Dell accepts Bitcoin in the UK and Canada becoming biggest in the world to take digital currency
Computer maker Dell has one of the first major businesses to accept Bitcoin in the UK, and the biggest retailer in the world to accept the digital currency.
After success in the US, Dell will now accept payment by Bitcoin from UK customers, making it the largest retailer to do so in the UK, and internationally, after the digital currency initially started gaining traction with coffee shops, pubs and independent retailers.
Dell will expand its partnership with Bitcoin wallet Coinbase to bring Bitcoin payment to the UK after a successful pilot scheme and rollout in the US last July.
“We’re hearing from our customers around the world that they want the option to use Bitcoin when buying Dell products, so we are excited to deliver Bitcoin as a payment method on Dell.com to our customers in Canada and the UK,” said Dell's chief information officer Paul Walsh
The biggest Dell purchase made using Bitcoin so far was a $50,000 Power Edge server system, but the tech company said purchases large and small had been made using the digital currency.
It's another step forward for the cryptocurrency, said Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam. "Dell saw that many of its customers wanted to pay with the currency and responded by quickly working with us to give them that option."
“It’s another big step towards expanding Bitcoin acceptance worldwide and something we’re excited to be a part of,” added Ehrsam.