The payment services giant joined a major bitcoin solutions provider to increase BTC usage in Switzerland as a medium of exchange.
European payments and transactional services provider Worldline has partnered with Bitcoin Suisse, a Swiss bitcoin services firm, to launch its new omnichannel payment solution. The new service, called WL Crypto Payments, will enable the more than 85,000 merchants in the Worldline network to accept BTC in their point-of-sale (POS) and e-commerce payment gateways. The integration of bitcoin payments into the platform is the latest development of a partnership that started in 2019.
“This is a historic milestone for crypto adoption in Switzerland and beyond,” said Dr. Arthur Vayloyan, Bitcoin Suisse CEO. “This step proves once again that Switzerland is a leader in collaborative innovation and a pioneer in the crypto and blockchain industry.
Bitcoin adoption and development in Switzerland has been increasing as companies choose to embrace the innovation. In June, banking giant BBVA launched bitcoin trading and custody services in the country. The launch integrated a bitcoin management system into the BBV Switzerland app. However, it was not clear whether users would be able to withdraw funds to wallets they controlled. In April, insurance firm AXA started offering a bitcoin-based payment option in the country to meet growing demand from its customers.
With WL Crypto Payments, Swiss merchants utilizing Worldline’s payment solutions can allow clients to purchase their products and services with bitcoin. Business owners can either install the dedicated mobile app named after the new offering or integrate Worldline’s plugin in their e-commerce store. Clients will be able to pay using the bitcoin wallet of their choice, and merchants will have the option to convert the payment to Swiss franc (CHF) automatically.
“The launch of cryptocurrencies acceptance at the POS in Switzerland is a great proof of our ambition,” Worldline Switzerland CEO Marc Schulep said. “Worldline wants to bring tangible value to merchants across the globe and to facilitate smooth and modern payments in all the markets we operate in. We’re happy to collaborate with Bitcoin Suisse on this forward-looking project.”
