Sooner or later, the café that hosts your meetup will ask, "So what is this Zcash thing?" Or a shop owner in your group will wonder whether they could accept it. These are great conversations, as long as they stay friendly and honest. This guide gives you a short script, the key points to cover and where to point people next. The golden rule is simple: share, don't sell.
The no-hard-sell approach#
Business owners are busy and get pitched all the time. The best thing you can do is be a good guest first. Turn up when you said you would, leave the space tidy, and thank the staff. When the topic comes up, keep it short and let them decide.
- Answer questions; don't push.
- Never promise that accepting ZEC will bring in money or customers.
- Never say anything about what ZEC might be worth in future.
- Leave the "For businesses" leaflet and let them read it in their own time.
- Accept "no" or "not now" with a smile. You still want to meet there next month.
A friendly one-minute script#
Here's a simple way to explain it. Adapt it to your own words.
"Thanks again for hosting us. Our group meets to talk about Zcash. It's private digital cash: people can pay each other directly, like handing over cash, without their whole payment history being visible to everyone.
Some businesses choose to accept it. It's quite simple: a customer pays from their phone, and the money goes straight to your own wallet. There are payment tools that make it easy at the till or online, and some don't hold your money at all.
No pressure at all. I've brought a one-page leaflet if you're curious. And if you ever want to try it, a few of us would be happy to be your first customers."
Points worth mentioning#
Keep it to the plain facts and avoid jargon. Things a business owner may care about:
- Privacy for customers and the business. Payment details aren't broadcast publicly, much like cash.
- No chargebacks. Once a payment is made, it can't be reversed by a third party. Refunds are still possible; the business simply sends the money back.
- Direct to their wallet. With non-custodial tools, the business holds its own funds. Nobody else does.
- Low fees. Network fees are usually small, but tell them to check current details, since these can change.
For anything technical or current, point them to ZecHub (öffnet in einem neuen Tab) rather than guessing.
How payments are handled#
Most businesses won't want to manage wallets by hand at the till. Payment tools can create a payment request, show a QR code to the customer and confirm when it's paid. CipherPay (öffnet in einem neuen Tab) is one example of a non-custodial tool, which means payments go straight to the business's own wallet. There are other options too, including point-of-sale apps and plugins for online shops. Encourage the business to compare a few and choose what fits.
Where to send them next#
When a business is ready to look further, these are the best places to start:
- ZecMap (öffnet in einem neuen Tab) lists places around the world that accept ZEC, and has an "Accept ZEC" section for businesses that want to be added.
- ZecHub (öffnet in einem neuen Tab) has plain-language explainers on how Zcash works, including how to accept it.
- The "For businesses" leaflet from the resource library is a one-page summary you can print and leave behind.
After they say yes#
If a venue starts accepting ZEC:
- Celebrate it at your next meetup and encourage members to pay there.
- Suggest they add themselves to ZecMap (öffnet in einem neuen Tab) so others can find them.
- Ask before mentioning them in your posts; some owners prefer to stay low-key.
- Consider a "merchant walk" meetup that visits a few local places. See Choosing a format.
And if they say no, that's fine too. Thank them for hosting, keep being great guests, and leave the door open.