Why bitcoin only
Not just because we like it (we do). Taking only bitcoin makes the shop cheaper to run and better for you, and we pass the difference on.
For you
- A lower price. Our price is the real cost plus our slice, 12,500 sats an item today. No card fees or chargeback costs are baked in, because we don't have them. The only payment fee is 1% on the cost part, shown as its own line at checkout.
- The same slice from anywhere. Our slice in sats is the same per item wherever you live. The rest of your price varies with production, delivery and tax. We don't add a foreign-payment fee. Our maker bills us in pounds, and the 1% fee for converting your payment to pounds is shown at checkout. Your wallet or mint may charge its own fees.
- Privacy. No card number, no account, no trackers. We ask only for what it takes to post your order: your name, address and an email for updates.
- Fast. Pay over Lightning in seconds, and your order usually goes to our maker the same day.
For us
- Lower fees. Turning sats into pounds costs us 1%, and that's our only payment fee: no monthly charge, no terminal. On a £30 payment, our provider's 1% fee is £0.30. At a card rate of 1.5% + 20p, the fee would be £0.65.
- Pounds the moment you pay. Your sats are converted as they arrive, so we can pay our maker without betting on bitcoin's price, and the money is paid out to our bank automatically each day.
- No chargebacks. Lightning has no card chargebacks, so there are no £20 dispute fees. Your cancellation and refund rights still apply, and if something's wrong with your order, we put it right ourselves: see returns.
- No card details stored. We never hold card details, so there are none to steal.
- Confirmed in seconds. We know you've paid the moment you have, so we can usually send your order to be made the same day.
New to bitcoin? Lightning is a way to send bitcoin payments instantly, at very little cost, and a sat is one hundred-millionth of a bitcoin. You'll need a wallet that can pay a Lightning invoice, such as Phoenix, Wallet of Satoshi, Strike, CoinCorner or Cash App (US), or a compatible ecash (Cashu), Ark or Spark wallet. Check that it can send the full amount, including any wallet fee. Our pricing page shows exactly how every price is made.
What it costs us to get a £50 payment into our bank account: a card payment paid out to our bank, against a Lightning payment converted to pounds and paid out to our bank. Sending the Lightning payment itself costs next to nothing; the fee shown is our provider's charge for converting sats to pounds.
| card | ⚡ lightning | |
|---|---|---|
| fee on a £50 payment | £0.95 | £0.50 |
| chargebacks | possible for months, £20 each | no card chargebacks; refund rights still apply |
| stolen-card fraud | ours to absorb | nothing to steal |
| card data to protect | security rules to follow | none: we never see one |
| money in the bank | a few working days | paid out daily, automatically |
| buying from abroad | foreign card and conversion fees, often about 3% more on your statement | no foreign-payment fee from us; wallet fees may apply |
| paperwork per dispute | evidence, forms, waiting | no card-chargeback paperwork |
Card illustration: 1.5% + 20p per payment and £20 per dispute. Actual card fees vary by provider and card. Lightning: our payment provider charges 1%. A customer's wallet or mint may charge separately. Foreign card and currency conversion fees depend on the provider and bank.