This post is a reminder that Visa and Mastercard are two american companies and that every time you pay for something with your credit card you are most likely paying taxes to trump and his goons.
This post is also intended to be a provocation to all the crypto haters and the cashless payment fanatics.
There is already a solution inside the EU, the shops just have to support it now. “Over the course of 2025, banks will no longer be allowed to charge additional fees for instant transfers in euros. Banks in all 20 euro countries must also offer the real-time service as standard.”
So is cash the only non-US option? Even my current account uses visa debit.
They’re not the only options!
There’s also… American Express
How do we not have an international European card processor?
Because usa government and companies bought the current politicians
While it is partly true - look at how big lobbyorganisations of said companies are in Strasburg - I do not like how General this is. “All politicians are bought” is just straight up wrong.
I think that’s what things iDeal and Bancontact are for (respectively Netherlands and Belgium). This is a country wide payment system that is available in remotely every store/service, and sometimes the only accepted one
Edit: it seems iDeal can sometimes be used outside of the Netherlands. Btw both systems are still controlled by banks
Corporations in America don’t pay taxes. They kill us slowly and erode our democracy and sponsor facism but they don’t pay taxes.
Yeah! It’s best to use the national network, if it exists in your country. Also, daily reminder that the EU is working towards the digital Euro.
This post is also intended to be a provocation to all the crypto haters and the cashless payment fanatics.
I don’t really get this tbh…
The digital euro looks so promising, even if it’s a small thing. Ditching Visa and Mastercard would help reduce intermediates in the payment chain, even if the replacement is the bank itself.
Plenty of threads on lemmy where people argue cryptos have no real use. Here’s one: buying a product in europe without paying taxes to donald trump
Name one place I can spend crypto that isn’t a dodgy online market
Noted European retailer, newegg.
You just said “one place”
Proton or Mullvad if you prefer.
I concede that there are online services that aren’t money laundering fronts or drug marketplaces that accept cryptocurrency as payment. OP also provided examples of online services accepting bitcoin.
I should have been more specific, my mistake. I was thinking more about every day purchases like groceries in a brick and mortar shop.
That is fair enough, I have just seen your other response mentioning brick and mortar stores now as well. I do realise we are in a buy European community but I thought you wanted just one example anywhere of somewhere that accepted crypto.
I have seen a couple of places IRL that accepted BTC but they were very small, independent stores that I’m guessing the owners were into crypto and just wanted to add the option as it was their interest. It certainly isn’t something you can rely on to purchase your weekly shop or whatever which I guess is more what you were going for.
Fair, I was thinking more brick & mortar and grocery shops but, fair.
There are also privacy-paranoid companies selling custom mobile phones without microphones for crypto currencies that you can then pick up in person.
But honestly, I wouldn’t trust them. If your threat level is the government you should purchase a used phone from a random stranger and pay with cash.
Oh thanks for clarifying… I don’t really see those posts, to be honest.
I do hold some crypto myself (BTC). I think it’s good to have some sort of currency outside of FIAT, just in case, but I don’t foresee it ever becoming a thing in the EU.
This post is also intended to be a provocation to all the crypto haters
When crypto is backed by a regulatory body and isn’t just speculative gambling, I might take it more seriously.
The same regulatory bodies that “regulate” banks atm?
Yes, the ones that ensure my money still exists if a bank goes under. Those exact ones.
One of the reasons bitcoin was made is that there’s no bank that can go under and you always own your money
Except for all those cryptocurrency exchanges that keep going down and taking everyone’s money
It can also be worthless from one day to the next. I hold BTC, I’ve lost £300 this week. I wouldn’t want to put my whole salary into BTC.
I hold BTC, I’ve lost £300 this week.
You are lucky you don’t own any venezuelan bolivars or you could have lost more than that. Real currencies can go down too.
The call of the bolivars was all but unannounced, while the up and down of BTC and more of less known crypto are waaaaaay less predictable
Much like a volatile currency, though I suppose a better example would be an asset like gold or silver, except you can instantly sell bitcoin back. Look at it less like a currency and more like an asset.
Any time you use a card at a PoS terminal in the US, one of those two are likely the payment processor as well.
In (only) Italy you can use Bancomat
I think that’s one of the part where there is no credible alternative, most of your credit/debit card will be either Visa or Mastercard, they’re monoliths
every time you pay for something with your credit card you are most likely paying taxes to trump and his goons
Genuine question, how so?
to trump and his goons
Reminder: Arguing and discussion is okay, but keep it civil and do not attack the person you are arguing with.
Same with American Express and Discover.
The alternatives I know of are JCB, UnionPay, Interac and RuPay
