The company's executives were enthusiastic about the move, with President Fumio Kobayashi saying:

"Bitcoin turned the Internet into a secure, seamless global payment network. By integrating with Bitnet we are now offering consumers the industry standard in secure payments, and our merchants will benefit by receiving guaranteed payments."

$30 Promotion For the First Week

To encourage Bitcoin users to try out their website, and potentially to encourage users to try out Bitcoin, Rakuten is offering a discount of $30 if you spend over $100 for a full week – from April 1st to April 8th, 2015. Presumably, the cost of this promotion is being covered by the company itself, rather than the merchants. Such a promotion has the potential to get folks who might otherwise not have ever looked into Bitcoin to investigate it as a payment protocol.

Also read: Bitcoin Payment Service Provider Bitnet Technologies Raises $14.5 Million

Bitnet: The Third Option?

Bitnet, the company formed by former Visa employees who saw the potential of Bitcoin and put traded secure futures for the great unknown, has been making waves lately. They recently announced a partnership with Cardinal Commerce, a major legacy payment processor which specializes in alternative payment methods.