CheapAir has been accepting bitcoin since 2013, and is now looking for a company to help it manage cryptocurrency payments, as Coinbase is shutting down its merchant processing solution.
The company sees BitPay as an alternative but would like to hear from users. It's also set on adding BCH, Dash, and LTC.
US-based flight aggregator CheapAir, a company that’s been accepting bitcoin payments since 2013, recently published an open letter in which it asks its users for feedback on which cryptocurrency payment processor it should go with to replace Coinbase, as the latter is shutting down its Merchant Tools.
In the letter, CheapAir chief executive officer Jeff Klee notes that the company has been accepting bitcoin payments for a while and plans to keep doing so. Taking into account Coinbase is shutting down its “custodial” solution for merchants, accepting cryptos will be harder.
One of the solutions Klee proposes is using BitPay, whose merchant applications allow for Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) payments. CheapAir cites having a “great experience” with the company, and claims integration is largely complete. However, it notes BitPay requires specific protocol-compliant wallets, which could be an inconvenience to users.
While asking for feedback in the letter, the chief executive also revealed it will use the opportunity to start accepting other cryptocurrencies, namely Bitcoin Cash, Dash, and Litecoin. It’s also set to automate some processes to issue refunds faster.
In the document, the CEO revealed that CheapAir needs to convert most of the bitcoins it receives as payments to fiat, because its partners – such as hotels and airlines – don’t accept bitcoin.
Coinbase’s move to shut down its Coinbase Merchant Tools in favor of Coinbase Commerce has affected other companies as well. As covered, Reddit recently stopped accepting Bitcoin payments for its Reddit Gold membership program because of the move.