By Shane Rodgers
It’s becoming hard to ignore the wave of interest in cryptocurrency payments. From luxury goods to groceries, crypto is transforming how consumers want to pay — and it’s creating a fresh opportunity for retailers ready to ride this new wave.
Yet for most merchants, crypto still carries a big red flag: volatility and regulatory uncertainty. After all, no retailer wants to risk holding bitcoin overnight only to see its value swing 10% by morning. But what if there were a way to welcome crypto payments — and its growing base of eager spenders — without any exposure to the risk or complexity of digital assets?
That’s exactly what’s happening today. New crypto-to-cash gateways let merchants accept crypto at the checkout, but instantly convert it to local currency. No wallets to manage. No volatility risk. No new compliance headaches.
Crypto Payments Are Already Here
The appetite for crypto payments is real — and it’s already transforming how some retailers do business. Across the U.S., over 6,000 businesses accept Bitcoin. A Deloitte study found that 85% of merchants see crypto payments as a key way to reach new customers.
And the customers are there: a whopping 65 million Americans own crypto, and according to Capital One, 80% would like to use it for daily purchases. What’s more, customers who pay with crypto spend twice as much as those who swipe a credit card.
This isn’t just happening in luxury goods like watches and jewelry. Crypto is paying for airline tickets, groceries, even burgers and fries — and opening up new ways for merchants to stand out and expand their customer base.
Retail industry sees swath of early adopters
These aren’t just hypothetical numbers. In the past few months, my company has already rolled out beta testing of our PDX Beam gateway with dozens of establishments across different retail sectors, including high-end diamond merchants as well as luxury brand car dealerships. These businesses are accepting crypto payments through the platform and seeing firsthand how it taps into a fresh pool of customers.
In Florida, an international fast food chain will set up a regional crypto-to-cash pilot program across an initial 10 stores in the Miami-Dade area. The chain operates over 6,800 company-owned and franchised stores across the U.S., and its payment processor services more than 100,000 branded retail outlets nationwide. As these pilots roll out, they’re expected to bring crypto payments into the fast-food mainstream.
It’s not just the POS end of the retail industry, either. A $7.5 billion institution has signed an agreement for gateway-based payment processing that will clear more than $60 million annually, while a private equity firm will use a gateway to process crypto payments for retail businesses it owns, among other services.
No Downside: Retailers Avoid Exposure or Risk
For retailers, the biggest fear has always been the volatility and complexity of crypto. But modern crypto-to-cash gateways take on all that risk. At checkout, when the customer pays in crypto the system instantly converts it to local currency from the customer wallet. Merchants never see or touch the crypto. They get paid directly in dollars (or any local currency) — typically within seconds.
This removes all the volatility risk for the retailer. It also eliminates the need for merchants to manage crypto accounts or wallets, sidestepping a major compliance headache. Meanwhile, these blockchain-based transactions slash the chance of chargeback fraud, adding another layer of security.
A New Era for Lower Fees and Faster Cash
Traditional credit cards come with a steep price tag: 3-4% fees for most businesses, and up to 7% for “risky” sectors such as cannabis sales. These fees carve away at already slim margins — and merchants are feeling the pinch.
Crypto payments processed through these gateways bypass the legacy banking intermediaries, drastically reducing transaction costs. Settlement is also lightning-fast. Instead of waiting days for funds to clear, merchants can see the cash in their account in real time or the same day, helping to put an end to cash flow headaches.
Future-Proofing Retail
The momentum is clear. Major financial players like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs are investing in crypto products. The U.S. government is laying the groundwork for crypto-friendly regulation. And Worldpay’s 2025 report projects global crypto spending to more than double by 2030 — from $16 billion to $38 billion.
For retailers, the message is straightforward: crypto payments are here to stay. Consumers want to use them. And with new gateways that remove the risk and complexity, merchants can meet this demand safely and profitably.
Crypto is no longer just a speculative investment. It’s becoming a true medium of exchange — and retailers who adapt now will be best positioned to serve a new generation of digital-first customers. With tested solutions already in place at stores, fast food chains, hedge funds, and real estate deals, it’s never been easier to tap into this growing market — without ever touching crypto yourself.
New York-based Shane Rodgers is a former investment banker and CEO of PDX Global, whose PDX Beam crypto-to-fiat gateway is currently in beta.