Dating-focused social networking site Badoo is now allowing its more than 200 million users to pay for premium features using bitcoin in more than 20 countries.

Launched in January, the payment option was initially available in Italy, Spain and the UK, before expanding to an additional 20 countries. The payment option was enabled through a partnership with Dutch online payment provider Smart2Pay.

A spokesperson for Badoo indicated that the decision was driven by Badoo’s broader commitment to integrating new and novel technologies, stating:

“Bitcoin is relatively new and cutting-edge technology wise, which is reflective of Badoo’s position as an early adopter. We wanted to be on the forefront of bitcoin adoption.”

The representative added that bitcoin’s “advantages over other payment methods”, including its low processing fees and ability to limit chargebacks, were also factors.

Bitcoin use, according to the company, has so far been on par with other alternative payment methods. As a result, it reported it is currently considering how to incentivize more users to choose bitcoin at checkout.

“There are currently no discounts or extra features available when paying with bitcoin, however this is something we will look at once we launch bitcoin globally across all Badoo platforms,” she added.

Badoo offers more than 30 payment methods to its global customer base, processing transactions in 84 currencies.

Dating image via Shutterstock