Are there any services - existing or being worked on - that ?:
1) Take regular bitcoin payments
2) Convert to fiat - say buying directly on an exchange at the spot rate.
3) Pay domestic bills in a 'direct debit' fashion.
4) Perhaps with an API so that the user can pull their most recent bills into a suitable client.
It is starting to happen with intermediaries that will accept bitcoins and then will pay your bill for you using fiat. I believe that is what SpendBitcoins is doing with BPAY in Australia.(you provide Biller Code and Customer Reference Number at checkout).
It might be quite some time before we see actual utilities start to accept bitcoin for payment. This is partly the result of regulation and bureaucracy -- some don't even accept a payment card for bill payment yet, for example.
There was a service operating for a short while, BitcoinAgents.com that I had high hopes for. It was intended as a buying agent service but it has a use case that is in demand. The service was a directory of people in specific geographic area who offer to do work for a fee (paid in Bitcoins, of course). These workers are matched with people willing to pay for tasks to be performed -- such as buying an item online as a domestic purchase and then shipping it out internationally. I saw another use for this type of service in being able to send bitcoins and have that person make a utility payment for you (which is often something possible when using cash at many convenient locations).
Of course, that is an expensive method and doesn't scale but it would give more options for ways that bitcoins can be used.
And there's now in the U.S. mobile wireless prepaid phone ecodes available for purchase from BTCBuy.info:
-
http://btcbuy.info/CallingCards.cshtml - AT&T GoPhone
- Cricket PAYgo
- Page Plus Cellular
- Simple Mobile
- T-Mobile
- Virgin Mobile
I am in Europe - SEPA payment area
Don't hesitate to inquire:
By the way, important note here: we have access to a wide variety of calling cards and wireless refills, both in USA and internationally. If you are interested in purchasing PINs or direct refills for some specific carrier, please send me a message, I could get those handled on priority basis
-
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.873109What will probably happen is BPAY or maybe BTCBuy will end up getting interviewed for a story in a business rag and the magic words:
- "no chargebacks",
- "zero fees" (to the payment recipient)
and
- "same-day settlement"
will be used.
And then all of a sudden the gears will start churning with the readers ... like "hey, we could really use that!"
And then when there is competition, one merchant will start giving a discount for Bitcoin payments versus payment cards, and once that happens it is all over... victory will be Bitcoin's!