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Spend bitcoin

Where you can pay with bitcoin today, near you and online, how Lightning and onchain payments work at checkout, and what to know about taxes and privacy first.

Near you

BTC Map is a free, open-source map of places that accept bitcoin, kept up by volunteers. Its dashboard listed 27,278 merchants, 15,085 of them verified within the past year, when we checked on Oct 17, 2026.[1] The map below loads BTC Map's public data in your browser; tap a pin for the name, address and payment methods.[5]

“Near me” asks your browser for your location only when you click it. We don't store or send it anywhere; the map just moves there.

Map loads when you scroll here. It pulls about 0.6 MB of merchant data from BTC Map.

Merchant data © BTC Map contributors and OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). BTC Map pulls its location data from OpenStreetMap, which is licensed under the Open Database License.[3][4] Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors, used under the OSMF tile policy.[7] Listings can go stale, so call ahead. Spotted an error? Fix it on BTC Map or report a map issue.

Prefer an app or no map?

Real-world examples

Online

Well-known stores and services that take bitcoin. We checked each one on its own help or checkout page on the date shown. No affiliate links, and nobody paid to be listed. The order is not a ranking, and a listing is not an endorsement.

MerchantWhatPay withChecked
BitrefillGift cards, phone top-ups and bill payBitcoin onchain or Lightning[15]Oct 17, 2026
TravalaHotels, flights and activitiesBitcoin onchain or Lightning[16]Oct 17, 2026
NeweggComputers and electronics (desktop checkout; some items excluded)Bitcoin through BitPay[17]Oct 17, 2026
NamecheapDomains and hosting (bitcoin adds account funds)Bitcoin through BTCPay or BitPay[18]Oct 17, 2026
NjallaPrivacy-focused domains and serversBitcoin[19]Oct 17, 2026
Mullvad VPNVPNBitcoin[20]Oct 17, 2026
IVPNVPNBitcoin through IVPN's own BTCPay server[21]Oct 17, 2026
ProtonEncrypted email, VPN and storage plans (upgrade from a free account)Bitcoin[22]Oct 17, 2026
Silent.linkPrepaid mobile data eSIMBitcoin onchain or Lightning[23]Oct 17, 2026

Looking for smaller shops? Galaxy Mind keeps a directory of independent online shops that take bitcoin directly at checkout; it says each listing is confirmed by a person, shows its own check date, and carries no affiliate links.[24]

How to pay

Lightning: small, everyday payments

The Lightning Network is a payment network built on top of bitcoin. It uses payment channels anchored on the Bitcoin blockchain for near-instant, low-cost payments.[25]

At checkout you usually scan a Lightning QR code (an invoice) with a Lightning wallet and approve the amount. Bitrefill, for example, credits Lightning payments instantly.[26]

In the US, Square sellers whose business Square deems eligible can take bitcoin at the counter: the buyer picks Bitcoin, a Lightning Network QR code appears on the customer display, and the buyer scans it with a Lightning-enabled wallet. On Square Register (2nd generation) the buyer can also tap a phone with a Lightning wallet. Square says eligibility is set automatically, that bitcoin payments aren't available to businesses in New York, and that the seller can settle in bitcoin or dollars.[27]

Onchain: larger payments

An onchain payment is a normal bitcoin transaction. It is not final the moment you send it. It gains confirmations as new blocks are added, about every 10 minutes on average, and each one makes it harder to reverse. Bitrefill, for example, credits a regular bitcoin payment after one confirmation.[28][26]

You pay a network fee set in sats per virtual byte. When blocks are busy, fees rise. See our mempool and fees page for live estimates and how to unstick a payment.[28]

Bitcoin payments can't be reversed. Only the recipient can refund you, so deal with sellers you know or who have an established reputation, and check the amount and address before you send.[28]

Go deeper: Lightning · Mempool and fees

Is buying a coffee with bitcoin taxable?

US federal rules · general information, not tax advice

Is buying a coffee with bitcoin taxable?

In the US, usually yes. The IRS treats bitcoin and other digital assets as property, not currency. Paying for something with property is a disposal, the same as if you sold the coins and spent the dollars.[29][30]

The IRS says that if you pay for services with digital assets you will have a capital gain or loss, and that exchanging digital assets for other property is also a disposal on which you recognize gain or loss.[31]

How is the gain or loss worked out?

Gain or loss = the dollar value of what you bought at the moment you paid, minus your cost basis in the coins you spent (roughly, what you paid for them, including allowable fees). If you held those coins for one year or less it is a short-term gain or loss; more than one year makes it long-term.[31][32]

Example with made-up numbers

  • You bought 10,000 sats when bitcoin was $50,000. Cost basis: $5.00.
  • Months later you spend those sats on a coffee priced at $8.00 (bitcoin at $80,000).
  • Gain = $8.00 − $5.00 = $3.00, a short-term capital gain because you held under a year.
  • If bitcoin had fallen instead, you would have a small capital loss.

Illustration only. Real prices and fees will differ.

Isn't there a small-purchase exemption?

Not today. There is no de minimis exemption in current federal law, so even a small purchase counts. Several bills would create one, but none has passed either chamber as of Oct 17, 2026:[30]

S.2207 (Sen. Lummis, introduced June 30, 2025) would exclude gain or loss on personal purchases of $300 or less, with a $5,000 yearly cap on excluded gains. Status: referred to the Senate Finance Committee.[33][34]

S.4171, the Virtual Currency Tax Fairness Act (Sen. Budd, introduced March 24, 2026), would exclude gain or loss on sales or exchanges of $200 or less, for transactions after Dec 31, 2026. Status: referred to the Senate Finance Committee.[35][36]

H.R.8899, the Digital Asset PARITY Act (Rep. Miller, introduced May 19, 2026), would not create an exemption itself; it asks the Treasury to study one and issue interim guidance. Status: referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.[37]

What records should I keep?

For each purchase, note the date, what you bought, its dollar value and which coins you spent (with their purchase date and cost). Federal returns ask whether you disposed of a digital asset in exchange for property, goods or services in any amount, and the answer is yes if you spent bitcoin. Many wallets and tax tools can export this history.[30]

This is general information, not tax advice. Rules change and situations differ, so ask a tax professional before you rely on it.

Before you spend

Spend and replace

Some holders describe a habit called spend and replace: they pay with bitcoin, then buy back the same amount so their savings stay the same. Each purchase is still a taxable disposal. We describe it because readers ask about it, not as a recommendation.[31]

Privacy

All onchain transactions are public and permanent, and a purchase can link your identity to an address. Bitcoin.org recommends a new address for each payment you receive and separate wallets for different purposes, so consider paying from a separate spending wallet, not the one that holds the keys to your long-term savings.[28][38]

Keep going

Sources

  1. [1] BTC Map dashboard (merchant totals; checked Oct 17, 2026)
  2. [2] BTC Map, map of places that accept bitcoin
  3. [3] teambtcmap/btcmap-data on GitHub: “Location data for BTC Map pulled from OpenStreetMap”
  4. [4] OpenStreetMap, Copyright and License (ODbL)
  5. [5] BTC Map REST API v4, places (docs)
  6. [6] BTC Map apps
  7. [7] OpenStreetMap Foundation, Tile Usage Policy
  8. [8] Michael Haft (Compass Coffee CEO) on LinkedIn, Oct 2025
  9. [9] Compass Coffee on LinkedIn, bitcoin payment showcase at three DC cafes (Nov 18, 2025)
  10. [10] Decrypt, “Square Enables First Bitcoin Payment at US Coffee Chain” (Oct 2025)
  11. [11] Bitcoin Magazine, “Steak 'n Shake Now Accepting Bitcoin Via Lightning Network Across U.S. Locations” (May 16, 2025)
  12. [12] BTC Map API search for Steak 'n Shake listings (checked Oct 17, 2026)
  13. [13] ITWeb, “Pick n Pay sees uptick in Bitcoin payments in stores” (Jun 13, 2024)
  14. [14] MoneyBadger, “How to pay @ PnP”
  15. [15] Bitrefill Help, “What tokens are accepted by Bitrefill?”
  16. [16] Travala, Payment options
  17. [17] Newegg Knowledge Base, Payment Methods (Crypto & BitPay)
  18. [18] Namecheap Knowledgebase, “How do I add funds to my Namecheap account using BTCPay”
  19. [19] Njalla FAQ, Accepted Payments
  20. [20] Mullvad, Pricing (payment methods)
  21. [21] IVPN Help, “What payment methods do you accept?”
  22. [22] Proton Support, Payment options
  23. [23] Silent.link home page (payment options)
  24. [24] Galaxy Mind, “Spend bitcoin” directory of online shops
  25. [25] Lightning Labs docs, “Lightning Network Overview”
  26. [26] Bitrefill Help, “How to add store credit by paying with tokens from my wallet?”
  27. [27] Square Support Center, “Accept and manage bitcoin payments” (US)
  28. [28] Bitcoin.org, “Some things you need to know”
  29. [29] IRS Notice 2014-21 (virtual currency is treated as property)
  30. [30] IRS, Digital assets
  31. [31] IRS, Frequently asked questions on digital asset transactions (Q62, Q64)
  32. [32] IRS, Frequently asked questions on virtual currency transactions (Q6, holding period)
  33. [33] Congress.gov, S.2207 (119th Congress), Sen. Lummis: de minimis gain or loss on digital assets
  34. [34] Congress.gov, S.2207 text as introduced
  35. [35] Congress.gov, S.4171 (119th Congress), Virtual Currency Tax Fairness Act
  36. [36] Congress.gov, S.4171 text
  37. [37] Congress.gov, H.R.8899 (119th Congress), Digital Asset PARITY Act
  38. [38] Bitcoin.org, “Protect your privacy”

Checked Oct 17, 2026