The short answer, as of October 2026: UK holders of XMR can spend it with a few dozen British businesses, mostly online, selling electronics, precious metals, eSIMs, web hosting and a handful of professional services. Checkout usually means paying an invoice to a one-off address, and the payment settles in roughly 20 minutes.
The most useful starting point is Monero Friendly’s UK listings, which on 20 October 2026 showed 28 businesses based in the United Kingdom that take Monero. This guide covers what they sell, how XMR checkout works and how to vet a merchant.
Key takeaways
- On 20 October 2026, Monero Friendly listed 28 UK-based businesses that accept XMR, four of them marked as checked by hand.
- Hosting and phone or eSIM providers are the largest groups, followed by electronics and precious metals dealers.
- A typical XMR checkout gives you an address and an exact amount; Monero adds a block about every two minutes, and received funds need 10 confirmations before they can be spent again.
- Paying for something with crypto can count as a disposal for UK Capital Gains Tax, so keep a record of every purchase.
What kinds of UK businesses take Monero?
The UK page is small but varied. Counting the categories shown on 20 October 2026, it held six hosting providers (VPS, dedicated, cloud and game servers), five phone, SMS and eSIM providers, four electronics and computer hardware sellers, three precious metals dealers, two marketing agencies and two shops selling Monero merchandise. Single entries cover a locksmith, game keys and gift cards, a VPN, a proxy service, a payment integration for online shops and an online workplace certification course.
Monero Friendly describes these as businesses based in the UK and notes that many of them sell online and ship further afield. Most of the list is e-commerce rather than somewhere you pay at a till; the locksmith, covering the coast between Peacehaven and Worthing, is the exception.
A few examples, described only as their own listings describe them on 20 October 2026:
- Apple Bitcoin (electronics and computer hardware): a reseller of Apple products and other electronics. Marked as checked, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 15 reviews.
- Suisse Gold (precious metals): gold, silver, platinum, palladium and rhodium. Marked as checked, rated 4.0 from 4 reviews.
- Bitgolder (precious metals): certified precious metals with worldwide delivery, and an onion mirror. Marked as checked, rated 4.7 from 15 reviews.
- Bird Marketing UK (marketing): a London-based digital marketing agency offering SEO, PPC and web design. Not yet checked, no reviews shown.
- Seymour Locksmiths (listed as Jeffrey Seymour t/a Seymour Locksmiths): a 24/7 locksmith on the south-east coast. Not yet checked, no reviews shown.
A listing is not an endorsement, and the site asks readers to confirm payment options with the business before paying.
How paying in XMR at an online checkout usually works
The flow is much the same from shop to shop. You choose Monero or XMR at checkout, and the shop shows a receiving address and an exact amount, often as a QR code. You scan or paste that into your wallet software, check the amount matches, and send.
Then comes the wait. The Monero project’s own Moneropedia says transactions are packaged into blocks every two minutes on average, and its guide for merchants says funds need at least 10 confirmations before they can be spent (both read on 20 October 2026). Ten blocks at two minutes each is about 20 minutes, which lines up with Monero Friendly’s guidance that most payments confirm within about 20 minutes.
Two habits save trouble. Send the exact amount in a single transaction, and pay before any invoice timer runs out, because many checkouts quote a price in pounds or dollars and fix the XMR amount for a limited window. Monero also keeps the sender, receiver and amount out of public view by default, so a block explorer will not show your payment the way it would for Bitcoin. Your proof is the transaction ID plus the order confirmation, so keep both.
What “checked by hand” and reviews mean on Monero Friendly
According to the site’s how-it-works page, a checked label means someone on its side has tested a Monero payment with that business, or confirmed it another reliable way. Everything else is listed in good faith from the community, and places that turn out to be dishonest are removed. Across the whole directory, 99 of 631 listings had been checked on 20 October 2026; in the UK it was 4 of 28.
Reviews can be written by anyone who has paid, with no account needed, and a person reads each one before it appears. Businesses can reply but cannot remove honest reviews, and star ratings come only from reviews written on the site. Checked places are shown first, then sorted by rating, and the site states that paying the listing fee does not change where a business appears.
How to check a merchant before you pay in XMR
- Confirm the business still takes Monero. Look for XMR on its own checkout or payment page, not just in a directory, because payment options change.
- Compare its status across more than one directory. Monero Friendly shows whether a checkout was checked by hand, and directories such as XMRList and MoneroDir also show statuses like Verified and Scam.
- Read the reviews and note their dates. A few recent, specific reviews tell you more than an old average.
- Check the company basics. A UK limited company can be looked up on the Companies House register, and a serious seller should give a postal address and a returns policy.
- Start with a small order, as Monero Friendly itself suggests, before you buy anything expensive.
- Save the invoice, the transaction ID and the order confirmation together.
A Verified label shows someone has seen the merchant accept Monero; it says nothing about delivery or after-sales service.
A note on UK tax
HMRC does not consider cryptoassets to be money, and its Cryptoassets Manual (page CRYPTO22100, last updated 28 November 2025 and read on 20 October 2026) treats tokens as chargeable assets for Capital Gains Tax and lists “using tokens to pay for goods or services” as a disposal, so a purchase made in XMR can trigger a gain or loss that may need reporting. This is general information rather than tax advice, so check your own position with HMRC guidance or a qualified adviser.
Frequently asked questions
Can you spend Monero in the UK?
Yes, mainly online. On 20 October 2026, Monero Friendly listed 28 UK-based businesses that accept XMR, from hosting and eSIM providers to electronics and bullion dealers, and many ship beyond the UK.
Which UK shops accept Monero?
Examples on Monero Friendly’s UK page include Apple Bitcoin for electronics, Suisse Gold and Bitgolder for precious metals, and Bird Marketing UK for marketing services.
How long does a Monero payment take to confirm?
Usually around 20 minutes. Monero adds a block roughly every two minutes, and the project’s merchant guide says funds need at least 10 confirmations before they can be spent.
Does a Monero Friendly listing mean a shop is safe?
No. The site says a listing is not an endorsement; a checked label only means a Monero payment was tested or otherwise confirmed.
Do I pay tax when I spend Monero in the UK?
You might. HMRC’s Cryptoassets Manual lists using tokens to pay for goods or services as a disposal for Capital Gains Tax, so a purchase can create a gain or loss. Keep records and check your own position.
The bottom line
Spending XMR in Britain is practical in 2026 if most of what you need can be bought online: hosting, eSIMs, electronics, bullion and some professional services. The UK list is short and few entries are checked by hand, so confirm the merchant takes Monero today, compare directories, start small and keep records for HMRC.
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