Expedia is the first major travel brand to accept Bitcoin currency for online hotel bookings. Expedia hopes that accepting Bitcoin will not only provide customers with a flexible payment option, but will also help Expedia gain an edge over competitors such as Priceline. Expedia plans to use Coinbase for payment processing and may expand the Bitcoin payment option beyond hotel bookings if it is successful. Expedia users will see the option to use Bitcoin on the payment screen, and if they elect to use Bitcoin for their transaction they will be redirected to the Coinbase website.

Bottom line: Other travel related sites such as CheapAir, Virgin Galactic and HomeAway have also recently added Bitcoin as a payment option. Bitcoin is a virtual currency that is not regulated by the FDIC. Bitcoins are not tied to any specific country or subject to regulation, so transactions can be made anonymously with no transaction fees; however, Bitcoins can be stolen and chargebacks are impossible.