Coinjar has also released a bitcoin debit card, although i belive its only availble for Australian customers.
I've had mine for a few months now and it comes in handy.
It does have a $2 AUD fee when used at any ATM which is a bit anoying but i guess you pay for the convenience.
Could you explain the whole functioning and procedure of the bitcoin debit card? I find it very hard to understand how it comes handly unless you're using it for trading/exchange with someone who accepts bitcoins and to what I know the whole bitcoin system is not very out other/popular in the world. Seems impractical to me.
Do you have bank or debit card?
If so do you use it? If you do then you already understand the convenience of a debit card.
I do not understand why people cannot see the use of a bitcoin debit card.
Think of it this way. If you receive bitcoins you can use it to to buy things online or at a retail outlet where bitcoin is accepted. If not then you are forced to use your normal bank card and or fiat money.
You can off course also send your bitcoin to an exchange, sell it and then withdraw the money you received from the sale to your bank account and then withdraw that money and or use your bank card. This whole process has several fees attached to it. First you pay a fee to send your bitcoin to the exchange, then you pay commission on the sale of your bitcoin, you then pay a fee to have the money sent to your bank and again when you withdraw the funds from your bank.
Instead of going through all of the above you can just send your bitcoin to say either Xapo and or Bit-x and thats it. You pay one fee. You then just use your card to buy whatever you want wherever you want, whether they accept bitcoin or not does not matter. No need to sell or convert your bitcoin, you just swipe your card.
And yes, there are fees but they are not as high as everybody makes them out to be. The whole process of converting your bitcoin to fiat is just as expensive and it takes days. With a debit card linked to your wallet you can start swiping the moment the funds are confirmed.
So the choice really is whether you only want to use your bitcoin at places that accept bitcoin and or whether you want to use your bitcoin whenever you want to. With a debit card you can and its much more convenient than going through the whole exchange thing.
I think miracal meant it sarcastically. Dude, why would I pay something/buy something from a bitcoin debit card, cashing out my btc + paying transaction fees/conversaion-exchange whatever fees along with my order? If I pay from bitcoin debit card, I would be in a way cashing out my bitcoins rather than using them properly. Nah, would rather pay that with bank's debit card or fiat.