Ethereum is one of the most popular cryptocurrencies globally. If you are an investor holding this digital asset, then you might be wondering how to spend Ethereum to make purchases online.

This guide discusses the top ten companies that accept Ethereum as a payment method. We will also discuss how you can profit from your ETH coins without having to cash out your investment.

Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. 

Many platforms that accept Ethereum also let you make payments in other digital assets. If you are thinking of expanding your portfolio, you can find out the best cryptocurrency to invest in here.

A Closer Look at Companies That Accept Ethereum

Given the popularity of Ethereum, you will find that many platforms let you spend this digital asset in different ways.

While some allow you to pay for services and products using ETH tokens, others give you the option to generate income in a passive nature. Also, did you know that you can use your ETH tokens via the best play to earn crypto games in 2022?

Below, we provide you with an overview of the top ten places that accept Ethereum for payments and other services.

1. Aqru – Overall Best Place to Spend Ethereum – Earn 7% in Interest

If you are holding Ethereum in your crypto wallet, you might be thinking of ways to maximize your returns without having to sell your investment. Aqru presents you with a great way to do that through its cryptocurrency interest accounts.

This platform acts as a cryptocurrency custodian – so, when you spend Ethereum, you can receive interest in return. On Aqru, you can receive a yield of 7% per annum on Ethereum, without entering into a fixed-term contract. The interest you collect will be added to your account on a daily basis 

Moreover, you will be able to withdraw your ETH tokens at any time you want, without incurring any additional fees. And in case you do not have Ethereum, you can also make a deposit in US dollars, euros, or British pounds. Then, when you open a crypto savings account for Ethereum, your money will be automatically converted to ETH tokens.

Aqru also lets you earn interest on stablecoins such as USDT, USDC, and DAI as well as Bitcoin. In order to get started on Aqru, you need to make a minimum deposit of only $100 (or its equivalent). You can also transfer your ETH tokens directly to open an account.

That said, when making withdrawals, you will be charged $20 in your chosen crypto. Aqru also comes in the form of a crypto app, which allows you to spend Ethereum and track your returns on the go.

Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. 

2. eToro – Spend Ethereum to get Attractive Staking Rewards

Another way to spend Ethereum without renouncing your ownership is to stake your ETH tokens via crypto staking. While you can find a few different platforms offering this service, eToro is the best in the market for a number of reasons.

Crucially, this platform is regulated in multiple jurisdictions by reputable financial authorities – including the SEC, FCA, ASIC, and CySEC. In simple terms, eToro lets you stake Ethereum and collect rewards in return. As with Aqru, eToro does not stipulate a lock-in period.

Instead, you will automatically start earning interest on the Ethereum you hold in your eToro account. Moreover, you don’t even need to specifically opt-in for this service.

It is also worth pointing out that eToro is also one of the best places to buy Ethereum, by paying just 1% in fees as well as the market spread. Moreover, you will be able to store digital assets within the platform for free in a secure wallet. Once you have opened a position, eToro starts to distribute the staking rewards automatically. With Ethereum price predictions suggesting that the altcoin could rise in the near future many crypto enthusiasts are looking to add ETH to their portfolios.

You can receive up to 95% of the reward percentage of the monthly staking yield – depending on the eToro club you belong to. This will be determined by the total value of the realized assets you hold in your eToro account. eToro is also highly preferred by customers for its social and copy trading features – both of which permit passive investing.

Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. 

3. Crypto.com – Deposit Ethereum into a Savings Account

Crypto.com offers a huge selection of over 250 digital assets on its platform. You can not only buy and sell cryptocurrencies, but you can also spend them via this provider. The easiest way to spend Ethereum would be to use Crypto.com’s visa card to pay for your online purchase.

For this purpose, Crypto.com has partnered with platforms such as Travala, Time, Ledger, and more. You can also use your crypto card to buy digital collectibles via Crypto.com’s NFT marketplace. Moreover, there is no gas fee involved, and you will also be able to earn rewards in CRO, the native digital token of Crypto.com.

Another option when considering how to spend Ethereum is to invest your ETH tokens in a crypto interest account. On Crypto.com, you can earn up to 14.5% APY on cryptocurrencies. For Ethereum in particular, you will receive up to 6% based on the amount you invest as well as the duration of the lock-in period. 

That said, you don’t need to lock in your ETH tokens to earn rewards on Crypto.com. Flexible plans are also available, albeit, the APY offered will vary accordingly. Apart from these features, Crypto.com also functions as a cryptocurrency exchange that you can use to trade digital assets at low fees.

Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product.

4. BlockFi – Spend Ethereum Anywhere That Accepts Visa

BlockFi is another prominent cryptocurrency platform that lets you use a crypto debit card to pay for products and services online. Since the card is issued by Visa, you will be able to use it across millions of merchants globally.

In other words, if you are wondering how to spend Ethereum, BlockFi offers you one of the easiest ways to do so – without charging you any annual fees. Moreover, using a BlockFi card also makes you eligible to receive cashback rewards. New customers on BlockFi can earn 3.5% cashback for the first three months.

After that, you’ll get 1.5%  every time you spend Ethereum or other digital assets using the card. If you are looking to earn more Ethereum, then you can also open a crypto interest account via BlockFi. 

BlockFi is also preferred by investors to buy and sell Ethereum, along with other cryptocurrencies. Like Crypto.com, this platform offers loans on Ethereum, with an LTV of up to 50%. You can also open a BlockFi interest account and earn up to 11% APY on your crypto holdings. 

Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. 

5. OpenSea – Spend Ethereum to Buy NFTs

OpenSea is the world’s largest decentralized marketplace that allows you to invest in NFTs. For those unaware, NFTs or non-fungible tokens represent unique digital goods that can be sold or exchanged for other assets. Today, NFTs have evolved to become a significant part of decentralized ecosystems.

If you are interested in investing in new NFT projects or buying other NFT collectibles, you can do so by spending Ethereum on OpenSea. To set up your OpenSea account, you can connect a supported digital wallet – such as Metamask or Trust. Then you can choose the NFT you want to buy and make the payment via your wallet in ETH.

OpenSea gives you access to NFTs in the fields of art, music, and games. You will also be able to create your own NFTs and set up your profile – for which you would be charged a small fee in Ethereum. You can also choose to buy or sell NFTs using DAI and US dollars.

6. Overstock – Buy Thousands of Products Online With Ethereum

Overstock is one of the early adopters of cryptocurrency payments. In fact, this e-commerce platform partnered with Coinbase to start accepting cryptocurrency payments as early as 2014. Today, you can pay for purchases on Overstock using Ethereum and a number of other digital assets.

To complete the transaction, you can simply choose to pay with crypto at the time of checkout. You will be redirected to log in to your Coinbase account and will be presented with an exchange rate. However, remember that if you wish to shop on Overstock by spending Ethereum, you will need to go through the website and not the mobile app.

Apart from Ethereum, Overstock also accepts payments in Bitcoin. Litecoin, Dash, and Monero. Additionally, Overstock also allows users to qualify for refunds in Ethereum. The refund will be issued in US dollars, equivalent to the amount at the time of placing the order. You will receive the refund via Coinbase using your email address listed on Overstock.

7. PayPal – Spend Ethereum at any Online Merchant That Accepts Paypal

PayPal is a digital payment system that you can use to settle your online purchases. In March 2021, the company announced that its US-based users could start using cryptocurrencies to make payments. This feature is titled ‘Checkout with Crypto’ and is available for Ethereum, Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash.

If you have sufficient cryptocurrency balance to cover an eligible purchase, this option will automatically appear in your PayPal wallet at the time of checkout. You can then choose Ethereum as your preferred digital currency and complete the payment. Moreover, there are no additional transaction fees charged when using the feature.

That said, you can only use the Ethereum coins that you have purchased via PayPal. In other words, you will not be able to transfer the ETH tokens you hold in another crypto wallet to make the payment. This will not be much of an issue, since you can now buy crypto via PayPal anyway.

However, the only condition is that you will have to store the ETH tokens within your account and not move it elsewhere.

8. BitPay – Buy Real Estate With Ethereum via the BitPay Website

BitPay is perhaps the world’s largest provider of cryptocurrency payment services. And as of December 2021, the platform also lets you make real estate investments via Ethereum and other digital tokens. Through BitPay, sellers can generate an email invoice and send them to the buyer – who can then make the payment via their preferred crypto wallet.

BitPay will then transfer your ETH tokens to the seller via direct deposit. Outside of private sellers, BitPay has also partnered with real estate groups across the world such as Pacaso and Condo.com. However, since banks don’t accept digital assets, it is unlikely that you will be able to pay your mortgage directly with crypto.

On the other hand, BitPay also serves as an exchange, so you will be able to turn Ethereum into cash to make your mortgage payments. The provider also offers crypto credit cards that you can use to convert your digital assets into US dollars to make purchases. You will be able to manage your card via the BitPay app and track the transaction in real-time.

9. AT&T – Settle Your Cell Phone and Broadband Bills With Ethereum

AT&T is one of the biggest telecommunications companies in the world and the largest provider of mobile telephone services in the US. The company has entered into a partnership with BitPay in order to provide cryptocurrency payment options to its customers. AT&T integrated this feature in 2019 and became the first mobile carrier to accept Ethereum payments.

Let us give you a brief idea of how to spend Ethereum to pay your phone bill. It is as simple as logging on to your account via the AT&T mobile app and choosing BitPay as the payment option. You can then select Ethereum as the preferred crypto and follow the prompts to complete the transaction.

As we noted earlier, BitPay is a trusted platform that converts cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum into fiat. This means that even if you pay in ETH, AT&T will receive US dollars – which protects the company from the volatility of Ethereum. You will also be able to pay AT&T bills using any other digital asset supported by BitPay.

10. Travala – Make Travel Bookings Using Ethereum

Travala is the world’s leading blockchain-based platform for making travel bookings using Ethereum and other digital assets. The company was founded in 2017 and has built a network of over 2 million properties, spread across 230 countries and territories. Travala also offers discounts of up to 40% when compared to other mainstream platforms.

Travala’s value proposition is bolstered by AVA, the platform’s native digital token. You can use this coin to pay for the booking, receive refunds, redeem loyalty rewards, and more. Moreover, you can also consider the AVA coin as an investment option. In fact, this crypto coin has gained about 500% in value between 2017 and 2022.

Apart from Ethereum, Travala also accepts a wide range of other cryptocurrencies and stablecoins for making payments. You can spend Bitcoin as well as Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Dai, and plenty more. Travala also accepts fiat currencies via credit card payments.

What Can You Spend Ethereum on?

A growing number of merchants and services are accepting Ethereum as payment these days. As such, if you are thinking of where can you spend Ethereum, you will not be short of options.

• As we noted earlier, not only can you buy products and services, but you can also use your ETH tokens to make travel bookings or even initiate other investments such as interest accounts and NFTs.
• However, the majority of crypto payment systems are facilitated by third-party processors like BitPay and Crypto.com. 

This means that while you are spending Ethereum, merchants themselves are not accepting the payment in ETH.

Instead, they receive the equivalent amount in fiat currencies such as US dollars. The conversion takes place in real-time, which reduces the risk of volatility involved for both parties. 

Is Spending Ethereum a Good Idea?

Cryptocurrencies were originally designed to be used as an alternative to central bank-backed currencies. However, the price volatility of digital assets such as Ethereum makes it challenging to use crypto for payments.

For instance:

• In January 2020, the value of a single Ethereum token was about $100.
• By April 2022, in a matter of just over two years, Ethereum has reached a value of about $3,500 per coin.

As you can see, had you spent Ethereum in 2020, such a move would have resulted in a significant opportunity loss – when compared to the value of ETH tokens in 2022.

Moreover, considering the role Ethereum plays in the DeFi space, this digital asset is well-positioned to increase in value in the future.

At the same time, there is no way of predicting if the value of Ethereum will go up or down in the next few years. Ultimately, it comes down to your financial preferences whether spending Ethereum is a good idea or not.

Consider Spending Ethereum Rewards Only

While crypto payments can provide an alternative transaction method, not all who hold Ethereum will be eager to cash out their tokens. If this is the case, you might be interested in opening an Ethereum interest account instead. 

Like a traditional savings account, you can deposit your Ethereum in order to earn interest. However, unlike fiat currencies such as the US dollar, Ethereum will get you a much higher APY.

On Aqru, for instance, you will receive interest as high as 7% on an Ethereum savings account.  

Perhaps the biggest attraction of this strategy is that you can access your Ethereum investment any time you want. This way, you do not have to worry about any opportunity costs in the event that the value of Ethereum rises. 

Raise Funds by Using Ethereum as Collateral 

Another way to spend Ethereum without having to sell your tokens is to obtain a crypto loan.

Crypto loan sites allow you to use your ETH tokens as collateral and borrow a sum in return. You can then retrieve your collateralized ETH tokens by paying back the loan along with interest.

• However, it is crucial to remember that the loan-to-value you receive and the interest rates vary from one platform to another.
• On Crypto.com, you can get an LTV of up to 50% on your Ethereum tokens.
• This means that if you put up $1,000 worth of Ethereum, you will receive a crypto loan equivalent to $500.

The best part of such an approach is that you will have access to near-instant funds that you can use to meet other financial needs or to make new investments.

Moreover, in order to benefit from crypto lending, you do not have to sell your Ethereum tokens.

Read more: Best Ethereum Mining Platforms

Will More Companies Start Accepting Ethereum?

The popularity of Ethereum has attracted a lot of investors and ETH continues to encourage merchants to start accepting this digital currency as payment. 

For instance, Mastercard has announced that it will allow merchants and banks on the network to be able to access crypto-as-a-service. 

As the years go by, it is indeed possible that more companies will start accepting Ethereum. That said, the volatility of Ethereum continues to be a prime concern.

• After all, depending on the fee paid and how busy the network is, it can take anywhere from a few seconds to several hours to validate an Ethereum, transaction.
• This means that the value of Ethereum could change between the time you confirm the purchase and when it is completed. 

On top of this, places that accept Ethereum might charge additional fees. This can be particularly high when compared to traditional payment options such as credit or debit cards. 

How to Spend Ethereum 

As we discussed earlier, one of the best ways to spend Ethereum is to use your ETH tokens to open a crypto interest account. We found Aqru to be the best platform for this purpose. 

To help get the ball rolling, we will show you how to spend Ethereum on Aqru. In the following sections, we offer a complete step-by-step breakdown of the required process. 

Step 1: Create an Account

To earn interest on Ethereum, you will need to create an account with Aqru. This will only require you to provide your email address and set up a password for your account. 

Once you click on the ‘Create Account’ button, Aqru will send you a confirmation email and you are good to go. 

Step 2: Verify Identity

Aqru claims to provide its users with state-of-the-art bank-level security. This means that you will be required to verify your identity by providing a government-issued ID card.

The process is automated and your documents will be checked in a matter of minutes. 

Step 3: Add Funds

With a verified account, you can proceed to add funds to Aqru. If you already own Ethereum, you can easily transfer the tokens to Aqru at no extra cost. 

Aqru will provide you with your wallet address. You can copy this and enter it as the destination address in your private crypto wallet. After confirming the transfer, your ETH coins will be added to your Aqru account within a few minutes. 

Alternatively, if you do not already have Ethereum, you can fund your Aqru account with fiat currencies such as the US dollar, British pound, or euro. You can make the payment via a bank transfer or a credit/debit card.

Step 4: Earn Interest on Ethereum

You will automatically start earning interest after your Ethereum tokens are deposited into your Aqru account. You will be able to see the interest occurring right from your Aqru dashboard, on a second-by-second basis. 

Take note that you will be able to withdraw your Ethereum tokens anytime you want. In case you would like to diversify, Aqru also lets you earn interest on stablecoins. 

Conclusion

Ethereum continues to grow by leaps and bounds, especially when you consider the surging popularity dApps, NFTs, and the metaverse.

This has also led to an increasing number of platforms accepting Ethereum as payment – such as PayPal, Overstock, OpenSea, and more. 

In this guide, we discussed how to spend Ethereum – and we found that the best place to do so is Aqru. This licensed platform lets you earn interest of 7% per year on Ethereum, without having to sell your investment.