You’ve decided on a casino, you’ve found a game that’s really caught your eye, but now you need to make a deposit in order to start playing. What are you going to do, and how are you going to pay?
We told you about different payment methods for online casinos a while back, and we thought we’d revisit some of them. There’s always something new and interesting going on in the online gambling world, and we’re constantly on the lookout for new developments that can improve your gaming experience.
Things do change rapidly in the world of online casinos, so let’s take a look at what sort of payment methods you can use to top up your account and get you on the road to riches…
Credit Cards
The most popular payment method for almost everything, this is, oddly enough, not always the best payment option for casinos. Credit cards (and debit cards too) aren’t very good for several reasons.
Firstly, most casinos only accept Visa and MasterCard, so if you’re an AmEx or Diner’s Club client, you’re out of luck. Secondly, you get hit with charges, as banks charge businesses to process payments, and these charges are generally passed on to the customer. The typical service charge on cards is around 2.5%, so if you try and deposit 2,000 (for example), you’ll be hit with a rather sizeable 50 service charge. Also, you generally can’t make withdrawals to your cards (although this isn’t always the case).
The other problem is the paper trail, and of course many people are suspicious about using their bank cards online. Although all our casinos have excellent security, we understand your concern, so let’s see what else you can use.
Paysafecard
Paysafecard is great for several reasons. Firstly, it’s prepaid, so you can’t just reload money, which is good when making sure you don’t overspend. It’s also completely secure, since there’s no link between the card and your bank account. It’s available at more than 400,000 retail points around the world, and all you have to do is enter the PIN code on the card and away you go. It’s available in a variety of denominations, making it easy and pretty simple to use. Moreover, most online casinos accept it for whatever payment, so it’s pretty universal.
One drawback though: no withdrawals. You’ll have to use a different payment method when taking out your winnings.
Webmoney
Webmoney is pretty close to being an e-wallet, meaning that you can deposit money into the “purse” (they don’t call it a wallet) and from there, you can make payments to casinos. You can make payments in euros, US dollars, and both Russian and Belarusian rubles (for some reason) as well as some other currencies. But seeing as how this payment method was developed in the Commonwealth of Independent States, the association of former USSR nations, it makes some sense.
Technically, you don’t actually store money in your account in any particular currency, but rather in Webmoney Title Units, which are almost a form of cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, but far more stable. Very safe, very secure, and completely separate from your own bank account.
Some casinos also offer Webmoney deposit bonuses, so there’s that too. Check out your favorite casino to see if there’s anything on offer for you.
The problem? Well, if you want to make payment in other currencies, you’ll have some troubles. Webmoney is set up mostly for businesses, although they do let ordinary users make deposits to and withdrawals from their purses. But honestly? There are a ton of other payment methods that are easier and simpler to use.
Fundsend
Fundsend is a nice, simple, straightforward payment method that helps you make direct payments from your account, without giving away personal details.
Effectively, Fundsend is a way of making payment from your credit or debit card to a recipient without giving the recipient your details. One benefit of this is that you pay lower transaction fees: typically less than 2% if you’re registered, or 2.49% if you’re not. That might not sound like much, but it’s a 10 saving on a 2,000 deposit. It’s safe and secure, and helps keep your details personal.
One problem, though: it’s available in only 10 countries at the moment, but you’ll be pleased to know that this includes the UK, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Denmark, and several others which offer online casinos. It should prove to be popular in the future, so watch this space.
What else?
Well, there’s plenty more where that came from, but in the meantime, have a look at the options we’ve given you here, and see which one suits your needs. We’ll be back soon with more on the different payment methods you can use to start playing at your favorite casino.