I've paid several times in bars and restaurants with bitcoin (I go there especially because of bitcoin) and every time I was ripped of.
Every time I paid a premium of 5 to 10% above FIAT price when I paid in bitcoin.
If bitcoin wants to succeed as a payment in bars and restaurants this really has to change.
The reason I did it was to show the experience to friends whom I sucked into the bitcoin sect.
Now I showed it to them all and I'm not going to use bitcoin for these purpose anymore untill the price is equal or cheaper.
Do other people have the same experience?
i guess you searched the different exchanges and tried to find the exchange that offered the cheapest bitcoin price and then went on a rant that the price did not meet the cheapest price you could find.
thats almost like ranting that you done a gold trade and found out that you paid 10% above the whole sale price (not spot price). bitcoin is not suppose to be used for someone to have fiat, convert to bitcoin and then instantly spend. bitcoin is for those who bought bitcoin, saved it for a while and then spent it when in profit.
you will never be able to buy bitcoin and spend it in the same day and the totals balance out. so save your bitcoin and when the current $490 becomes over $539 then you will see the benefit, even with a 5-10% 'spot'