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T-Mobile Poland Officially Accepts Bitcoin Top-Ups

69 points by nvk 12y ago

dustcoin 12y ago
They are offering a 20% bonus on purchases with BTC. https://inpay.pl/doladowanie-t-mobile-bitcoin/ https://inpay.pl/doladowanie-t-mobile-bitcoin/
- nvk 12y ago
  Now that's an advantage. Screenshot https://i.imgur.com/hovKLm9.png https://i.imgur.com/hovKLm9.png
bjackman 12y ago
Cool. Does anyone have any insight into why T-Mobile Poland in particular might be interested in accepting Bitcoin?
- anon_acc_123 12y ago
  I've noticed some international companies (and T-Mobile especially) use Poland as a testing ground for some interesting new solutions. It's a sufficiently large and developed country to provide a credible test sample, but at the same time insignificant enough (compared to Western Europe or US) to be able to write off any losses (financial or PR) in case of failure.
- banthar 12y ago
  According to this: http://firma.t-mobile.pl/pl/dla-mediow/informacje-prasowe/-/_doladowania_bitcoin_w_t-mobile_na_karte_i_heyah/aid/61c2dc7609d8de8a11ec298824df9a2a http://firma.t-mobile.pl/pl/dla-mediow/informacje-prasowe/-/... T-Mobile is a patron of startup accelerator in which InPay (the payment provider) took part.
tomcam 12y ago
Bitcoin is more volatile than state currency. Do large institutions that accept it have some kind of hedging strategy?
- rthomas6 12y ago
  Yes. Whatever Bitcoin pay service the large institution uses usually assumes the volatility risk for a transaction fee and gives the recipient state currency.
- brighton36 12y ago
  Bitcoin is probably not a currency. It is however, a wonderfully efficient payment mechanism. So, when a large institution receives payment via Bitcoin, it's immediately converted into a stable unit of account, such as USD (typically via coinbase or bitpay). Similarly, when a company receives a warrant of payment from an American express customer, they convert that warrant into USD on a 7 day term.
- onetallnerd 12y ago
  Yep, they convert it all using a payment processor or keep a small percentage, no risk. State currencies are volatile too. Just look at the Euro.
  - camera_guy 12y ago
    Exactly. I would assume most using this strategy have the BTC payments converted to fiat at the time of purchase. Others might opt to keep it as BTC, which is fine and an assumed risk.
- onetallnerd 12y ago
  Yep, they convert it all using a payment processor or keep a small percentage, no risk. State currencies are volatile too. Just look at the Euro.
- onetallnerd 12y ago
  Yep, they convert it all using a payment processor or keep a small percentage, no risk. State currencies are volatile too. Just look at the Euro.
- ac29 12y ago
  As was mentioned elsewhere, when company ____ is announced that they are "accepting bitcoin", they are never actually accepting bitcoin. A payment processor is accepting bitcoin (and accepting the risk therein) and paying out in the businesses choice of currency. Consider it similar to when you use a credit card in a foreign country -- you get charged in your currency, they receive payment in theirs.
JamyDev 12y ago
Belgian Mobile ISP Mobile Vikings has allowed Bitcoin top-ups for a while now :) https://mobilevikings.be/en/help/top-up-sim/How-can-I-top-up-my-SIM-card/ https://mobilevikings.be/en/help/top-up-sim/How-can-I-top-up...

69 points by nvk 12y ago

They are offering a 20% bonus on purchases with BTC. https://inpay.pl/doladowanie-t-mobile-bitcoin/ https://inpay.pl/doladowanie-t-mobile-bitcoin/

nvk 12y ago
Now that's an advantage. Screenshot https://i.imgur.com/hovKLm9.png https://i.imgur.com/hovKLm9.png

bjackman 12y ago

Cool. Does anyone have any insight into why T-Mobile Poland in particular might be interested in accepting Bitcoin?

anon_acc_123 12y ago
I've noticed some international companies (and T-Mobile especially) use Poland as a testing ground for some interesting new solutions. It's a sufficiently large and developed country to provide a credible test sample, but at the same time insignificant enough (compared to Western Europe or US) to be able to write off any losses (financial or PR) in case of failure.
banthar 12y ago
According to this: http://firma.t-mobile.pl/pl/dla-mediow/informacje-prasowe/-/_doladowania_bitcoin_w_t-mobile_na_karte_i_heyah/aid/61c2dc7609d8de8a11ec298824df9a2a http://firma.t-mobile.pl/pl/dla-mediow/informacje-prasowe/-/... T-Mobile is a patron of startup accelerator in which InPay (the payment provider) took part.

tomcam 12y ago

Bitcoin is more volatile than state currency. Do large institutions that accept it have some kind of hedging strategy?

rthomas6 12y ago
Yes. Whatever Bitcoin pay service the large institution uses usually assumes the volatility risk for a transaction fee and gives the recipient state currency.
brighton36 12y ago
Bitcoin is probably not a currency. It is however, a wonderfully efficient payment mechanism. So, when a large institution receives payment via Bitcoin, it's immediately converted into a stable unit of account, such as USD (typically via coinbase or bitpay). Similarly, when a company receives a warrant of payment from an American express customer, they convert that warrant into USD on a 7 day term.
onetallnerd 12y ago
Yep, they convert it all using a payment processor or keep a small percentage, no risk. State currencies are volatile too. Just look at the Euro.
- camera_guy 12y ago
  Exactly. I would assume most using this strategy have the BTC payments converted to fiat at the time of purchase. Others might opt to keep it as BTC, which is fine and an assumed risk.
onetallnerd 12y ago
Yep, they convert it all using a payment processor or keep a small percentage, no risk. State currencies are volatile too. Just look at the Euro.
onetallnerd 12y ago
Yep, they convert it all using a payment processor or keep a small percentage, no risk. State currencies are volatile too. Just look at the Euro.
ac29 12y ago
As was mentioned elsewhere, when company ____ is announced that they are "accepting bitcoin", they are never actually accepting bitcoin. A payment processor is accepting bitcoin (and accepting the risk therein) and paying out in the businesses choice of currency. Consider it similar to when you use a credit card in a foreign country -- you get charged in your currency, they receive payment in theirs.

JamyDev 12y ago

Belgian Mobile ISP Mobile Vikings has allowed Bitcoin top-ups for a while now :) https://mobilevikings.be/en/help/top-up-sim/How-can-I-top-up-my-SIM-card/ https://mobilevikings.be/en/help/top-up-sim/How-can-I-top-up...