'We saw SNAPCARD and bitcoin as a perfect fit for our integrated solutions suite for our clients,' said Natalia Yenatska, COO of i-Payout.

Bitcoin payment processor SNAPCARD Inc. announced its partnership today with international payment service provider i-Payout, allowing hundreds of merchants worldwide to accept bitcoin payments and receive instant settlements in the digital currency. Merchants using i-Payout’s eWallet service can now accept bitcoin in over 190 countries.

“We saw SNAPCARD and bitcoin as a perfect fit for our integrated solutions suite for our clients,” said Natalia Yenatska, COO of i-Payout. “i-Payout is at the forefront of payment technologies, providing unique solutions for clients. With digital currency securing global recognition, bitcoin seemed to be the natural progression in enabling our clients to reach new territories and accept alternative payment methods where traditional methods are lacking.”

i-Payout merchants now enjoy the benefits of bitcoin, including lower transaction costs, instant settlements, fraud protection, and zero chargebacks. They can receive instant payments for the sales in bitcoin, without worrying about currency interchange or bitcoins exchange. This allows merchants to open their doors to new customers while maintaining their choice of whether to start using the digital currency themselves.

“We’re really thrilled about this partnership,” said Michael Dunworth, CEO of SNAPCARD. “Our company’s focus is to offer the benefits of digital currencies to merchants and consumers everywhere, and i-Payout has a sterling reputation with a large network of merchants around the world. We’re very excited that i-Payout merchants will start accepting bitcoin, and bitcoin users everywhere will have more places to spend their digital currency.”

The partnership signifies a major step in the mainstream adoption of bitcoin, which is quickly gaining acceptance globally. Over 150,000 merchants are expected to accept bitcoin by the end of 2015, according to a report by Coindesk.