in business since 2014. It has suffered zero breaches since its inception. It is a registered company in the United States. This means that it is subject to American laws and regulations. This provides some level of assurance that Bitwage is a legitimate company and that it is not engaging in any criminal activity. It is a safe company to use because it uses industry-standard security procedures to protect its users’ funds, such as two-factor authentication.

Bitwage does not hold your funds. You provide your bank account or self custody wallet details, and they direct deposit to up to three different accounts on payday. They do not provide banking or wallet services.

Bitwage: Best Bitcoin Payroll Platform?

If you’re looking to get paid in Bitcoin, even if your employer isn’t a crypto enthusiast, Bitwage offers a unique solution. You can choose how much of your salary to receive in Bitcoin or stablecoin, while still getting the rest in your regular currency. This flexibility is great for freelancers, too, as you can receive Bitcoin payments from any company without needing them to sign up with the service. Bitwage even allows you to deposit your earnings into multiple wallets for security or convenience. With Lightning Network integration, Bitwage offers instant, global payroll payments with near-zero fees. However, it’s important to be aware that business funding payroll through Bitwage can be expensive depending on your chosen payment method.

Bitwage Alternatives

There are several Bitwage alternatives out there. Here are some of the top Bitwage competitors:

• PaymentX
• Via
• Living Room of Satoshi (Australia)
• Zaprite

More Information

• Bitwage website
• Follow Bitwage updates on Twitter: @Bitwage