A month after the initial speculation, the order logistics company Rakuten Super Logistics, owned by the Japan-based e-commerce giant Rakuten, has announced it is now accepting Bitcoin payments for its shipping services.
The American subsidiary, which provides order fulfillment services for online retailers, teamed up with the payment processor BitPay in order to easily accept cryptocurrency payments after receiving several requests from customers across the world.
Joseph DiSorbo, CEO of Rakuten Super Logistics, said the company is “working to apply this new technology to the benefit of market participants, especially those who can’t now easily access the global e-commerce marketplace“. DiSorbo was talking about the majority of people in emerging markets who are not using credit cards and online payment facilities, according to Techinasia.com.
BitPay’s chairman Tony Gallippi said that the deal brings Bitcoin awareness to a significant international market. He also noted, quoted by Coindesk, that the deal highlights cryptocurrency’s capabilities for business-to-business merchants. “The B2B opportunities for Bitcoin are largely untapped today, and companies like Rakuten Super Logistics are at the forefront of B2B bitcoin adoption”, Gallippi explained.
The company now known as Rakuten Super Logistics was previously called Webgistix, but the name was changed once the Japanese giant Rakuten acquired the American firm in 2013.
In mid-July, Rakuten’s CEO Hiroshi Mikitani hinted at the possitibility of turning the Japanese conglomerate into a Bitcoin-friendly brand. The first step has apparently been taken.
Image: Techinasia.com