I was watching TV and they were showing an ad for a product. At the end of the commercial they provided a number you can call to order it. So I'm thinking "Okay, I call that number, go through a bunch of menu options, wait on hold for X number of minutes, get a person, create an account and/or give them my name, address, phone number, credit card number, expiration, security code, etc etc."
However, with Bitcoin, they could just show a QR code and say "Send Bitcoin here, include a note with your address." You press a couple buttons on your cell phone, and you are done in seconds. They receive the Bitcoin along with your address, and can mail the product to you.
Probably be seeing this in the near future?
This will come eventually if bitcoin adoption continues to grow. There is already
Pounce which permits one-touch ordering with bitcoin. You scan an item from a flyer with your phone, the Pounce App recognizes it, you press "buy," and the product is shipped to the address you have on file with Pounce. Pounce then debits your Coinbase account. It is actually a really cool idea that for some reason never got a lot of attention.
The QR code on the TV add is just one application of this general concept of linking a bitcoin address (or a chain of BIP32 addresses) with a shipping address. Imagine QR codes on pizza menus, or QR codes on everyday household products. If you want to order a pizza, just scan the QR code next to your selection, press "pay," and receive the pizza at your door 20 minutes later. Or perhaps you just ran out of laundry detergent: scan the QR code, press "pay," and a new container is automatically shipped to you.
Bitcoin opens up a lot of exciting possibilities.
