Dunkin' Donuts accepts Bitcoin payments via eGifter

Dunkin' Donuts, a well-known coffee and donut chain, now allows customers to pay with Bitcoin through the online gift card eGifter (similar to Gyf, a company engaged in gift card services), and customers can also earn eGifter's 3% reward points.

Online gift cards provide a way for Bitcoin users to spend their Bitcoins at companies that do not directly accept Bitcoin, thereby providing more ways to use Bitcoin in everyday commerce and increasing the use and popularity of Bitcoin.

Dunkin' Donuts is one of the largest coffee chains in the U.S. eGifter also offers a Caribou Coffee gift card.

Coffee chain embraces gift cards

Dunkin's competitor Starbucks (the world's largest coffee chain) supports an online gift card called Gyft.

eGifter CEO Tyler Roye wrote in a blog post that the Dunkin' Donuts integration was inspired by the coffee-buying habits of the company's employees.

“Gift cards have been on our wish list since our first day of business,” Roye wrote.

"Many eGifter members start their day with a cup of Dunkin' coffee. The coffee in our hands is a constant reminder that we want to do this gift card thing, so we are very excited to be able to offer Dunkin' gift cards to our users."

eGifter's Unique Services

Roye pointed out that other gift cards allow users to buy from big chain stores, but some of eGifter's gift cards have a unique feature that allows customers to buy gift cards for exact amounts. If a customer buys a sandwich and coffee for $5.83, they can buy a gift card for $5.83 instead of having a balance left. By using Bitcoin, they can save 3% in fees.

Users can also buy gift cards for others and send them as gifts.

eGifter customer and Bitcoin advocate Joel Valenzuela wrote a post on his blog about eGifter and Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards.

How Gift Cards Support Bitcoin

The ability to use Bitcoin to purchase at major retailers through apps and gift cards is a big step towards gaining wider user acceptance.

As early as last December, mobile Bitcoin wallet Airbitz integrated Fold, a gift card app that accepts Bitcoin payments, into its own app. When publishing the announcement, Airbitz encouraged more users to use Bitcoin.

In addition to being one of the world's four largest coffee chains, Dunkin' Donuts is also the world's seventh largest food service chain after McDonald's, Subway, Starbucks, Burger King, Wendy's and Taco Bell.