Who Accepts Bitcoin In Australia
Last Updated on December 24, 2023 by Kevin GrovesSome people buy Bitcoin as an investment commodity, but there are those who are more comfortable using it to make purchases. The adoption of Bitcoin as a form of payment in Australia is growing. However, the stores and merchants that accept it as payment are not often clear.
In this article, we compile a list of the in-store and online retailers where you can spend your Bitcoin, as well as provide tips on what it can get you and how to do it safely.
Can You Spend Bitcoin In Australia?
Yes, you can spend Bitcoin in Australia as a means of payment for goods and services. Since 2019, there has been an increase in the number of online and in-store businesses that accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. In addition, there are a number of Bitcoin exchanges in Australia that allow users to buy and sell Bitcoin back to cash.
What Can You Buy Using Bitcoin in Australia?
In Australia, you can buy a variety of products and services using Bitcoin as the payment currency. Some examples of products and services you can purchase with Bitcoin include electronics, travel and accommodation, digital goods, gift cards, food delivery, and more. Additionally, many Australian retailers accept Bitcoin as a form of payment.
Some of the things you can spend Bitcoin on include:
- Accommodation: Australia is a popular tourist destination, and some hotels accept it as a mode of payment for international tourists as it eliminates the need to convert foreign currencies.
- Medical services: Some clinics accept digital currency payments, including heart clinics and dental clinics.
- Fashion, fitness, and entertainment: Some high-end entertainment and fitness facilities accept BTC as a payment method. There are also online fashion stores that also accept crypto asset payments.
- Food and beverages: With many tourists coming in, pubs, restaurants, and cafes accept bitcoin, especially in cities such as Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne.
- Donations: Some charities will accept donations in BTC from investors.
- Cars: Scuderia Graziani, a car dealer in Woolloomooloo, sells vehicles from brands such as Ferrari & Lamborghini and accepts BTC payments.
- Luxury properties: Perth building company Broadwater Builds takes BTC payments for custom-built homes, and more real estate companies are following suit.
- Internet: Launtel, an internet provider in Australia, has now enabled bitcoin payments on their website.
- Green energy: You can now purchase solar systems from Queensland Solar and Lighting. They accept partial or full payments using bitcoin.
- Fuel: Popular cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has partnered with DataMesh Group and OTR to allow you to pay for your car fuel using Bitcoin at more than 440 Peregine retail outlets.
What Do You Need to Make Payments Using Bitcoin?
To spend Bitcoin at in-store or online retailers, you need a Bitcoin wallet, a computer or mobile device, access to the internet, and the recipient’s Bitcoin wallet address. You need to have access to your wallet where your BTC is stored. This can either be a software wallet or a physical hardware wallet. Vendors that accept BTC as payment will often have a terminal that is connected to the internet. Here, you will need to obtain the BTC wallet address of the terminal so you can enter it as the destination address.
Online Retailers In Australia That Accept Bitcoin As Payment
The number of online retailers in Australia that accept Bitcoin as payment has increased since 2020. Examples of online retailers that accept BTC as payment for goods are listed in the table below.
Online Retailer | Products and Services | Details |
---|---|---|
Zumi | Electronic and home appliances stores such as washing machines to toasters. | Select “Pay with BitPay” at checkout to use BTC. |
CheapAir | Travel bookings and accommodation. | Pay with BTC and 11 other cryptocurrencies. |
Launtel | Internet service provider. | Pay with BTC on their internet subscription plans. |
LivingRoomOfSatoshi | Payment services provider. | Allows you to pay any Australian utility bill using Bitcoin and 45 other crypto assets. You will need your BPAY details, bank account details, your and BTC wallet. |
DreamPC | Computer and laptop store for work, gaming, and personal laptops, and custom computers. | Bitcoin is one of the 5 cryptocurrencies that can be used as payment. Zero fees. |
eGifter | Buy gift cards from 300+ major retailers and online stores. | No fees to use BTC as payment. |
FOMO Liama | Crypto-themed t-shirts and other apparel. | Bitcoin and Litecoin are the accepted crypto. |
Mooning Market | Electronics, appliances, furniture, real estate, clothing, mobile devices, baby products. | Similar to eBay and Amazon, Mooning Market is an online marketplace with a wide variety of goods to buy with BTC. |
In-store Businesses In Australia That Accept Bitcoin
New South Wales
Eateries & Restaurants
- The Old Fitzroy Hotel: A bar, bistro, hotel, and function centre all in one location.
- Since I Left You: A small bar in the Sydney CBD where you can eat brunch or lunch in the midst of live music.
- Greenhouse Cafe: A small cafe located in Centennial Park serving breakfast and lunch boxes.
- Peak Coffee: A coffee roastery and provider of specialist coffees with a “crop to cup” approach. Retail and wholesale purchases are available.
- Black Star Pastry & Cafe: With multiple locations throughout NSW and Victoria, Black Star Pastry is a hugely popular destination for custom cakes and pastries for every occasion.
- Lezzet Grill and Pride House: A Turkish restaurant with authentic pizzas and kebabs.
- The Cellar By Bouche: A boutique basement wine and vermouth bar in the heart of the Sydney CBD. The bar started to accept Bitcoin in 2020.
Retail
- Lugarno Pharmacy, NSW: This pharmacy is open all weekdays from 9 am to 6 pm & on Saturdays. It’s also accessible with wheelchairs.
- Baby Likes To Pony: Located at 168 Oxford Street, Paddington, this unique clothing store is women owned and operated and caters to a wide range of women’s clothing.
Entertainment & Services
- Jam’s Karaoke & Bar, NSW: This vintage Japanese restaurant is located in Newcastle, north of Sydney, and is a great place to chill with your friends, enjoy a great meal and conveniently pay using BTC.
- Quality Dental: A dental service in the northern Sydney suburbs specialising in cosmetic dentistry.
- Spawn Point Gaming Bar: A retro-gaming themed bar complete with old-school gaming consoles.
- Metropolitan Hotel Sydney: A centrally located Sydney hotel with excellent reviews on its bar and food.
- Forsyth Real Estate: One of the first real estate agents in Australia to accept crypto as down payments for house deposits and advertising fees.
Queensland
Eateries & Restaurants
- Crypto Coffee: Located at 572 Brunswick Street, this cafe is crypto themed where you can order and pay for food and coffee using cryptocurrencies.
- The Paddock & Brew Company: An American-themed smoke-house restaurant that serves a range of craft beers. Located at 94 Wood Street, Mackay. Bitcoin can be used as payment.
- Alt Brew: A cafe located on Stanley Street that accepts cryptocurrency payments.
- Nom Nom Korean Eatery: Korean food with a modern twist. Craft beer can also be enjoyed with Bitcoin as the accepted crypto asset.
- Boroughs of New York Pizza: Gourmet wood-fired pizza that will bring back memories of New York. . Bitcoin is the sole crypto asset that can be used for payment.
Retail
- Carry On: An in-store retail outlet selling all types of men’s and women’s luggage, purses, wallets, and passport holders.
- Used Cars 4 Sale: A used car dealership located in Tingalpa where Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash are the accepted payment currencies.
- Lush Turf Solutions: Brisbane-based provider and installer of natural and synthetic grasses and turf for residential and commercial properties.
- Budget Shower Screens: A Brisbane-based provider of quality shower screens, mirrors, and wardrobe doors.
Entertainment & Services
- 2 Gems Media, QLD: Video production has never been easier! This company covers both large corporate events & small private functions and can also help you market your all business.
- BIG4 Tweed Billabong Holiday Park, QLD: Take a break from the city and have fun with your family at this theme park. Bitcoin payments to this park are highly convenient as they can be done through the Travelbybit portal.
- King Konz School of Music: Located on Hamilton Street, Townsville, this music learning and education centre only accepts Bitcoin as payment.
- Townsville Water Sports: Accepting Bitcoin as payment, you can hire your own jet ski and go on a jet ski tour.
- Kare Bear Lawn Care & Services: Lawn mowing and care services with Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash as the accepted cryptocurrencies.
- Gold Coast Aesthetic Dentistry: General and aesthetic dentistry services provided in a spa-like environment.
- Alpha Car Hire: Australia-wide car hire.
Victoria
Eateries & Restaurants
- Giuseppe’s Pizza: Home-delivered Italian pizzas.
- The Little Mule: A quaint little cafe with relaxing vibes, located at 19 Somerset Place, Melbourne.
- Grumpy’s Green: A fantastic little bar with a cosy atmosphere made possible with live music. there is an upstairs viewing platform as well.
Retail
- Another World Computer Centre, VIC: This team is always on standby to help you with your computer troubles, and you can either spend BTC at their Coburg store or online.
- Barber of Seville, VIC: What’s fancier than a haircut paid for with bitcoin? Probably nothing!
- Jay Kirby: Sells unique men’s accessories and specialises in classic and novelty cufflinks.
- Dream Vision Sound: Specialises in drones and drone repairs.
- Eclectico: Boho-style clothing, jewellery, accessories, vinyl records, and turntables.
Entertainment & Services
- Doctors of Osteo: Osteopathic treatment for physical pain, injury, or discomfort. Fees can be paid in Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, or Ethereum.
- Sensu Spa: A modern spa environment that provides massages, floating tub, infrared sauna, and beauty packages.
- Comans Services: A professional services firm that provides consulting for business process automation, development services, project delivery, and infrastructure automation.
- Fernwood Gym Bulleen: A 24/7 access gym for women only. Hosts a massive range of group classes specific to what women want.
South Australia
Retail
- Hunt Furniture, SA: This furniture store is one of the few left in Australia where you can get unique locally made pieces.
- BitVape: A wide range of uniquely designed vaping pods and accessories. Bitcoin can be used to make purchases.
Entertainment & Services
- Talunga Functions, SA: this estate winery is great for various types of functions, including weddings & birthdays, and you can even make reservations using BTC.
Western Australia
Eateries & Restaurants
- Restaurant 1903: A hugely popular Asian fusion restaurant located in the bustling Northbridge.
- King’s Road Brewing Co, WA: this brewery is family-owned & operated and stands on beautiful farmland. If you’re looking to quench your thirst and go out for a drive to the south of Perth, then you should definitely check it out.
- Frisk Small Bar: Located in Northbridge, Frisk Small Bar is a European-style bar that offers around 150 different types of gin and other cocktails.
Retail
- Beyond the Trap Door: A women’s clothing store located in Subiaco that sells vintage items.
- Danaski Jewellery: Hand-made bangles, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, pendants, and rings. All items are crafted using sustainable materials with a zero waste policy. Online orders can also be made.
- Frank Torre Quality Butchers: A butcher with the finest quality meats and poultry. A small selection of gourmet vegetables, seafood, and groceries.
Entertainment & Services
- Norfolk Hotel, WA: this hotel has hosted many cryptocurrency-related meetings, and it’s no surprise that they are supporters of bitcoin transactions.
- Aiyana Retreat: Luxury villas with forest views in the small town of Denmark. Various pampering activities such as relaxation and remedial massages can be paid with Bitcoin.
- Elk Fish Robotics: Providers of specialist drones and drone repairs in the agriculture and forestry sectors.
- Munro’s Cryptocurrency Accountants: Specialist services in crypto taxation, investments and Self-Managed Super Funds for Australians. Consultations can done via Zoom on in-person where fee payments can be made in Bitcoin.
Northern Territory
Eateries & Restaurants
- Hungry Joe’s Pizza & Ribs: the first commercial Bitcoin transaction was for pizza, and Hungry Joe’s is simply following in its footsteps.
- Thrive Darwin: This is a beautiful local cafe best known for its delicious smoothies, coffee and healthy meals.
Entertainment & Services
- Country Solar: They design solar systems for commercial properties and off-grid premises.
How Can I Make Payments Using Bitcoin?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can spend bitcoin at various outlets.
Step 1: Retrieve the recipient’s wallet address
The only way you can pay for goods and services using BTC is if you have the store’s public wallet address. Most outlet owners prefer to give you a QR code to scan using your mobile wallet and then make a direct deposit into their account. This method is quick, easy, and leaves minimal chances of making mistakes.
There are other vendors who prefer to give you their public address. You can either paste or scan this address on your wallet and then key in the transactional amount. If you use this method, verify every detail before proceeding to the next step.
Step 2: Use your private key to authenticate the transaction
As soon as you key in the recipient’s public address and enter the amount being paid, the next step is authenticating the transaction using your private key. This step is crucial because once you use the key, you cannot reverse the transaction.
The authentication process varies depending on the type of wallet you have. For instance, with hardware wallets, the device has to be plugged in for authentication to occur. Paper wallets, on the other hand, come with a QR code that you have to scan. This process is, however, easier with software wallets.
Step 3: Verify the transaction
Your involvement in the transaction ends at step 2 because the verification process is done by Bitcoin miners. They verify all transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain using complex mathematical equations and are often given rewards for every transaction. This process doesn’t take long, and within 10 minutes, the BTC should be in the recipient’s wallet.
The Benefits Of Paying With Bitcoin
The cryptocurrency landscape is growing rapidly, and since most digital coins are untested as a medium of exchange (especially the new coins), you should be cautious when making crypto payments. Some of the advantages of making Bitcoin payments include:
- It’s anonymous: Bitcoin transactions are pseudonymous, meaning that the identities of the sender and receiver are not revealed. This makes them ideal for those who wish to remain anonymous.
- Low transaction fees: Bitcoin transactions are generally processed with lower fees than traditional currency transactions. This is because the fees are based on the amount of computational effort required to facilitate the transaction on the blockchain network rather than the amount of money being sent.
- It’s highly convenient: Bitcoin is now a widely accepted mode of payment, and there are various merchants that accept it in Australia.
- It’s a highly accessible mode of payment, and you only need a smartphone to make payments at retailers that accept Bitcoin.
- Although Bitcoin is not regarded as a currency, it still can be used as a mode of payment, it still partially serves as an alternative payment asset to fiat currencies. Because of this and its adoption on a global scale, you can spend Bitcoin on goods from anywhere in the world without a bank or financial institution acting as a middleman.
- Since Bitcoin transactions on the blockchain network are based on cryptography and fully transparent, they are highly secure where fraud, double-spending, or counterfeiting is near impossible.
Using Bitcoin as a Mode of Payment
Bitcoin has massive potential when it comes to real-world applications. It has made great headway as a form of alternate payment, and many retailers around Australia are now accepting it. The above lists should help you identify retailers near you who accept BTC payments. If you need a card to spend crypto, read our list of the top debit cards in Australia to help pick the right one.
Why Do Retailers Accept Bitcoin As Payment?
Australian online and in-store retailers accept Bitcoin as payment because it is a secure and efficient way to transfer money. Bitcoin transactions are faster and cheaper than traditional payment systems meaning merchants can receive payments quickly and with minimal fees. Since Bitcoin transactions are irreversible, the likelihood of fraud and chargebacks being committed is extremely low, which can normally pose issues for commercial retailers.
Moreover, Bitcoin is fast becoming more mainstream in the general public as awareness of it as an investment and payment vehicle increases. Therefore, retailers acknowledge that more and more Australians may opt to use it to pay for goods and services.
Do Australian Banks Accept Bitcoin?
Yes, some Australian banks and financial institutions accept Bitcoin. Examples include the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), Westpac, ANZ, NAB, and Bendigo Bank. However, the level of acceptance and adoption differs between each bank. CBA is probably the most crypto-friendly bank as they have announced a partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Gemini and blockchain developer Chainalysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Bitcoin to buy things in Australia?
Although Bitcoin can be used to purchase goods and services from certain stores and can be withdrawn from certain ATMs as physical money, they are not considered legal tender in Australia and are not widely accepted as a form of payment. Although most people do not use Bitcoin for their day-to-day transactions, its adoption as a payment currency is growing.
Conclusion
As digital currencies such as Bitcoin become more and more mainstream in the Australian community, the number of commercial retailers that are accepting BTC as payment for goods increases. Particularly as crypto usage statistics show there were more than 420 million owners in 2023 according to Triple A. The food and beverage sector appears to be the fastest-growing area, possibly due to the easy implementation of Bitcoin payment terminals.
Kevin is a cryptocurrency writer that has published hundreds of articles, guides, and reviews. He has been in the crypto space since 2016 and is passionate about sharing his expertise and knowledge with others.