05 Oct
News

Convenience Fees Explained

What are Convenience Fees and Why Do You Charge This?

Coincards was established in 2014, and when we started this service we had an issue that was very clear: Gift Cards are considered money, and money isn’t typically discounted. Especially when you are a single bitcoiner trying to start a service to help other bitcoiners.
Starting a service is hard, but starting a service with absolutely no revenue stream is almost impossible and definitely not sustainable. We needed a revenue stream, and we couldn’t count on the vendors to give us discounts without significant volume… which we couldn’t achieve without discounts.
In order to solve this problem back in 2014, we created what we call the “Convenience Fee”. This was a 5% flat fee on all orders. This fee was to guarantee that Coincards.com brings in a minimum of 5%.
For anyone who has worked in any sort of retail, or even running any type of business, you will know that 5% is a very very small profit margin. This 5% must cover our Staff, Office Expenses, Legal Bills, Advertising, Servers, Developers, etc… However, Coincards was committed to providing this service, and we knew that our service would become invaluable to our customers, and eventually to the brands we wanted to represent so we were devoted to making this fee low for our users.

Fast Forward to Now

Coincards.com now has a relationship with most of the brands we sell gift cards for. These relationships mean that some brands are starting to see the value that our service brings to them and their customers. With these relationships in place, we are now seeing more discounts on the products we sell.
As Coincards gets discounts from our brands, we are actively adjusting our own fees to reflect this discount, so that Coincards still only makes a total of 5%, while the customer pays less of a fee.

Examples of Fees:

Below are some examples of how we calculate our fees and how discounts are recalculated to decrease fees:

  • The merchant gives no discount on a $100 Gift Card:
    Gift Card: $100 + Convenience Fee: $5 (5% of 100) = Total: $105
  • The merchant gives a 3% discount on a $100 Gift Card:
    Gift Card: $100 + Convenience Fee: $2 (2% of 100) = Total: $102
  • The merchant gives a 5% discount on a $100 Gift Card:
    Gift Card: $100 + Convenience Fee: $0 = Total: $100

There were no Convenience Fees on Coincards USA

Coincards launched our USA branded site in 2019 as an experiment, only offering those brands who offered a discount of 1% or more, and for the first 2 years post-launch, we decided not to add the convenience fees to these orders in an attempt to gain a “critical mass” of orders.
Unfortunately, our USA volume even after 2 years, is still only a fraction of the business we do in Canada. We also have noticed more and more brands have been removing or reducing their discounts. These changes have resulted in a crossroads for us with two options:

  • Remove the brands, and reduce our selection
  • Add our convenience fees and with it, the ability to add many more brands.

We have decided to bring on the Convenience Fee into the US market, and open up our selection to include those brands who do not offer a discount, or offer such a small discount, that we would not have been able to facilitate them in the past.

Your Competitor's Don't List Fees!

There is a common misconception that Coincards.com is “Expensive” because we have added in a “Convenience Fee”, however, it only seems this way as Coincards.com is the only Bitcoin to Gift Card business to list our fees in such an open and public manner.
The truth is, based on our internal research, all of our competitors also charge fees for their services. These fees are most often hidden in the exchange rate for a specific product, leading the customer to believe they are paying the market rate for a gift card while they are actually selling their bitcoin at a 20% discount.
Coincards.com is different because our rates are posted on the site at all times, and do not fluctuate based on the product.
For Example:

  • Coincards Posted Rate: $60000 / BTC + 5% Convenience Fee = $63000 / BTC
  • Competitor Product Rate: $67500 / BTC + No Fee = $67500 / BTC

Coincards is built on open-source products, and we believe in being open in our processes and fee structures. We think it’s deceitful to hide our fees within our exchange rates. We also believe in giving the best possible rates, which is why we are committed to ever-increasing discounts, and basing our exchange rates on market value exchange rates.
If any of the above doesn’t make sense, or if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us directly at [email protected]

Thank you,
– The Coincards.com Team

11 Jun
News

Updates to Terms & Conditions and Underpaid/Late Paid Invoices

We're making some changes to our T's and C's

As any service continues to grow, there are always challenges that arise that ultimately impact the customer experience, and the ability for customers to be serviced in a timely manner. At Coincards, customer service has always been our #1 priority and one of the reasons many of our customers continue to choose us.
As we grew through the last bull run, we started to have service issues around two key points:

  • Paid Late Invoices (Invoices paid hours, days, and even weeks later)
  • Underpaid invoices (Usually due to fees imposed by custodians of funds)

In an effort to continue to provide the best possible customer service, Coincards.com has recently made some changes to our Terms & Conditions to ensure that we can continue to strive and provide the best, seamless turnaround on issues. Effective immediately, if you place any new orders on any of Coincards.com’s network of sites, you are explicitly agreeing to the Terms and Conditions listed here: https://coincards.com/terms-conditions/
Below, you will find a brief summary of the significant changes:

  • When a refund is required, Coincards.com will only process refunds in Bitcoin. Any altcoin payments will be converted to their bitcoin equivalent and will need to be processed in Bitcoin only. Bitcoin refunds include both on-chain, or off-chain (Lightning) payments.
  • When an invoice is paid after the expiry timer, the invoice will be automatically processed at the current rate if there was no drop in value since the time of invoice. If the exchange rate has dropped since the invoice expiry, the value of the card will be automatically reduced. If we cannot reduce the amount of the card for any reason, we will contact the customer for a refund in bitcoin.
  • When an invoice is underpaid, the value of the card will be automatically reduced and processed. If we cannot reduce the amount of the card for any reason, we will contact the customer for a refund in bitcoin.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us directly at [email protected]

Thank you,
– The Coincards.com Team

30 Mar
News

Covid-19 Updates – Coincards remains open!

Hi there,

As you know, the last few weeks have been a very trying time for citizens across the world. I wanted to take a few moments and let you know that for the most part, it is still business as usual at Coincards.

Coincards has been running strong for almost 6 years, facing numerous challenges and roadblocks in an ever-changing cryptocurrency landscape. We know our users depend on us for their daily needs and I want to assure you that we are here to stay!

Coincards was built with a Customer Service First focus. Our response times are often immediate and we make every effort to be available through our Live Chat, Support Tickets, Facebook Messenger, Twitter and Text Message. This will not change.

Coincards is a 100% remote team. We have built this company with the future in mind, and as such we have built all of our processes to be able to operate from any location around the world.

With this in mind, there are some physical products that are currently unavailable due to changes made by the retailers and with the safety of our staff in mind. Affected products will show as “Out of Stock” temporarily until the environment changes and we are able to procure them again. This affects a very small number of products and for the time being, all other physical cards are available and every effort is being made to ship these out ASAP.

To serve you better, we have also ramped up our ability to serve essentials through the following steps in Canada:

Finally, I urge you to do your own research on the gift cards you are purchasing. Many stores, restaurants and non-essential businesses have made the decision to close their doors. Some provinces have enacted closures on ALL non-essential businesses. Please ensure that the gift card you are purchasing is for a store that is still open as we are unable to provide refunds/exchanges at this time.

Thank you for your continued support!

Mike Olthoff
CEO, Coincards.com

04 Mar
News

Spend Stablecoins (Dai & USDC) on Gift Cards!

What are Stablecoins?

Stablecoins are decentralized tokens which hold a stable value, usually tied to a traditional FIAT currency like the USD. These currencies are less volatile and not as subject to the speculations of the cryptocurrency markets. Dai and USDC are both pegged to the value of the USD.

Why use Stablecoins on Coincards.com?

Coincards.com strives to allow all cryptocurrency users the ability to cash out their crypto earnings on everyday goods through gift cards. Enabling Stablecoins for our customers means our users can purchase goods while still using a decentralized network without the volatility in prices seen with cryptos such as BTC, LTC, XMR and more.

How to Use Stablecoins on Coincards.com?

To use Stablecoins such as Dai and USDC on Coincards.com, simply follow the usual checkout flow. At the last step when you are asked to select a payment method, please select “Ethereum, Dai and USDC”. This will bring you to the Coinbase commerce checkout and allow you to complete checkout with stablecoins!

 

 

Please note: SAI payments will not be supported. Users will be warned not to send SAI, as their funds may be lost if they do so.

DAI
USD Coin
24 Feb
News

Hotels.com E-Gift Cards now No Fee, Quick Delivery and Variable Denominations!

Exchange cryptocurrency today and Hodl memories for a lifetime!

We are pleased to announce big changes to our Hotels.com product listing:

  • Pick Your Denomination
  • No Fee
  • Delivered Automatically (after 2 confirmations on the blockchain)

Why should you choose a Hotels.com Digital gift card?
A Hotels.com gift card is redeemable towards bookings at hundreds of thousands of places to stay in 200 countries & territories, ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts. You can also use a Hotels.com gift card for members only deals & promotions!
There’s never been a better time to exchange your cryptocurrency for Hotels.com and start planning an unforgettable vacation!
Buy Hotels.com Gift Cards Now!
20 Feb
News

Uber & Uber Eats – Lower Fees & More Availability

We have just what you need anytime!

Looking to top up your Uber & Uber Eats accounts?

Uber & Uber Eats are now available at a lower fee, in the denomination of your choice ($15-$150). Never out of stock and delivered to you automatically after only two confirmations on the blockchain.

Want it even faster? – Pay using the Bitcoin Lightning Network and get your Uber & Uber Eats gift codes instantly!

Exchange your Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, DASH, Dogecoin, Monero, DAI, USDC and more for an Uber/Uber Eats gift card today 🙂

Buy Uber & Uber Eats Gift Cards Now!
17 Feb
News

Home Depot Digital Gift Cards Now Available

Hey “Doers”, it’s almost Spring! Are you planning any Home Improvement projects?

We have just the thing you need – Home Depot Digital Gift Cards are now available on Coincards.com in both the USA and Canada!

Available in your choice of denomination ($5-$2000) and delivered automatically to your inbox after just 2 confirmations on the blockchain (or instantly with the Bitcoin Lightning Network). This is your fastest, cheapest & most convenient way to exchange your bitcoin, litecoin, dash, dogecoin, ethereum, monero (and more) for Home Depot gift cards in North America.

Home Depot Gift Card
Buy Home Depot Gift Cards Now!
Rise Wallet
05 Nov
News

Rise Wallet BTC Gift Card Giveaway

Limited Time Offer

Exchange Bitcoin for Gift Cards, Earn Bitcoin Back!

Rise Wallet

For a limited time, when you place a qualifying order on Coincards (Canada), you will be eligible to receive a Rise Wallet Bitcoin Gift Card absolutely free!

  • Spend $1,250+ CAD = Receive $25 Rise Wallet BTC Gift Card
  • Spend $2,500+ CAD = Receive $50 Rise Wallet BTC Gift Card
  • Spend $5,000+ CAD = Receive $100 Rise Wallet BTC Gift Card
  • Spend $8,500+ CAD = Receive $250 Rise Wallet BTC Gift Card
Rise Wallet Bitcoin Gift Cards give you the equivalent CAD dollar amount of Bitcoin at the time of redemption. These can be redeemed to your existing Bitcoin wallets, or gifted to your friends/family!

Don’t miss your chance! Place your order today!

  • Rise Wallet Bitcoin Gift Cards will be shipped, free of charge, to any valid address within Canada, via Canada Post Lettermail (no tracking/signature included). If you would like an alternate/upgraded shipping method, we can provide you with a quote (payable in Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin or Dash).
  • Eligible customers will be contacted by email (used to place qualifying orders) to request a mailing address. Responses to emails will be time sensitive. Customers will have 5 business days to respond with a valid Canadian mailing address, before offer is void.
  • Promotion may end, without notice, when stock has run out.
  • Each order is eligible for ONE Rise Wallet Bitcoin Gift Card only (at the highest achieved promo level advertised).
  • Eligibility is on a per order basis. Multiple orders can not be combined to reach eligibility, and/or higher promo level.
  • Promotion begins Friday, November 8th , 2019 . All orders placed before this date are ineligible for this promotion.
  • Stuff Technologies Inc. and Coincards.com are not affiliated with Rise Wallet.
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