Better Business in North Oakland County

NORCA Logo with Chambers Logos
Become a Member Today

How to Create Meaningful Moments for Holiday Shoppers

Published: December 1, 2025

Suppose a customer asks to pay for a $200 order with cryptocurrency. Can you accept it? How would you know you’ve been paid? And would $200 still be $200 by the time the money reaches your business account?

You don’t need to know how to buy Bitcoin to ask those questions.

They’re the same questions you probably asked when you first signed on with Stripe or any of those new payment methods: What does it cost, when do I get paid, and what happens if something goes wrong?

But if you’re scratching your head wondering who’s paying in crypto and how, it’s not as far away as you think.

What in the World Is Cryptocurrency?

Crypto is a broad term for digital assets that can be transferred through a computer network called a blockchain. Think of a blockchain as a shared record of transactions. Instead of a bank maintaining the only record of a payment, the network records it according to its own rules.

A business can use a payment service to handle much of the technical work, just as it uses a processor to accept credit cards.

There’s a distinction worth knowing: Bitcoin and stablecoins serve different purposes. Bitcoin’s price can change substantially. A stablecoin, like the name suggests, is designed to maintain a steadier value, commonly by tracking the U.S. dollar. “Designed to” is the kicker. A stablecoin still depends on the company issuing it and the arrangements behind it. It isn’t the same as having dollars in your bank account. 

That difference helps explain why digital payments have entered the small business and government conversation. At a September 2026 House Small Business subcommittee hearing, lawmakers examined whether these tools could lower payment costs, help businesses get paid sooner, and make transactions with customers or suppliers in other countries easier. The hearing also raised the questions owners need answered about conversion, taxes, and fraud. 

Where Could Crypto Payments Help?

Before you start writing this off as science fiction, there might be some real advantages to at least entertaining the possibilities of alternative payment methods. These include:

Payment costs. If you make hundreds of small sales, processing fees add up. A digital payment option might cost less for certain transactions. Compare the full cost, though, including the provider’s fees, conversion rate, and any charge to move money into your bank account. The lowest advertised fee may not be the lowest final cost.

Payment timing. Some digital asset networks operate around the clock. That could be useful if your business routinely waits for funds, particularly from international buyers. But the network’s speed is only part of the story. A payment provider may have its own processing or withdrawal schedule. Ask when the dollars will be available for payroll, inventory, or bills.

Customer choice. If customers have asked to pay this way, offering the option might remove a barrier to a sale. If no one has asked and your current methods work well, the added setup may bring little benefit.

Cash flow makes the timing question an important one. In the Federal Reserve Banks’ 2025 report on employer firms, 51% of respondents identified uneven cash flow as a financial challenge. Faster access to a particular payment could help some businesses, though it won’t solve the larger causes of uneven revenue or late invoices. 

Just like other payment methods, the decision of whether to accept crypto as payment is up to you. If you’re considering it, you should understand next steps.

What Happens After a Customer Pays?

What happens depends on the service you choose. One provider may convert the digital asset to dollars and send a deposit to your bank account. Another arrangement may leave your business holding the asset until you decide to convert it. Those are different decisions with different risks and recordkeeping needs.

Before signing up, walk through one ordinary sale and one refund.

Ask the provider:

  • What will the customer send and what will my business receive?
  • What’s the total cost on a sale at my typical price?
  • When will funds reach my bank account?
  • How are refunds handled if the asset’s price changes?
  • What records will I receive for bookkeeping and taxes?

Tax implication note: The IRS says businesses must account for the U.S. dollar value of digital assets received as payment. Selling or exchanging assets later can bring further tax reporting requirements, so review the proposed setup with your accountant before using it for regular sales. 

Take security seriously, too. Crypto payments generally don’t offer the familiar reversal process of a credit card payment. The FTC also warns that scammers may impersonate a supplier or other trusted contact and demand payment in cryptocurrency. Verify any unexpected request to send funds using a phone number or contact method you already know. 

Your Experience Belongs in the Policy Conversation

This is an ongoing conversation. Federal rules for digital assets continue to develop, including rules related to payment stablecoins. Small business owners should have a say in whether those rules are understandable and workable for a company without a compliance department.

That’s where your chamber can help. Tell your chamber what you’d need before considering a digital payment option. Is your concern the cost of accepting payments, the time it takes to receive them, fraud protection, or the work of keeping tax records? If you’ve tried one of these services, share what happened in practice.

Your chamber can bring those examples to lawmakers and help members get straightforward answers as the rules take shape. You don’t have to be ready to accept crypto to have a useful voice in the conversation. You already know what a payment system needs to do for your business.

 

Christina Metcalf is a writer and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of The Glinda Principle, rediscovering the magic within.

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Even with concerns about the economy being on every newscaster’s lead story, the holidays haven’t been cancelled. Your customers are still planning to celebrate. The question is not “Will they spend?” It is “Where, how, and with whom?”

Here is the good news: national forecasts say 2025 holiday retail sales are expected to top 1 trillion dollars for the first time, with overall growth around 3.7% to 4.2% over last year. Online spending alone is projected to hit roughly $253 billion, up more than 5% from 2024.

Here is the tension: despite those industry predictions, individual shoppers say they plan to cut their own holiday spending by about 10%, mostly because of higher everyday costs. They still want to honor traditions, but they are trimming extras and searching for real value in every dollar.

While it may not always feel like it, there is plenty of money moving through the season. But it won’t land with businesses that look generic or transactional. It will go to the places that feel worth it.

So what can you do to be recognized as one of “those places”?

You need to show value and create memorable experiences to attract your community’s dollars right back into local storefronts. You can do this by:

1. Sell Solutions, Not “Stuff”

When people feel financially tight, they become laser-focused on solving gift-giving challenges. Reframe your offers around that instinct.

Create named bundles that solve a specific holiday headache
“Holiday Hosting Rescue Kit,” “Teacher Gift in a Bag,” “Self-Care Sunday Set,” “New Year Refresh Box.” Put everything they need together, price it clearly, and show the “compare if you bought separately” value.

Build “good / better / best” options
Give three price points for your most popular services or gift sets so people can stay on budget without walking away altogether.

Put the value in writing
Use shelf talkers, cards, or social posts to explain why something is a smart buy: durability, local sourcing, free refills, included follow-up, or time saved. Make the math visible.

2. Turn Your Space into a Mini Holiday Experience

If customers can get the same item online, your edge is the experience. It does not have to be expensive or elaborate to be memorable.

Try a few of these:

“Five-Minute Reset” station
Offer a quick chair massage, essential oil hand rub, hot cider sample, skincare mini consult, or stretching corner. Market it as “your five-minute break from the chaos” to draw them in.

Wrapping or personalization bar
Offer free or low-cost gift wrapping, hand-lettered tags, simple engraving, or custom notes. Offer an upsell with festive ornaments and ribbon on the packages. Partner with another local creative if you do not have staff capacity.

Micro events that do not overwhelm your team
Think 60–90 minute happenings:

  • “Bring Your List” shopping night with one-on-one gift suggestions
  • “Ask the Expert” Q&A for holiday makeup, tech setup, or wellness
  • Kids craft corner so parents can shop in peace

Coordinate dates with your chamber so your whole district can promote an “Experience Local Week” instead of one business shouting into the wind.

3. Collaborate so Your Offers Feel Bigger Than Your Budget

In a cautious economy, partnerships are one of your strongest tools. They expand your reach without expanding your costs.

Try sharing your spotlight. Feature each other on social with quick “If you are here, also check out…” reels or posts. Tag the chamber so they can amplify. Customers see a thriving, interconnected local scene, not isolated businesses struggling alone.

You can accomplish a similar boost by creating a list of your favorite holiday things in town including businesses and events you love or create a video of “Here’s where I plan on doing my holiday shopping” and share why.

4. Help Customers Feel Like Financial Grown-Ups, Not Guilty Spenders

This year, people are highly aware of prices and tired of surprise bills. If you help them feel in control, they will trust you more.

Promote “planned generosity,” not impulse splurging
Run early “Plan Ahead & Save” weeks where shoppers who bring a list or spend over a certain amount can lock in gift-wrapping, free add-ons, or January discounts. Make it about smart planning, not scarcity panic.

Offer clear, fair payment options
If it fits your business, consider buy-now-pay-later, deposits on larger services, or simple payment plans. Be transparent about terms. Position it as budget-friendly, not pressure.

If you can, eliminate the credit card usage upcharge that businesses are implementing today. No one feels good about paying your credit card fees, especially when they spend a lot of money. If you can’t eliminate them, remarket them. Instead of saying “there’s a 3% convenience fee for using your credit card, have the price tag reflect the credit card price and give cash users a discount. Don’t penalize people for using a card. Incentivize them to use cash.

Teach tiny money wins
Content is powerful here. Short posts, emails, or in-store signs like “Three gifts under $30 that still feel luxe,” or “How to build a skincare routine under $75” prove you are on your customers’ side. Don’t make customers think about value. Point it out to them.

5. Use Digital Tools to Capture Online Spend, Not Compete With It

With online holiday spending expected to grow over 5%, you do not have to beat the big players. You need to meet your customers where they already scroll and shop.

Make it easy to buy from you without coming in
Even a simple “DM to purchase,” online invoice, or quick checkout link is better than “Call the store.”

Turn experiences into content
Film your “Five-Minute Reset,” passport events, or behind-the-scenes prep for short reels. Show your inventory on a reel. Add clear “Here is how to get this” instructions in the caption.

Feature value loud and clear
Pin posts that show your bundles, your warranties or guarantees, your local impact, and your limited-time perks. People are scrolling quickly. Make the “why you” obvious.

6. Partner With Us to Go Further

We can help pull many of these ideas together into a city-wide story about shopping local. Ask about:

<chambers enter your events and campaigns here>

  • Community-wide passports and prize drawings
    • Shared marketing around “Experience Local Week” or “12 Days of Local Joy”
    • Press outreach to highlight how local businesses are stepping up in a tough economy

Don’t worry about a gloomy economy. It won’t cancel the holidays but it does force you to be sharper, more creative, and more community-minded. If you can show value, design small but meaningful experiences, and work together, your business will not just survive the season. It will become part of how your neighbors remember it.

Back to All Posts