Can You Actually Buy iPhone with Crypto?
These are the questions this article answers. Read on to find out.
Does Apple accept Bitcoin?
Apple, as a company, does not directly accept bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency to pay for any of its products. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t buy your next iPhone using crypto.
There are four ways you can pay for your next iPhone using crypto:
Buy from AT&T
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According to a 2022 report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners(CIRP), a market research firm, only about a quarter (24%) of all iPhones are sold directly by Apple. A staggering majority (about 67%) are sold through mobile careers, in particular AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
The good news is that AT&T is a major American brand that accepts crypto payments. The company started accepting crypto in 2019, and today, it accepts a long list of cryptocurrencies, which includes bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin, and bitcoin cash.
The crypto payments made to AT&T are processed through the BitPay payment gateway. That means you can shop for an iPhone on the career’s online store and pay using crypto. Moreover, you can make the payments in monthly installments.
The downside of buying an iPhone from a career like AT&T is that it comes locked, which means you can’t use it with any other career.
Buy from Newegg
Newegg is a major American online electronic shop that has accepted crypto since 2014. The store, through BitPay, accepts over 100 cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin, and bitcoin cash.
It is important to understand that Newegg is also an online electronic marketplace that facilitates sellers’ reaching consumers, similar to Amazon. That means the product that will be shipped to you does not necessarily come from Newegg as a retailer. Some of the products come from independent sellers.
Also, the iPhones you can buy from Newegg are mostly refurbished ones. So, if you prefer brand-new stuff, this might not be your ideal place to shop for an iPhone. However, if you don’t mind refurbished phones, you can get yourself one using crypto.
Shop with Crypto debit Cards
If you need to buy your iPhone directly from Apple, one of your two options is to use a crypto debit card. This is a debit card that is loadable from a crypto wallet. The most used crypto debit cards in the US are Crypto.com, Wirex, Coinbase, and BitPay.
These crypto debit cards are supported by mainstream payment networks, in particular Visa and MasterCard. That means they act like any other crypto debit card and are acceptable for making purchases at Apple Stores.
You can also use any of these cards to shop for an iPhone at any third-party retailer.
Shop With Gift Cards Purchased Using Crypto
The other option you have is to buy Apple gift cards using crypto on Bitrefill, Gyft, or eGifter. You can then use these gift cards to buy an iPhone directly from Apple or third-party retailers. Apple allows you to use up to eight Apple Gift Cards at apple.com and up to 20 for a single transaction when shopping at an Apple Store.
With the gift cards having up to $2000 worth of value, you can comfortably shop for the latest iPhone using just gift cards you bought using crypto.
Bottom Line
While you cannot send crypto directly to Apple for your latest iPhone, you can pay for it with crypto in other ways. You can buy it through a third-party seller that accepts crypto, such as AT&T, use crypto debit cards, or buy Apple gift cards on marketplaces that accept crypto, such as Gyft, eGifter, and Bitrefill, and then use them to shop for the phone.
FAQs
Does Apple Store take Bitcoin?
No, Apple Store doesn’t accept bitcoin or any other crypto. However, you can spend gift cards that you have purchased using crypto on gift card marketplaces such as Gyft, eGift, and Bitrefill. You can also use a crypto debit card that is supported by either Visa or Mastercard.
Can you buy an iPhone with Bitcoin?
You can’t use bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency to buy an iPhone directly from Apple. However, you can use bitcoin to buy an iPhone from third-party sellers who accept crypto, such as AT&T and Newegg. You can also use a crypto debit card to shop for iPhones from Apple and other sellers. And you can also buy gift cards on Gift, eGifter, and Bitrefill and use them to buy an iPhone.
Does Apple support cryptocurrency?
Besides supporting wallets in its stores, Apple has not established any direct relationship with any of the cryptocurrencies. It doesn’t accept it for payment nor provide any further infrastructure beyond allowing crypto wallet applications to be published in its store.