A Miami-based cosmetic center says it is the first in the world to offer patients the option of paying for their surgeries with Bitcoins, a new Internet currency.
New patients at the Vanity Cosmetic Center will be able to pay for 20 percent of their surgery cost with the new currency, while returning customers will be able to pay with Bitcoins in full, according to Carlos Yela, the company’s advertising and public relations manager.
“We understand that this service is fairly new,” Yela said.
The decision to use Bitcoins as a payment method came after a growing demand from out-of-state patients and medical tourists, Yela said.
“Our prices in South Florida are very affordable compared to New York or other places in developed countries,” he said.
The company announced the implementation of Bitcoins on Saturday. Yela said he has already received about 10 inquiries from potential patients in Brazil, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“Right now there are no limits with the Internet, globalization is here,” Yela said. “If a business doesn’t think in globalization they are missing out.”
Local
Before offering the Bitcoins payments, the company did a worldwide search to make sure they were the only place offering plastic surgery to Bitcoins users, Yela said.
“It’s a click away, it’s the future. We want to approach it and embrace it,” Yela said. “The concept of business is changing.”
To promote the new payment method and endorse the new play “Mitad y Mitad” or "Half and Half," the cosmetic center will be having an event on Nov. 9 with Hispanic TV stars, Roberto Manrique and Gabriel Porras. The two are known for their appearance on telenovelas.
More Stories on NBC6.com:
