Payment Methods

Prepaid Options

Prepaid cards are the best option if you don’t (or can’t) use credit cards or other classic payment methods at online casinos. Note that these are not debit cards: They already loaded with a balance and by entering their number, you are spending that pre-loaded balance. Most of them can be used one time only, and they cannot be used for withdrawals. However, they offer a certain level of anonymity, ease of use and top-notch security, since they can be used once. Refer to our section about pre-paid cards below for more details.

Steps to Funding Your Online Slots Account

All of the methods listed in this guide are used the same way: Log in to your casino account page. Look for a button/link that is named “deposit” or “make a payment”. Note that the casino may use any name it wishes, but these are the most common options. Click on that button/link. The casino will list the available payment methods. Pick the one that most suits you. Specify the amount you want to deposit. The rest is different for each payment method:

• For credit card/bank transfer/prepaid cards and other offline methods: Enter your details (for example, credit card number) to a form and hit the “pay” button.
• For e-wallets: Just pick the name of the provider. On a separate page, the website of the provider will open, and you will log in to this site to complete the payment. The casino sees/stores nothing.
• For crypto-currencies: Enter the address of the casino as the recipient to your wallet and complete the transaction from your wallet. The casino sees/stores nothing.

Bonuses & Promotions for Payments

Almost all online casinos offer some type of bonus for specific payment methods. For example, if you choose a specific e-wallet service to deposit money, you get 10%bonus. In general:

1. These bonuses apply to “exotic” methods such as e-wallets and mobile payment. For classic methods such as credit cards and bank transfers, you get no bonus.
2. These bonuses are especially popular in sports betting sites. Online casinos rarely organize them.

In any case, always look for a payment method bonus before making a transaction. If you find a promotion, use it for the extra benefit.

Free Withdrawals

Usually, most of the online casinos ask for a “fee” for making a withdrawal. However, at these casinos, withdrawals are completely free of charge:

Types of Online Casino Payment Options

In general, we can list the payment methods preferred by online casinos like this:

• Credit Cards;
• e-Wallets;
• Prepaid Cards;
• eCheck;

Please refer to separate sections of these methods to get more info. If we sort these methods according to their safety, prepaid cards come first, e-wallets second, eChecks third, and credit cards last. Note that this sorting is based on security only. eChecks, for example, are an ancient payment method that offers no practicality.

Popular eWallets

Before we start (this will be a long list), we should mention you can add funds to any of these methods by using credit cards, debit cards, and bank accounts. Some of them also support funding by mobile payment methods. The idea is funding the e-wallet with one of these options first, then use the e-wallet to make a payment. Any of these methods are secure and faster than using a credit card and/or bank transfer. In addition, e-wallets are usually the subject of casino bonus promotions.

• Paypal: The oldest and most popular service. However, it only serves players who live in countries where gambling is legal. Mostly casinos in the UK support PayPal.
• Neteller: The most popular e-wallet service at online casinos. More than 80% of all gambling transactions is done by Neteller. It also has a debit card.
• Skrill: The same as Neteller. Both brands are owned by the same company.
• Ecopayz: Mostly known due to its pre-paid cards. Tier II and II casinos support Ecopayz, and it is especially popular in countries where gambling is considered as illegal.
• Bacs: Only available in the UK and only for debit cards.
• Entropay: The “light” version of Neteller. It is known for its low fees.
• Ideal: Only available in the Netherlands. It is the Dutch version of PayPal.
• Webmoney: A Russia based e-wallet service which is popular in Asian countries. Supports hundreds of different currencies and provides ATM service in Russia.
• ClickandBuy: It was the second largest e-wallet service in the EU after PayPal. Not available anymore, its services have been terminated.
• Sofort: Available only in a couple of European countries (Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands).
• Paysafecard: Owned by Neteller Group. This is a pre-paid card service, not an e-wallet.
• Trustly: Uses PayPal infrastructure. It is kind of a “PayPal franchise”. You can add funds only by linking a bank account.
• Ukash: It was a pre-paid card service. Not available anymore. It was terminated in 2015.
• Idebit: Only available in Canada. Just like Trustly, you can add funds only by linking your bank account.
• Qiwi: A Russia based service that is popular in Asian countries. Offers a debit card.

Credit and Debit Cards

Credit and debit cards are the most popular (and easier) methods of payment at online casinos. Almost all websites support them and the transactions complete in mere seconds. By credit and debit cards, we mean cards of Visa, Master Card, American Express, and Visa DEBIT / Maestro.

Enter the numbers on the front, due date, and the three-digit security code at the behind – it is as easy as that. However, credit cards are also the most “dangerous” method when it comes to security. There are lots of threats against this form of payment method, and lots of them are caused by your computer, not the casino. Keyloggers, Trojans, Malware: Any of these can target your credit and debit card info. In terms of security, credit cards are at the bottom of the list, unfortunately.

Mobile Payment Options

Nowadays, you do not need to use a desktop computer to make a payment. You can complete all transactions via your mobile devices. These are the most common mobile payment methods:

• Zimpler: The payment you make will be added to your phone bill if you choose Zimpler as the payment method. It has no credit cards or any other methods to top-up: As long as you have a mobile line that has a monthly bill, your payment will be added to it.
• Boku: Works exactly like Zimpler. However, Boku is more popular in Asian countries.
• Payforit: Payforit is only used in schools in Latin America. It is a mobile app that can be topped up by credit cards and used to pay for a meal in school. Not supported by casinos.
• Applepay: Official payment method of Apple. You add your credit card info to the app and use your mobile phone to make a payment. Not supported by casinos.

Offline Payment Systems

These methods should be your last chance, and you should use them only if other methods do not work. Offline payment methods are slow, have higher transaction fees, and they can be easily tracked. Honestly, they offer no real advantage to gamblers, and they should be used only as a last resort.

• Bank Wire Transfer: Classic bank transfer. May take 11 business days to complete. Can be tracked/blocked by governments.
• Echeck: Longer version of bank transfers. It can take weeks for a transaction to complete. Only a couple casinos support this method.
• Western Union: Probably the worst one. Some transfers require a month to complete. Do not use this. As far as we know, no casinos support this method.
• Instadebit: Probably the best one among other offline methods but works only in Canada. If you are not a Canadian citizen, you cannot use Instadebit. Basically, it uses your bank balance to complete payments.

CryptoCurrency

Crypto-currencies are the best payment method if you live in a third-world dictatorship that banned gambling and prosecutes gamblers. They are completely anonymous and work outside of the banking system. Moreover, they cannot be tracked and offer lower transaction fees than any other methods. The only thing you need is a wallet to use crypto-currencies.

• Bitcoin: The first and the most popular crypto-currency. It is accepted by many online casinos, but transaction fees may be little higher than usual due to its popularity.
• Ethereum: In addition to being a digital payment method, Ethereum blockchain can host an entire online casino and make it decentralized. Ether is better in terms of transaction speed and fees when compared to Bitcoin.

Prepaid

Prepaid cards are truly anonymous: They already have a balance, and you do not need to show an ID while buying them. They are like debit cards without a name – anybody can use them and deposit money without providing personal details. Therefore, they are one of the best options in countries which banned gambling and/or makes it difficult to send money to casinos by using the banking system. The most popular pre-paid cards are:

• Astropay: Works with VISA. Completely anonymous, you can buy the card and start using it without opening an account at the AstroPay website. However, if you choose to register, you can keep topping up your card. Especially popular in Middle-East and other countries where gambling is banned.
• Trustpay: Works with MasterCard. Requires an account to use. Can only be used as a deposit method, no withdrawal possible. Especially popular in Europe.

Safety & Security

Online casinos use many certificate and licenses such as United Kingdom Gambling Commission, Malta Gambling Authority, and Curacao eGaming. These are also the most prestigious and reliable ones. An online casino should work with respected providers, use trusted gambling software, and get audited by independent third party agencies, such as eCOGRA and iTechLabs. In addition, an online casino must encrypt all of its pages by SSL and comply with Customer Protection Policies of different countries. These are the most important features of online casinos in terms of safety and security.