Bitcoin payments processor BitPay has announced that precious metals industry's largest online retailer APMEX is now accepting bitcoin.

APMEX has added bitcoin as a payment method on its platform alongside other payment methods, including PayPal, Bank/Cashier check, credit cards and others. Bitcoin users will now be able to use their bitcoin to purchase gold, silver, palladium, and platinum coins from APMEX.

"Customers in our space enjoy using bitcoin. They've asked, and now we want to give them the purchasing experience they want," said APMEX CEO Ken Lewis. "For us, accepting bitcoin with BitPay is about improving the APMEX customer experience. That's how we began in 1999, and that's how we still make decisions today."

Started in 1999, APMEX offers a two-way market for precious metals owners, allowing holders to both buy and sell on a platform with high security and 24/7 customer support.

“APMEX customers can now pay with bitcoin wherever APMEX is available, from any bitcoin wallet. APMEX is also offering introductory pricing for customers paying with bitcoin at launch,” BitPay said. “With BitPay, APMEX will receive daily US dollar bank settlements for the bitcoin payments they receive, with zero risk from bitcoin price volatility. BitPay's software makes it simple to receive bitcoin payments from customers, and bitcoin removes the risk of credit card fraud or chargebacks, which can often cause pain for buyers and sellers in the precious metals world.”