Sling TV to Accept Crypto Payments for Subscriptions Through BitPay

Sling TV subscribers will now be able to use crypto to pay for their monthly subscription, thanks to a partnership with payment provider BitPay, the company announced Friday (Feb. 18).

In the release, Sling noted that it is dedicated to offering “flexibility, variety and ease” for users, and this partnership will let users select and pay for various digital services with crypto.

This comes as crypto is becoming an increasingly popular way to make purchases. Users with an existing monthly subscription will be able to use BitPay with Sling, while new users have to use traditional pay options.

Customers will also need a crypto wallet with a cryptocurrency uploaded to it. Sling subscribers will be able to use the wallet from the BitPay app or any other popular app, such as Coinbase or Electrum.

While customers will only be able to make a monthly manual payment with BitPay, they’ll also be able to prepay for up to six months. After the prepaid period ends, the subscription will be billed to the payment method on file.

Earlier this month, BitPay CEO Stephen Pair said bitcoin ownership’s burgeoning popularity will lead to more people being able to use it for its original purpose of making payments.

Read more: Bitcoin’s Future as a Payments Tool Is Bright, Says BitPay CEO

This is not the most common view as of February, as the coin’s value has fluctuated wildly since hitting a high last November. A subsequent crash ended up wiping out almost half the value, though.

BitPay’s prime product is bitcoin payments, though the company also supports ether and other coins.

“I think a lot of people will use it as a payment mechanism,” Pair told PYMNTS’ Karen Webster, adding that current users tend to be price sensitive. “When the price is down, they tend to not spend it. When the price is higher than they do spend it. And the same is true of the other volatile cryptocurrencies.”