A new era of fast, digital-first payments

Consumers—especially Gen Z and Millennials—are rapidly shifting to digital wallets. Bitcoin and stablecoins are becoming mainstream payment choices, offering instant, secure, one-scan checkout without the friction of traditional cards.

Speed’s new integration with Acrelec brings these modern payment options directly to in-store kiosks and POS systems, enabling retailers and quick-service restaurants to activate Bitcoin and stablecoin payments with no new hardware, minimal staff training, and a fully self-service customer flow.

Acrelec powers 30,000+ kiosks for 80+ global brands, making this one of the easiest and fastest ways for merchants to tap into the growing digital currency economy.

Why Bitcoin & Stablecoin payments are shaping the future of checkout

Customers want wallet-based payments

• 70% of Gen Z and Millennials prefer digital wallets

• 52M+ Americans hold crypto

• Lightning payments confirm in seconds with near-zero failure

Merchants want lower fees & faster flow

• Card processing fees reached $172B last year

• Lightning payments reduce fees by 50–90%

• Instant, irreversible payments eliminate chargebacks 

• QR-based checkout reduces friction and speeds up line flow

Brand affinity & social appeal

Offering Bitcoin payments is more than a utility — it signals innovation.
Brands that adopt digital currency payments see:

• Higher engagement from crypto-savvy customers 

• Strong social media amplification 

• Increased loyalty from digitally native audiences 

• A modern brand image that differentiates from competitors 

For many merchants, this becomes a competitive advantage.

Why Kiosks are the easiest way to roll out Bitcoin payments

Enabling Bitcoin inside kiosks is the simplest, most scalable way to launch digital currency payments:

• No staff training required 

• Customers complete the flow entirely on their own 

• No new terminals or devices 

• Works inside existing Acrelec screens 

• Same ordering journey — just with Bitcoin added as a payment choice 

Kiosk users are also more comfortable with digital payment methods, making them the ideal channel for early adoption.

Steak ’n Shake: Real results from a national deployment

Steak ’n Shake was among the first brands to activate Speed payments through Acrelec. Within weeks of rollout, they observed:

✔ Over 10% sales growth

Faster checkout and a smoother kiosk flow increased throughput and transaction volume.

✔ 50% Reduction in payment processing fees

Lightning and stablecoin payments are significantly cheaper than card networks.

✔ No chargebacks & instant settlement

Improving both cash flow and store-level profitability.

✔ Higher engagement from crypto-savvy customers

Bitcoin users adopted the one-scan flow immediately, driving positive social buzz.

✔ Building a strategic Bitcoin reserve

Steak ’n Shake is accumulating BTC as part of its long-term digital strategy.

This early success demonstrates how digital currency payments can simultaneously improve revenue, reduce costs, and enhance brand relevance.

What this means for Acrelec merchants

Any Acrelec-powered retailer or restaurant can now:

• Accept Bitcoin and stablecoins instantly 

• Lower their processing costs 

• Improve checkout reliability 

• Enable a fully self-service digital wallet payment flow 

• Attract the fast-growing crypto consumer segment 

• Increase brand appeal among younger audiences 

• Settle in BTC, USDT, USDC, or local currency 

It takes minutes to activate and requires no operational changes.

Looking ahead

Speed and Acrelec together are helping retailers modernize the checkout experience and meet the expectations of a new generation of digital-native customers. With Bitcoin and stablecoin payments built directly into kiosk and POS systems, brands can increase revenue, reduce costs, and differentiate themselves in a competitive market.

The future of in-store checkout is fast, flexible, and digital — and Speed × Acrelec is making that future available today.