Increased adoption of cryptocurrencies has led to growing demand for processing services to help businesses and users manage burdensome manual crypto payments, with a variety of implementations available for online and offline merchants.
Unfortunately, current solutions are somewhat disconnected from the existing defi ecosystem, lacking the convenience of a more universal service platform. So what if there was a solution that could combine the benefits of decentralized finance and automated crypto payments in one application?
That’s where 8Pay comes in. But what exactly is 8Pay, what benefits does it offer, and what comes next?
What Is 8Pay?
8Pay is a payment protocol built on Binance Smart Chain (BSC) — and later on major EVM compatible chains — to enable cryptocurrency-based automated payments without the additional friction introduced by existing payment services.
8Pay’s permissionless design is powered by smart contracts, providing a new range of functionality for crypto assets. As a result, users can enjoy single, fixed recurring, variable recurring and on-demand payments at the click of a button, tracking balances and managing payments via the 8Pay web or mobile applications.
8Pay supports four types of billing models that can be shared with customers or embedded into websites via buttons, short URLs, and QR codes. The SDK, meanwhile, is ready to integrate into the back-end of the merchant’s site. One-time billing is used for single payments between two or more entities, commonly e-commerce transactions. Fixed-recurring billing enables payments of the same amount on a regular basis at the same interval, applicable for subscription services like Netflix. Variable-recurring billing allows for payments of differing amounts on a regular basis at the same interval, such as payments for utility bills. Finally, on-demand billing can be used for recurring payments of differing amounts at random intervals, allowing merchants to set debit payments up to a maximum amount, without limits on the number of payments performed, useful for services such as Uber.
Completing payments via 8Pay is therefore similar to traditional portals like PayPal, though run over a decentralized network. When a user clicks on an embedded button, visits a short URL, or scans a QR code, they are redirected to an 8Pay checkout, connect their MetaMask wallet, review the operation and sign the transaction. The rest is handled automatically.
What Benefits Does 8Pay Offer?
Crypto transactions recorded on open public blockchains provide a level of transparency that avoids buyer and seller disputes. Consequently, there is no longer a need for a third party in the middle of that transaction to arbitrate between the peer-to-peer payment, providing a means of near-instant settlement, lower fees, and reduced friction compared to traditional payment systems.
8Pay’s intelligent smart contract architecture provides such a trustless payment service that allows cryptocurrency wallets to work just like a regular bank account, without the intermediary, delivering a number of corresponding benefits.
Online Payments
Initially, 8Pay will enable the use of BNB, BEP20 tokens, and stablecoins to pay for goods and services, expanding to multi-chain asset accessibility over time.
Real Decentralization
8Pay allows users to manage non-custodial payments, retaining control over their funds at all times without the need to hand over personal details or private keys.
Wallet to Wallet
Tokens never have to be deposited to the platform and are sent directly to and from users’ wallets.
Security
8Pay transactions are secured via the BSC Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA) consensus algorithm. Users control their own wallets, track balances, manage recurring payments, and set their own limits.
Easy Integrations
Payments can be created and managed directly from the 8Pay app, with the ability to embed buttons and share links or QR codes with ease. Alternatively, merchants can connect via API or 8Pay’s Javascript library to access more advanced features.
Staking Rewards
Users will soon be able to lock 8PAY tokens via the platform to receive a share of the fees collected across the 8Pay payment network.
What Comes Next?
8Pay’s defi platform is currently under final testing ahead of its mainnet launch on BSC, though users can try out the demo now. While the initial focus is on Binance Smart Chain, 8Pay will become multi-chain based over time, bringing automatic trustless crypto payments to the wider ecosystem.
The 8PAY token IDO is set to take place on April 5 via BSCPad, the decentralized launchpad for new projects on Binance Smart Chain. Investors will need to hold at least 1,000 BSCPAD tokens to participate, with 8PAY available to anyone on PancakeSwap, the leading DEX on BSC, shortly after the IDO concludes.
By decentralizing the entire intermediary process for payments, 8Pay intends to empower merchants and consumers for the digital age, overcoming the inefficiencies of traditional payment systems, and expanding the functionality of cryptocurrencies to make digital assets increasingly suitable for everyday use.
