Coinbase debuts first bitcoin debit card

Bitcoin users and proponents just got an excellent Friday treat – they are now able to integrate their bitcoin accounts into their daily lives. Coinbase, the digital bitcoin wallet company, announced Friday that it had partnered with Shift Payments to introduce the Shift Card. This is the first United States-based bitcoin debit card, and allows users with Coinbase accounts to access their accounts for online and offline purchases.

The blog post published on Coinbase’s website explains Shift Visa debit card is a huge step forward regarding merchant acceptance of bitcoin. TechCrunch explains that while bitcoin debit cards are out there, this is the first one to link directly with customers’ Coinbase accounts.

Despite the welcomed Shift Card, there are significant user limitations. Only residents of the United States can sign up for a card. This is further limited to residents of 24 states (view the list here).

Customers interested in using the Shift Card can sign up on the Shift Payments site. There is a one-time $10 insurance fee. Other fees include a $2.50 for ATM transactions and 3% charge for international transactions. For a limited time, there are no domestic transaction fees associated with purchases.

Image courtesy of Coinbase