Every few years someone tells store owners that crypto is about to replace cards. It has not happened, and it will not happen in 2026 either. But something real did change in the last eighteen months. The big payment companies started treating crypto, and especially dollar-backed stablecoins, as an ordinary checkout option. A federal law for stablecoins arrived. And the setup that used to need a crypto expert now often comes down to a settings switch.
This post skips the hype in both directions. Here is what changed, who is really paying with crypto, what the numbers do and do not say, and how an ambitious independent retailer should think about it.
Key takeaways
- About 30% of US adults own crypto, according to Security.org's 2026 report, but far fewer spend it: a Federal Reserve survey summarized by CoinMarketCap found about 2% of adults used crypto for payments in 2025.
- In a PayPal and National Cryptocurrency Association survey of 619 merchant payment decision makers, 39% said they accept crypto and 88% said customers had asked about it.
- The GENIUS Act, signed July 18, 2025, created the first US federal framework for payment stablecoins, including one-to-one reserve requirements.
- Stripe, PayPal, Square and Coinbase all offer merchant crypto or stablecoin payments, with fees from 0% (promotional) to 1.5%.
- Crypto is a niche payment method. For the right store, it can attract a specific group of customers at a lower cost than some card rates. For most stores, it is an add-on, not a strategy.
What changed: why crypto payments are a 2026 conversation
The big payment companies moved in
Until recently, accepting crypto meant a specialist provider. Now the companies many retailers already know offer it:
- Stripe lets businesses in the US accept stablecoins such as USDC, with completed payments settling in the merchant's Stripe balance in local currency. Its pricing page lists 1.5% of the transaction amount.
- PayPal launched Pay with Crypto in July 2025. Payments Journal reported that customers pay from their crypto wallets, the payment is converted to PayPal's stablecoin PYUSD or to dollars, and merchants pay a 0.99% fee.
- Square launched bitcoin payments at the point of sale for US sellers outside New York in October 2025. Cointelegraph reported that processing fees are waived through 2026, with a 1% fee from January 1, 2027.
- Coinbase moved its merchant product into Coinbase Business, which accepts USDC payments through payment links, invoices and checkouts. ShelfPerks has integrated Coinbase Business, so ShelfPerks merchants can add crypto as a checkout option.
Stablecoins got a federal rulebook
The GENIUS Act became law on July 18, 2025. According to the Congressional Research Service, it requires approved issuers to hold at least $1 of permitted reserves, such as cash, insured deposits and short-term Treasury bills, for each $1 of stablecoins issued, and to publish regular reports on reserves. It also says payment stablecoins are not federally insured. The rules are still being written by regulators, but the direction is clear: dollar stablecoins are becoming a regulated payment tool rather than a gray area.
Merchants say customers are asking
In the PayPal and NCA survey, run by The Harris Poll in October 2025, 88% of merchants said they had received customer questions about paying with crypto, and 79% thought accepting it could help attract new customers. Interest was highest among younger customers: 77% of merchants reported interest from Millennials and 73% from Gen Z.
Who is actually paying with crypto?
This is where honesty matters.
Ownership is broad. Security.org's 2026 report, based on a survey of 992 US adults, estimates that 30% of US adults, about 70.4 million people, own crypto. Owners skew to working age: 32% are 30 to 44 and 31% are 45 to 59.
Spending is narrow. Most owners hold crypto as an investment. CoinMarketCap's summary of the Federal Reserve's 2025 household survey reports that about 10% of US adults used or invested in crypto in 2025, about 9% held it as an investment and about 2% used it for payments. Crypto use for transactions was higher among unbanked adults (6%) than among those with bank accounts (2%).
The PayPal figure needs context. The 39% acceptance figure comes from 619 payment decision makers in retail and e-commerce, hospitality and travel, luxury and specialty, and digital goods and gaming. Those industries lean toward crypto-friendly customers. Among small businesses in that survey, 34% said they accept crypto. That is a useful signal, but it is not a census of every corner store.
Market activity can cool. TRM Labs estimated global retail crypto volume at $979 billion in the first quarter of 2026, down 11% from a year earlier, after a 23% drop in the fourth quarter of 2025. Bitcoin fell 22% over the quarter. Crypto spending tends to rise and fall with prices.
In store versus online: where crypto fits
- Online is where crypto payments are easiest. Stripe, PayPal and Coinbase Business all work as online checkout options, and online stores can reach crypto holders anywhere in the country.
- In store, crypto needs a QR code the customer scans with a wallet app. Square's bitcoin option is built for the counter. Expect a crypto payment to take longer than a tap of a card the first few times staff and customers use it.
The honest upside and downside
Upside:
- Lower fees than some card rates. Fees from 0.99% to 1.5% compare well with many card rates.
- No chargebacks. Stripe says stablecoin payments do not have disputes that turn into chargebacks.
- A specific audience. Crypto holders remember the stores that let them pay their way.
Downside:
- Small volume. Few people spend crypto. Your share of crypto sales will likely be small.
- Extra bookkeeping. The IRS treats digital assets, including stablecoins, as property, so records matter.
- Refunds work differently. Stripe returns refunds as stablecoins to the customer's original wallet.
- Rules are still settling. Regulators are still writing GENIUS Act rules, and providers change products. Coinbase Commerce, for example, closed to new charges on March 31, 2026.
- Customer protection is different. Stablecoins are not federally insured.
How crypto payments work in ShelfPerks
ShelfPerks has integrated Coinbase Business, Coinbase's payments product for companies. Here is how it works:
- Open a Coinbase Business account. Coinbase requires a registered business entity in the US or Singapore and a business bank account.
- Connect it to ShelfPerks. Once your Coinbase Business account is connected, crypto shows up at checkout as a payment option, just like cards and your other payment methods.
- Ring up the sale as usual. Your staff selects crypto as the payment method, the same way they would choose card or cash.
On the Coinbase side, according to Coinbase's developer documentation, each checkout is priced in dollars or USDC, the customer pays in USDC on the Base network, and the payment settles to your Coinbase Business account in USDC, with the fee shown on each payment. Full and partial refunds are supported. You can hold the USDC or withdraw to your bank, and Coinbase notes a fee for automatic conversion to dollars. Coinbase lists 1% pricing for merchants who moved over from Coinbase Commerce and shows current fees after you log in. ShelfPerks lists a payment provider integration fee of $20 per provider account, per location, per month.
Frequently asked questions
How does ShelfPerks process crypto payments?
ShelfPerks has integrated Coinbase Business. Once a merchant connects a Coinbase Business account, crypto appears at checkout as a payment option like any other. According to Coinbase, customers pay in USDC and payments settle to the merchant's Coinbase Business account in USDC.
Why are more stores accepting crypto in 2026?
Large payment companies such as Stripe, PayPal, Square and Coinbase now offer crypto or stablecoin payments, the GENIUS Act created a federal framework for payment stablecoins in July 2025, and merchants report more customer questions about paying with crypto.
How many Americans actually pay with crypto?
Few. CoinMarketCap's summary of the Federal Reserve's 2025 household survey reports that about 2% of US adults used crypto for payments in 2025, while about 9% held it as an investment.
What percentage of merchants accept crypto?
In a PayPal and National Cryptocurrency Association survey of 619 US merchant payment decision makers, conducted by The Harris Poll in October 2025, 39% said they accept crypto. Among small businesses in the survey, the figure was 34%.
Is accepting crypto worth it for a small store?
It can be for stores with tech-savvy customers, higher-ticket products or a strong online business. For most stores, crypto is a small add-on to cards and cash, so set expectations around a niche audience rather than a big shift in sales.
What is the safest way for a store to accept crypto?
Many retailers choose stablecoins or providers that convert payments to dollars, so the amount received does not swing with crypto prices. Keep records of every payment, write a refund policy and talk to an accountant before you start.
Your next step
Ask your customers for one month whether they would pay with crypto, and count the answers. To run payments, inventory and reports in one system, try ShelfPerks with a 14-day free trial of Premium features, no credit card required, at grow.shelfperks.com.
