Bitrefill review: Pay for goods and services with bitcoin

Description

Bitrefill is an e-commerce site and app where you can use bitcoin to purchase digital gift cards and phone refills (talktime and internet bundles). In a few countries, you can also make bill payments with bitcoin. The platform has also integrated the Lightning Network.

Michael Grünberger, Michel Gustavsson and Sergej Kotliar founded Bitrefill in 2014 in Sweden. The platform is a great help to allow you to live off with bitcoin. Prepaid cards and gift cards can be bought with bitcoin for travel, entertainment, and in many countries even for groceries. You can use those gift cards to pay for goods in shops or online.

Bitrefill products and services

• Buy gift card. You can buy gift cards with bitcoin. Over 5,000 gift cards are available from a variety of retailers, including Amazon, Apple, Walmart, Steam, Google Play, Pick Pay, Incredible Connection and others. Once you pay, you will instantly receive an email with your gift card code/PIN.
• Prepaid mobile refill. Choose your preferred mobile company and package. Then enter your phone number, select a payment method, and complete the transaction. Bitrefill will automatically send out the refill as soon as the transaction payment is fully confirmed. Sometimes, there may be delays.
• Travel anywhere with bitcoin. You can buy flight tickets with bitcoin and book for accommodation with bitcoin using Bitrefill.
• Bill pay. Customers in supported countries such as US and El Salvador can use bitcoin to pay for a variety of bills, including home and auto loans, insurance, credit cards, property taxes, healthcare, and other services. A fee of 32.99% is applied to the total amount paid.

How to use Bitrefill

This is how Bitrefill works. You are not required to create an account with Bitrefil to shop, but the option is available. If you open a Bitrefill account, you will be able to keep a balance on the platform that can be used to pay for goods or services without paying miner fees or waiting for payment confirmation. If you don’t want an account, you can go ahead and use the platform without signing in.

You can fund your account using the traditional bitcoin transactions or the Lightning Network. Once you top up your account, you may keep the amount you transfer as BTC balance in your account or convert it instantly to USD or EUR balance. With the USD/EUR balance credited to your account, you can purchase gift cards or mobile refills. During checkout, just select USD/EUR account balance as your payment method. You cannot convert your USD or EUR balance back into bitcoin. Furthermore, USD and EUR balances cannot be refunded and can only be used at Bitrefill. With a Bitrefill account, you can also enable two-factor authentication, view your order history, and take part in referral and loyalty programs.

To create your account, you can use your email, Google account, Apple ID or connect your dekstop wallet or scan WalletConnect compatible mobile wallets such as MetaMask, Coinbase and Trust Wallet.

Purchasing a mobile refill is a simple process. You can either enter your phone number or select one of the available refill products for your country from the website or app. You can add it to your cart or buy it as a gift once you’ve entered the money and phone number. If you want to make a gift purchase, you will be asked to input the recipient’s name, email address, an optional note, and your name. The gift can be delivered instantly or scheduled for a later date, such as the recipient’s birthday. Payment can be made using on-chain Bitcoin by scanning a QR code or copying a Bitcoin address. Additionally, Lightning-compatible wallets/platforms can be selected at checkout, including BlueWallet, Phoenix, Muun, Alby, Bitnob, Breez, ZEBEDEE, and Strike.

Bitrefill payment methods

Bitrefill offers multiple ways to pay for goods and services, such as gift cards, bills, and mobile refills. You can pay directly with Bitcoin or use gift cards from major retailers like Amazon and iTunes if you don’t have immediate access to Bitcoin. Additionally, you can use USD or EUR balances and rewards earned through promotions and referrals. For frequent users, there’s a Bitrefill prepaid credit option to save on fees and hedge against Bitcoin volatility.

It’s important to note that combining different Bitrefill balances (BTC, EUR, USD, rewards) for a single transaction with an external wallet is not currently supported.

Bitrefill rewards

Every Bitrefill account holder earns a minimum of 1% of the total purchase price in Satoshis when they use Bitrefill to buy gift cards and mobile refills. You can use your accumulated sats to buy gift cards and mobile refills directly with your rewards balance earnings, or you can combine them with your existing bitcoin or USD/EUR balance to buy gift cards or mobile refills.

Supported wallets

You can use bitcoin to buy goods and services by sending funds from your custodial or non-custodial wallets to Bitrefill. Bitrefill supports wallets and exchanges such as Coinbase, Kraken, Muun, Binance, Strike, Chivo, Cash App, Electrum, Bitfinex, Bitstamp, Ledger, Trezor, and Trust Wallet.

Bitrefill limits

You can increase your limits by verifying your identity. For Bitrefill verification, you will need the following documents.

• a photocopy of an ID (e.g. your passport or driving licence)
• a proof of address (digital versions accepted: jpg, jpeg, png, pdf)
• a live selfie

Bitrefill fees

Depending on the types of services you use, Bitrefill charges a service fee of 2-3%. You also need to factor in miner fees, which vary depending on the network. You can avoid network fees if paid directly from a Coinbase account, or have much lower fees if you pay with lightning.

Bitrefill taxes

Bitrefill and similar platforms generally do not report transactions to tax authorities like the IRS (USA) directly. However, it’s essential to note that Bitcoin tax regulations can vary by jurisdiction, and they are subject to change. Moreover, Bitrefill does not provide any legal or tax advice regarding your purchases at Bitrefill in your home country. The responsibility for reporting Bitcoin transactions and potential tax implications ultimately falls on you.

In many countries, tax authorities expect individuals to report their Bitcoin transactions and capital gains for tax purposes. You are advised to consult tax professionals or seek guidance from tax authorities in their respective jurisdictions to ensure compliance with local tax laws. Furthermore, tax software such as Koinly help you calculate and file taxes related to Bitcoin.

Supported Countries

You can use Bitrefill in over 170 countries around the world including US, UK, Greece, Netherlands, Germany, China, France, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, and El Salvador.

Bitrefill Alternatives

Here are other platforms that are similar to Bitrefill:

• Cryptorefills
• Coinsbee
• CoinsGate
• Travala (pay for hotel and flights with Bitcoin)

More information

• Bitrefill website
• Bitrefill on Twitter
• Bitrefill on Facebook