26 Jan 2014 / Calgary Herald – MONTREAL – Will that be cash, credit card or Bitcoin?
A small number of Canadian businesses now accept Bitcoin, the digital currency that made its debut five years ago, and has been gaining momentum ever since.
Among the retailers is Quebec bed-and-breakfast operator David Mancini, who expects the payment method will have a practical appeal for foreign tourists visiting his community of Baie-Saint-Paul.
“You do not have to transfer U.S. dollars to Canadian, or pesos, etc.,” said Mancini, 30, who runs the Gite TerreCiel.
Bitcoin transactions are seen as more convenient than other forms of payments as they are sent directly and instantly from one person to another, avoiding processing and other fees usually charged by banks or third parties. Travellers can avoid avoid carrying cash, or paying fees on travellers cheques or for currency exchanges, said Mancini.
Mancini has already convinced a handful of other community businesses — the local coffee shop, hair salon, gift shop, acupuncture clinic and Tai chi martial arts school — to accept Bitcoin, too.
“So if there’s a tourist who comes here, they can spend their whole trip in Bitcoin,” Mancini said.
The half-dozen merchants in Baie Saint-Paul are among 143 Canadian businesses accepting the digital currency, according to the Canadian Bitcoin Business Directory…… Read more
