Ever thought about turning your crypto into something as ordinary as groceries? That’s exactly what I set out to do. Instead of letting my Solana sit in a wallet, I used it to buy supermarket gift cards for my weekly shopping trip. Spoiler: It was smoother than I expected!
In this article, I’ll share why I chose this route, how the process worked, what it cost me, and what you should know if you want to buy gift cards with Solana for your everyday spending.
Why I Decided to Spend Crypto on Everyday Purchases
Most people think of crypto as an investment—something you hold and wait to rise in value. I wanted to flip that mindset. My reasons were simple:
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Low Fees and Speed: I picked Solana because its near-zero fees make it competitive with stablecoins for small payments, and unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum mainnet, it feels frictionless at checkout.
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Convenience: I didn’t want to deal with bank transfers or exchanges. Buying gift cards directly with crypto cut out those steps;
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Real Utility: Holding coins is fine, but actually using them in daily life makes the whole idea of digital money feel real.
It was about testing whether crypto could slot into my weekly routine without adding hassle.
How I Bought Grocery Gift Cards Using Crypto
I explored platforms that let you swap crypto for digital gift cards usable at major supermarkets and food retailers. The process was straightforward:
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Select the store where you want to shop—many options range from big grocery chains to delivery services;
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Choose the value of the gift card, usually available in multiple denominations;
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Pay with Solana or another supported cryptocurrency;
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Receive the gift code by email, ready to redeem either online or in-store.
The selection impressed me. Beyond supermarkets, I saw options for restaurants, gaming, travel, and even streaming subscriptions. But for this experiment, I stuck to weekly shopping essentials.
Was It Worth It? My Personal Cost Breakdown
Here’s how it played out in practice. I bought a $50 gift card using Solana. The purchase was confirmed in seconds, and the code hit my inbox a couple of minutes later.
When I redeemed it for my grocery order, the checkout went smoothly: the ca
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Author: Elliot Veynor
