Greetings @SteemIt Pebbles!
Welcome to my second ever SteemIt post. :-)
I am genuinely excited about and need to share ... even if it does all end up reading like a pile of BS advertising. Take it as you will. ;-) But this is soooo cool from where I sit!
Background
Getting a crypto currency debit card outside of the EEA or the USA can be very difficult to just plain impossible. It's much harder now that it was just one year ago, too. My country is a member of the British Commonwealth. We comply fully with the Geneva convention. Our banks are all recognised and respected in the international banking circles. But none of that helps, for an offshore issued card associated with crypto currencies.
If you're a @SteemIt user residing in a region where such things are par for the course, then I guess there's no point reading further. But if you're one of the doubtless six billion others like me, then I'd like the opportunity to share my experience and plug the company that finally made it happen for me.
See here in New Zealand, we have two Bitcoin exchanges. Neither of them get any action, with sell/bid gaps over 20%. LocalBitcoins.com is active, but runs the same crazy high margins. We lose value at every turn!
The Insane Mission
I recently spent several days, pulling my hair out, trying to find a Bitcoin linked debit card that would work in New Zealand, be LEGAL, fully certified and not get shut down weeks after I got the thing.
I was NOT HAPPY creating yet another account, submitting my personal details, driver's licence, close-ups of my pimples ... all to god knows who, on the other side of the planet. But shelling out 20% on every #LocalBitcoins trade here in New Zealand was getting old and I WANTED THAT CARD.
At least four companies, somewhere in the world, now have copies of my full photographic, government backed identity -- even though they later declined to provide me their service!
As cliché as it may be, I was literally about to give up in proverbial disgust, when I found one last option ...
What was all the fuss?
It turns out that Cryptopay is not only a well established (2013) company based in London, UK. They also just happen to have everything in place to be able to service customers almost anywhere -- evidently even after recent law changes, where most all of their competitors have been locked to inside the EEA. that's my understanding right now, anyway. Hope so!
See the thing is, even though some of my friends here in New Zealand already have cards from various other providers (they haven't tested them recently!) including Wirex for example -- and swore it it was, "no big deal" -- NONE of those brands are available here anymore. Not a one. Since when exactly, I'm not sure. None of my friends with existing cards were even aware things had changed.
The reason seems to be some kind of new international legal framework concerning card issuer certification -- possibly in direct response or relation to crypto-currencies. I really don't know..
Thus, CryptoPay appear to be the ONLY provider -- out of the UK or anywhere else that I could find -- who have everything required to allow them to operate internationally, legally and under The Establishment's watchful eye -- including direct BIN sponsorship, which I now understand is a big deal, if they don't want to get randomly shut down or out of some region.
It works!
My physical card arrived in the mail a few days ago. Funny story ...
With all the nonsense going on in China and how my local banks keep shutting down peoples' accounts for trading in cryptos, I could not help feeling like a dirty rotten criminal fraudster (one word!) when I made my first purchase using my new, unusual in these parts, shiny black CryptoPay debit card.
That's just WRONG, to be made to feel like that! How long until they get the message?
Cryptocurrencies are here to stay! Get on the bus or get run over, bankadoodlees.
Oddly enough, nothing happened. I got my coffee and left the shop, not a single black suit in sight or ancient, white, curly corded ear-piece in sight. Of course, I did pay close attention to my rear view mirror on the drive back to the bat cave! :p (not)
Fees
... are low. Really low.
I had US$11.98 in BTC left after paying for the card. I confess, I went all in, loading this wee fortune into the debit card account. The whole lot! :p
Then I bought two coffees, over two days, for NZ$5 each (or US$3.77 at the time). After that, I still have US$4.44 on the card.
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! That's AWESOME!
Features / Limitations (NZ)
I can confirm that, in New Zealand, contactless purchases (PayWave™) work after the first transaction using the card's provided PIN number. I don't know what the limit is. Presumably the usual $75 in this neck of the woods.
CryptoPay doesn't appear to support New Zealand bank accounts for withdrawals, yet. But I expect that to change soon after their ... not meaning to swear or anything , BUT ...
Upcoming ICO!
Sound investment opportunity?
As it turns out, we became CryptoPay a customer just in time to participate in their soon-to-launch initial coin offering (ICO). They are raising funds to expand their already substantial business, including ... GET THIS! ... becoming a proper bank with SWIFT membership and all that good stuff!
That's HUGE in the present Wild West Crypto world!
... assuming they pull it off, at the end of the day.
Far as I can tell, this will make CryptoPay the first and ONLY fully certified FIAT bank on the planet,
who understands and welcomes Crypo' customers!!
Well I won't rant on about my personal opinions and why we will definitely be investing in CryptoPay for the long haul. If you're interested, I'd be super grateful if you could visit their site via my CyptoPay Affiliate Link to read their ICO White Paper and judge for yourself.
ICO or not, that link is supposed to get you a decent 25% discount on your first card purchase (if any) with a 10% ongoing fee revenue share kick-back to me. My card was only USD$15, by the way! I expected to pay way more.
All the best!
DISCLAIMER
The above is me sharing my experience and yes, frankly, excitement. It is NOT intended in any way to be a recommendation or taken as sound advice. Use your own judgement and participate at your own risk.
Faithfully,
Bryan.