One word: Awesome!
I simply had to try this out, so here is my review.
Step 1: On The Web
- Went to bitinstant.com
- Chose Cash --> CVS to MtGox
- Entered my mtgox account number (you can see it when logging into mtgox, I think you can use your mtgox username as well)
- Entered 100 USD
- Entered my email address
- web page says: You Receive 96.01 USD
- Click Send funds
- You get to review what you entered
- Click Go!
- I get redirected to
https://www.cashpayment.com/Public/CashOrder, where my current location is prefilled (in my case Mountain View CA) and I see a map with 14 stores within 5 miles.
- I chose CVS at 850 California Street
- Click Create Payment Slip, and my browser downloads a pfd file, which i print out
This took about 1 minute
The 1 page document contains the address of the store, some instructions, a bunch of labeled numbers, and some logos. It occurs to me that I have to pay USD 103.95 for my USD 100 transfer.
Step 2: At The Store
- The instructions mention a red phone... In the store there happens to be a red phone... I pick it up
- The phone auto dials a number and I get connected to a robo-voice asking me to enter a number which I find on the table next to the phone. Now it knows which store I am in.
- The robo-voice asks a number of questions (don't remember the exact order), and I specify that I want to pay a bill by typing on the phone, enter the amount to pay (103.95 from the pdf), enter the receive code 9611 (from the pdf), and eventually I am told that I will get redirected to a human.
- This never happens, and after a minute or so I hang up and start over.
- I go through the process again, and this time I get connected to an operator.
- I confirm the amount to pay, tell the account number (from the pdf), tell my name and address.
- The operator says that I am all set, and can go to the counter in the store and say that I want to make an express payment.
- At the counter I say that I want to do an express payment using Money Gram.
- She asks what the amount is and what my name is, and asks for ID.
- I show her my Danish drivers license. She briefly looks at it and I pay her USD 104 and get back my 5 cents and a receipt.
This took about 5 minutes
Step 3: After Math
- I receive an email from
[email protected] shortly after. Actually the time on my receipt says 4:03 PM and I received the email 4:02. That's really fast
The mail confirms that I have received USD 95.01 in my mtgox account.
- Logging into my mtgox account I find USD 96.01 there, and since I am pretty sure that I did not have any funds there I guess that the email should have said USD 96.01 instead of 95.01.
- Anyway... I purchase BTC 18.69981974 and send them to my wallet.
This took about 1 minute
All in all I paid USD 103.95 for USD 96.01 worth of BTC at the current market price.
Will I do it again?
Absolutely