When online punters choose a casino site, one of the first factors they consider is the site’s deposit options. Australian players want online casino deposits which support Australian dollars, but they also want the best casino deposit options that support payouts with their favorite money transfer accounts. It’s simply a matter of convenience and comfort. With that in mind, here’s a list of the deposit options that Australian online pokies players have.
Visa and MasterCard credit cards are the most common payment options. Both work as deposit methods at thousands of online gambling sites. Less frequently, Visa and MasterCard act as payout methods, but that is only possible in jurisdictions where online gambling is strictly legal and regulated. American Express is less common but remains a deposit option at many online casinos. Discover Card works at a smaller percentage of online casinos, but you’ll need to call your bank to allow international transactions. In Australia, JCB and Diners Club International credit card payments work. Credit Card deposits are among the best casino deposit options.
Visa is the biggest credit card network in the western world. It is a consortium of over 20,000 banks and financial institutions worldwide with payments in over 190 countries. More online casinos accept Visa than any other payment method.
MasterCard is the second-largest credit card network outside China. MasterCard also consists of over 20,000 banks and financial institutions, while also supporting online card payments in over 190 nations. Thousands of online gambling sites support MasterCard deposits.
Any online casinos which accept Visa and MasterCard credit cards will accept deposits with debit cards from the same companies. Debit cards, prepaid cards, and gift cards are money in the pocket for casino sites, so they sometimes offer bonus promotions for players who use debit cards. Look for MasterCard’s Maestro or Visa’s Electron or V-Pay cards. Although, in Canada, Interac debit cards are tied to Visa, while some US banks call theirs “Visa check cards”.
PayPal is a global online payment system based out of California. Several investors co-founded PayPal as Confinity in 1998, including Elon Musk (Tesla), Yu Pan (Yelp), and Peter Thiel (first outside investor: Facebook). By 2002, eBay bought PayPal and made it the official payment method of the online auction site. These days, PayPal supports online casino deposits in most European countries and other jurisdictions where regulated gaming exists.
POLi Payments is the leading online debit card for Australians. SecurePay Holdings, a fully owned subsidiary of Australia Post, now owns the POLi payment system. The Melbourne-based company’s payment method is available for online gambling deposits in Australia and New Zealand.
Neteller is the most popular e-wallet in the online casino industry. At one time, Neteller was synonymous with Internet gambling sites, but the US Department of Justice sought to end its association with gambling in 2005. Neteller emerged as a general online payment service that continues to serve punters worldwide. These days, Neteller is a part of PaySafe Group, along with former rivals Skrill and PaySafeCard.
PaySafeCard launched as an Austrian online payment service in 2000. The PaySafeCard e-wallet uses a 16-digit code for verification and security. It proved to be a successful and popular payment method. The British digital wallet service, Skrill, bought PaySafeCard in 2013 and renamed itself PaySafe Group. Two years later, Blackstone Group and CVC Capital bought Skrill, creating the largest e-wallet network in the world. PaySafeCard is a safe and reliable deposit method.
Skrill began as Moneybookers, one of the largest web wallets in the world. Once a top competitor with Neteller, both companies now are owned by PaySafe Group, which is based on the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom. Skrill, Neteller, and PaySafeCard continue to have different benefits and fee systems, but bettors should consider them equally safe and reliable. As of 2015, The Blackstone Group and CVC Capital Partners bought PaySafe Group.
UKash was a UK-based voucher system launched in 2000 which had over 100,000 kiosks across Europe. In 2014, Skrill bought UKASH and merged it into its e-wallet system.
EcoPayz is a secure online payment system which allows international money transfers. It also backs the EcoCard, a prepaid card which maintains a relationship with MasterCard. Players who want a layer of privacy between their online casino account and a bank account or credit card account can make deposits using their EcoPayz card. The card uses a 2-step verification system to maintain high levels of online security. Anywhere that MasterCard is available, EcoCard should work.
The MyCitadel e-wallet service is a longstanding payment method in the online casino industry. Australian players who have a myCitadel e-wallet account will find it useful at certain online casinos. Those without an account cannot acquire one, because myCitadel no longer opens new accounts.
EntroPay was a virtual credit card which allowed global money transfers. A majority of EntroPay cards were back by Visa. As of July 1, 2019, EntroPay closed down operations.
Wire transfer, also known as bank transfer, credit transfer, or bank wire transfer, is an electronic funds transfer method used widely throughout the world. Central bank wire transfer systems in most country handle the payment method. Once a transfer request is sent, the method allows electronic funds to move from an online merchant to a bank account. Wire transfers are common for online casino withdrawals, but they also allow for payments from a punter’s bank account to the online casino. Wire transfers cost a fee and require longer to arrive, but are safe and secure.
An electronic check is transferred over an ACH network and allows for money to be withdrawn from the payer’s checking account. The ACH merchant account withdraws payments for goods or services from the bettor’s bank account. Before this is done, the customer must authorize the payment with a signed contract, recorded voice conversation, or acceptance of a site’s terms and conditions. Echecks are common at online casinos, though it takes several days to reach one’s account.
iDeal is an e-commerce paying system which is widespread in the Netherlands. Roughly 54% of adult Dutch consumers have an iDeal account. Most of the Dutch online banking industry participates, including ASN Bank, Van Lanschot, RegioBank, ING Bank, Rabobank, SNS Bank, Knab, Triodos Bank, bunq, Friesland Bank, and ABN AMRO. As one might expect, Australian punters cannot use iDeal at present.
PayNearMe is a US-based mobile payment method that’s partnered with 7-Eleven. The PayNearMe system allows payment at over 17,000 national and local billers. Customers pay using a convenient barcode scan. PayNearMe made history when it became a top payment method in the regulated New Jersey online casino market. Unfortunately, Aussie players won’t be able to use PayNearMe.
InstaDebit is a bank transfer payment method available in Canada. Many Canadian online casinos support InstaDebit payments, though Australian online casinos do not use InstaDebit.
