buttons. Pay either in UK Pounds or Bitcoins!
Please click on the the headers below to go to the right part of the page you need:
Getting started with Bitcoin
Bitcoin is the first digital currency that is completely distributed. The network is made up of users like yourself so no bank or payment processor is required between you and whoever you're trading with. This decentralization is the basis for Bitcoin's security and freedom.
Your Bitcoins can be accessed from anywhere with an Internet connection. Anybody can start mining, buying, selling or accepting Bitcoins regardless of their location.
If you have Bitcoins, you can send them to anyone else with a Bitcoin address. There are no limits, no special rules to follow or forms to fill out. More complex types of transactions can be built on top of Bitcoin as well, but sometimes you just want to send money from A to B without worrying about limits and policies.
Currently you can send Bitcoin transactions for free. However, a fee on the order of 1 bitcent will eventually be necessary for your transaction to be processed more quickly. Miners compete on fees, which ensures that they will always stay low in the long run. More on transaction fees (Bitcoin Wiki - opens in new window).
You don't have to be a criminal to wake up one day and find your account has been frozen. Rules vary from place to place, but in most jurisdictions accounts may be frozen by credit card collection agencies, by a spouse filing for divorce, by mistake or for terms of service violations.
In contrast, Bitcoins are like cash - seizing them requires access to your private keys, which could be placed on a USB stick, thereby enjoying the full legal and practical protections of physical property.
Bitcoin's value is volatile, and subject to big variations over a short time. Unless you're investing, speculating or saving, hoping that Bitcoins go up in value against fiat currencies, we strongly recommend that you keep your money in your currency, and ONLY convert what you need into Bitcoins for the purchase. That aside, Bitcoin literally takes the middlemen (bankers, et al) out of the equation, and so we're willing to offer a 10% reduction for all purchases with Bitcoin.
The other way is to download a Bitcoin client and store a wallet on your computer, but we recommend you set up a MtGox/Intersango account BEFORE you download an application due to the amount of time it takes to catch up with the transaction history (more on that later). If you are paying with Bitcoin you can do so using our MtGox buttons direct from a Bitcoin client without a MtGox and/or Intersango account.
Visiting mtgox.com or intersango.com will bring you to the following home pages. Click on thumbnails to view full size (opens in new window).
Once you have an account, you can set up a payment online via your bank account, and send money to either your Mt Gox or Intersango accounts. Mt Gox/Intersango will give you a unique reference number that you can send via your bank so that it knows where the money is going to. When it arrives, your balance will be displayed in your currency.
When you have registered and logged in to your Mt Gox account, the default page is the Trade/Buy & Sell page. Click the link for 'Funding Options' (highlighted in picture below)...
Intersango gives you the option of 4 currencies (GBP, EUR, USD, PLN) and bitcoins, none of which are the main currency, and you can buy and sell from one to another: Once logged in, this is where the Accounts link takes you: