Michael Dell, found and chief executive of his eponymous company, has revealed the firm has taken an order for servers paid for using crypto currency Bitcoins.
The company announced at the end of last month that it intended to accept the crypto currency at its online store in the US. In a tweet, Dell said an order for its PowerEdge servers was made to the tune of 85 Bitcoins - $50,000 in traditional currency. Dell has not revealed who the buyer is.
The deal could quite possibly be the biggest one to date since the firm started accepting Bitcoins for purchases. The option to buy kit using Bitcoins forms part of a deal with third-party payment processing firm Coinbase and is currently only available in the US for consumer and small business purchases.
Recieved PowerEdge server order @ http://t.co/IeJK4FTDCV for more than 85 #bitcoin (~$50K USD) http://t.co/lLkmK4K8Z1 #DellbitcoinMichael Dell (@MichaelDell) August 9, 2014
Dell has dedicated part of its website to explain how customers can use Bitcoins to purchase equipment. Customers can shop online as normal, putting items in a shopping cart, but instead of entering credit card details, they can opt to pay directly from their Bitcoin wallet by using the generated payment address or by scanning the QR code with their smartphone. Customers can also send payment through a Coinbase account.
As an incentive to use the crypto currency, Dell is offering a 10 per cent discount for purchases of its normal range and up to 15 per cent if buying its Alienware gaming kit (up to a $150 dollar limit).
In a blog post last month, the firm hinted at accepting Bitcoin for payment outside the US.
"We'll be gauging customer demand during the pilot and then make decisions about expansion," said a spokeswoman for the firm.
