Cryptocurrencies can now be used in Austria for payment of various services and goods. This became possible after a collaboration between the payment provider Salamantex and the Payment division of A1 – the country’s leading telecom firm. As a result, users can now use cryptocurrencies for payment in more than 2,500 merchants.
The encouraging news was announced by Salamantex in early July. Currently, there are tree tokens supported by the payments system. These are Ethereum, Dash, and Bitcoin. Merchants that enroll with this method can accept payments, made with the mentioned cryptocurrencies, but receive their equivalent in Euros, just as they used to, Salamantex’s press release has clarified.
The new method has been tested in a few A1 offices for several months prior to the introduction.
Austrians, who have been predominantly stubborn users of cash for years, experienced a change of perspective regarding cryptocurrencies and cashless payment, after the Austrian government and the country’s retailers urged the public to start taking the steps to cashless transactions.
Cryptocurrencies align perfectly with the desire of most Austrians not to leave a trace with their purchases and acquired services.
Markus Pejacsevich, who is a Chief Operating Officer at Salamantex, highlighted that the main goal of the company is to make payments with cryptocurrencies as effortless and as ubiquitous as credit card payments have been for years. He noted that this will make payments with digital assets much more assessable to the society at large. The acceptance of cryptocurrencies by merchants opens up to the affluent customer groups and turns them into the pioneer in their industry, Pejacsevich emphasized.
This crypto payment software, created by Salamantex, aims to integrate into existing payment processes. The newly established partnership with A1 and other merchants and service providers, gives the opportunity to roll out the new software all across Austria and the neighboring countries in the future.
Just a few months ago, Ingenico presented Salamanatex’s first POS terminal with incorporated crypto payment software at the EuroShop trade fair in Germany.
Salamantex also revealed that other collaborations with payment service providers are currently being developed.
