Bealls Inc., one of America’s oldest retail chains, has made history by becoming the first national retailer to accept digital asset payments across all its stores.
The company has partnered with Flexa, a leading digital payments platform, to allow customers to pay with bitcoin and also other digital assets.
Bealls, which has over 660 stores in 22 states under the Bealls, Bealls Florida, and Home Centric brands, announced that customers can now pay with bitcoin directly from over 300 supported wallet apps.
The integration also supports more than 99 digital assets across multiple blockchains, including bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH) and stablecoins like USDC.
The company is the first major national retailer to accept digital currencies from any digital wallet app across a dozen or more blockchains simultaneously – a first for the company and the retail industry.
The new payment option is made possible through Flexa Payments, a digital infrastructure that makes digital asset transactions as fast and easy as card payments.
The platform offers sub-second transaction speeds and instant confirmations, and automatically updates to include new wallet apps and supported tokens.
Flexa co-founder Trevor Filter said this move is embracing innovation. “The retail legacy that Bealls has built over the last 110 years is incredible,” he said. “We’re delighted to play a part in their next chapter of innovation.”
Filter said Bealls’ long history and national presence make them the perfect partner to bring digital payments into everyday shopping. “It’s no surprise that a company with this much staying power is now adopting the most important payments technology evolution the world has ever seen,” he said.
The new payment system’s launch coincides with Bealls’ 110th anniversary, a celebration of over 110 years of growth and adaptation.
The company, headquartered in Bradenton, Florida, has invested in technology to improve customer experience – from in-store kiosks and online shopping tools, to now accepting digital currencies at checkout.
“Digital currency will reshape how the world transacts, and Bealls is proud to be at the forefront of that transformation,” said Matt Beall, Chairman and CEO of Bealls Inc.
“Our partnership with Flexa is about more than payments; it’s about preparing for the future of commerce and continuing to innovate for the next 110 years.”
Beall said the company has always focused on making shopping easy and modern for its customers and digital assets are the next logical step.
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Flexa’s payment system integrates directly into Bealls’ existing retail infrastructure. So customers can pay in bitcoin just like they would with a card or mobile wallet.
Once a customer chooses to pay with digital currency, Flexa’s technology converts the payment into U.S. dollars instantly, so Bealls gets the funds in their local currency with no exposure to market volatility.
It’s fast and reliable for both retailers and customers. Transactions are under a second, and the checkout experience is smooth and secure.
Bealls is adopting digital asset payments as adoption is growing in the U.S. As of early 2025, 65 million American adults — 28% of the population — own digital assets. Studies show more and more consumers want to use them for everyday purchases, not just investment.
Industry analysts say Bealls’ new integration is a sign of what’s to come in retail. Other companies — Starbucks, Home Depot, Whole Foods, Overstock — have experimented with digital payments, but Bealls’ in-store digital assets payment rollout is one of the largest to date.
