Perfumery accepts Bitcoins for payment

A WoKINGHAm business has become one of the first in the area to accept Bitcoins as payment.

The virtual currency, which is worth around £12,000 per coin, has seen its value soar in recent weeks, and is the first currency set up without a central bank behind it.

Now Parfen Perfumes is letting its customers use it to pay for purchases – the latest in a series of innovations to take the shop firmly into the 21st century.

The store, which operates from a website and a stall in reading’s Broad Street mall, sells draft perfumes made from vegan ingredients using refillable bottles. It also offers recyclable bags and paperless receipts.

Karsi Ivanov, who runs the company, said: “Bitcoins is a very hot topic at the moment, we are a small family owned company from Wokingham who is starting to accept Bitcoin as a way of payment.

“To be able to offer it [to our customers] is a big advantage for us.”

The company has been trading from Broad Street mall since April and mr Ivanov said they are focused on satisfying their customers.

“We’re trying to offer the best possible customer service.”

The ability to pay via Bitcoin was launched last weekend and customers use an app to scan the barcode to pay for their purchases.

“only a small number of business are registered to accept bitcoins in Berkshire, but we believe we are the first shopping mall-based small retailer to do so,” mr Ivanov said.

“So far we’ve got a sticker on our kiosk, which people are noticing.”

But there haven’t been many purchases using the new currency: its value has been soaring in recent weeks. earlier this year it was “only” £940 per coin.

“People are keeping Bitcoin as an investment,” mr Ivanov said.

It’s not the only innovation he has planned. The company is developing an app to go alongside its website, www.parfenperfumes.co.uk