Guide to Using Credit/Debit Cards at an Online Casino
It’s not all that long ago that cash was king and card payments were relatively rare. Other than the odd emergency purchase that could be whacked on a credit card until next payday, they weren’t super common.
Now cards have replaced cash as the most common form of payment. This has been greatly assisted by the internet and its reliance on alternative forms to cash for carrying out transactions. This has since spawned a number of alternative payment methods such as PayPal, to e-Wallets, to payments directly from a mobile phone account.
Despite the explosion in different ways of paying, credit and debit cards remain the most popular method for a variety of reasons that we will look into here. We will also present all of the information you could possibly ever need in regards to using a credit or a debit card to deposit or withdrawal funds from an online casino.
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Key benefits of using a Credit or Debit Card with an Online Casino
There are literally billions of cards in circulation processing trillions of pounds every year. The amount of money that is flying around is truly staggering and begs the question – what has made the card payment method so popular for use with online casinos? Making a casino card deposit is so common now that we rarely consider this question. So to address it, let’s take a look at some of the key elements.
- Business as usual. People are used to using credit and debit cards both in the physical world in shops, but especially when buying something online. Yes, we all know there are always small risks when entering our details online but there are ways of minimising these risks so we rarely think about them. Billions of transactions take place over the internet and this form of accessing services and shopping is only set to increase.
- Most widespread casino option. From all of the ways users can make financial transactions with an online casino, card payments are by far the most ubiquitous. Aside from a small number of new casinos who are focusing on using solely bitcoin for transactions, literally, every other casino allows either debit or credit card payments.
- Speed. Cards make life more convenient and one way they accomplish this is in the speed of moving funds from one account to another. Deposits are for all intents and purposes instantaneous and withdrawals are speedy as well. This is handy when you want to get on with the business of gaming – there is no waiting around for funds to clear.
- Limits. Some payment methods come with limits as to how much can be used to spend or deposit. The limits with cards, particularly MasterCard, are generally quite high so are perfect for high-frequency users and high rollers to deposit larger amounts of funds as needed.
- Deposits and withdrawals. Some online casinos allow payments from an array of different payment methods but they may not necessarily allow withdrawals on all of them. This situation is rare to non-existent when it comes to debit cards as most allow deposits of funds and winnings to both.
- Bonuses. Some banks reward their customers with perks for using their cards. This can also apply when depositing money at a casino so is a nice bonus for paying by card. One bonus can come in the form of cashback which ranges from 0.5-5% depending on the type of card which adds a nice edge to your gaming. The other perks include things like air miles and loyalty points which can be redeemed for gifts and freebies.
- Safety and security. This is one of the most important reasons why so many use their cards to deposit money with an online casino. We generally trust our banks and that trust extends to the cards they issue us to use. Each bank and card company has incorporated a number of measures to protect customers against theft and fraudulent use of their card. No payment is 100% fool proof – not even cash which can be stolen, but card providers have built a secure platform which they are constantly improving.
- Balances. Cards offer an easy and convenient way of tracking spending either via a bank machine or online records.
- Consumer protection. Credit cards have the unique benefit of offering extra protection to gamers under the Consumer Credit Act. Section 75 of this act states that if a customer spends from £100 to £30,000 on a transaction and the online casino goes bankrupt the consumer will get their money back. If you are depositing £100 or more (up to the maximum) it might be in your interest to consider this additional layer of protection.
How cards compare with other payment options
e-Wallets
There are a growing number of e-Wallet providers out there now competing with the more traditional ways of paying. The most popular e-Wallets include companies like Neteller, EcoPayz, Skrill, Qiwi, and the big daddy of them all PayPal. They are popular because they can have faster withdrawal times then cards, and they can also offer a level of privacy because transactions will not show up on a bank statement which some customers would prefer.
To counter this, e-Wallets often attract fees with either depositing or withdrawing of funds that can be avoided by using a debit card and often a credit card. Each method has its own pros and cons which will appeal to the individual user.
Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies s are slowly moving into the mainstream and are popping up on more and more online casinos with the two most popular being Bitcoin and Ethereum. This method is slightly controversial and remains popular with a small number of users due to its anonymity and potential for increasing in value, therefore, increasing any potential winnings.
With a potential for rising in value, it also has the potential for decreasing in value and has a number of drawbacks when compared to using cards. For one, unless you are familiar with how cryptocurrency works they are a lot more complicated than using a card to pay.
You need to find a reputable exchange to buy them, a secure system for storing them and hope that they at least hold their value. They carry none of the protections that cards do and some countries have laws in place that prevent their banks being used to buy cryptocurrencies.
Offline transfer
Despite the security protocols put in place by casinos and guarantees from governing bodies and banks, some people would still rather prefer to keep their details offline and use alternative payment methods.
Some that are available at various online casinos include bank wire, bank drafts, Western Union, MoneyGram, and e-Check. Even when not divulging any card numbers on the internet, these methods are not entirely free from nefarious interference such as bank hacks or unscrupulous tellers but do present more attractive means for conducting business for some people.
The key drawbacks with these methods are the not inconsiderable fees that are attached to them and the hefty processing times which are nowhere near as fast as a card payment.
Mobile Payments
This is another new method that is growing in popularity. It basically involves making a deposit with the charge added to a user’s monthly mobile account or being deducted from their pay as you go balance.
Its key advantages include ease of use and no need to submit bank details for deposits, though it cannot be used for withdrawals like a card can be. The other main drawback when compared to card payments is that it is not so widely available.
How to Make a Casino Deposit Using a Credit or Debit Card
If you are new to online gambling or haven’t used this method before, then rest assured that the process is fast and easy to accomplish. For a guide please read the following instructions :
- Find a casino that you are interested in that accepts card payments. Fortunately, this will be most of them as it is the most popular method to make a deposit.
- During sign in, make sure to check if there are any welcome bonuses for new players and what the deposit minimums are to redeem them. Most casinos have at least a first deposit bonus and sometimes a second and third, so make sure you comply with the terms if you wish to take advantage of them when choosing your deposit amount.
- Once you are happy that all your details are correct, you can move on to the deposit section. Here you will need to enter the numbers from your card and choose the amount you would like to start gaming with.
- If everything is correct and you have confirmed the account and payment, funds should be up in your account practically instantaneously and you will now be able to get on with the fun part of gambling online with real money.
How to Withdraw funds Using a Credit or Debit Card
When it is time to withdraw your winnings, then this process is just as easy as making the initial credit card casino deposit.
The first thing is to go to your personal account and look for the withdraw options. Then you will need to select your withdrawal method, but keep in mind that the way you deposit is not always available as a method for withdrawal. For example, some casinos may not allow payments back onto a MasterCard but they will for a Visa card. This varies on a case by case basis but can be checked in advance.
Once the method has been chosen, the user then selects the amount they would like to withdraw, keeping in mind what the withdrawal limits are. Then simply click confirm and wait for the funds to clear.
This can take anywhere from one to several working days for the funds to show up in a customer’s account. Also, be aware that to request a withdrawal, regulated casinos will require the user to have verified their ID. This is a standard measure in the industry which has been put in place to protect users and ensure they are at least 18 years old in order to prevent money laundering. This procedure can involve submitting documents such as an ID, passport, and utility bills to confirm an address. These measures tie in with the stringent measures that are adopted by regulated casinos for protecting user information.
How Online Casinos Protect Card Details
A licensed and regulated casino will have employed robust security systems to ensure that any information that customers submit, such as card details, are transmitted and stored safely.
Most do this these days by employing SSL and TSL technology which encrypts data so that it is safe from hackers and prying eyes.
The technically minded can check what security a site has when they visit it by clicking on the padlock icon that should be in the URL toolbar. What it basically means is that sites that use these tools are about as safe as it gets on the internet and provides a level of confidence that data is safely protected.
A Final Word about Credit/Debit Cards Casino Payments
There is a good reason why credit and debit cards remain the most popular way of purchasing goods and services online, and this includes topping up accounts at online casinos. They have struck the right balance between security and ease of use that makes customers trust them for the majority of their online transactions.
Online casinos have cottoned on to this and have made them easy to use and they remain the most likely payment method you will see at a casino site. No method is perfect for every situation but despite the rise in alternative payment methods, it is hard to see any of them knocking card payments off the top spot for a while to come.