Poker deposit options and online poker site payment methods kept up to date in 2012. Working in the industry I’ve personally done hundreds of thousands in transactions at online poker sites, I’m well aware that deposits and payments are the most important factor for real money online poker players.
Payment processing is the back bone of internet poker. There are dozens of deposit options to choose from and you can consider this page a guide to getting started with any online poker site. There are a few poker deposit options that are accepted at all poker sites (credit cards) and some that are only accepted at certain poker sites online.
As a poker player myself, I know how important it is to have a solid list of deposit options at any poker site. Not only does a good list of deposit methods make it easy to fund your account, but it also makes it easy to cash back out again. The best online poker deposit methods make moving your money around an easy and stress-free process.
What Are The Best Ways To Fund An Account?
The term “best” is a bit subjective when describing deposit methods, so this section will explain our criteria in ranking these methods. The first thing we consider with each poker deposit method is the prevalence of the method. For example, credit cards rank highly because just about everyone who has a connection to the internet has access to a credit card.
We also give a lot of weight to the safety of the poker deposit method. Deposit methods that have been around for a long time get a boost in this area because they have proven themselves over the years. It also helps that the more well known a deposit method is, the more likely it is to be a trusted and safe way to deposit.
Speed is another important factor in determining the best online poker deposit methods. When you make a deposit at a poker site, you want to see your funds in your account as soon as possible. There’s nothing more annoying than tying up a bunch of money for a few days while some company “processes” the transaction.
To a lesser extent, we also consider the flexibility of each poker deposit method. Some services such as Neteller can be used in multiple industries outside of poker. This doesn’t have a major bearing on our ranking list, but it doesn’t hurt anything. The more options you have with a poker deposit method, the better.
And finally, we rank each online poker deposit method by its cashout options. Certain deposit methods fare better in this area than others. For example, credit cards are great for depositing but they can only rarely be used to cash back out. It’s not a major drawback, but it definitely bears consideration.
Popular Processing Methods
Most online poker deposit options can be categorized into one of several payment types. Credit and debit cards are among the most popular types of payment methods because so many poker players have them. Visa is the most widely used type of credit/debit card, but MasterCard and various ATM cards are also popular.
Bank Transfers and Online Poker Echecks are also popular among poker players because of the ease of depositing. With a bank transfer, all you have to do is type in your account number and deposit amount and you’ll be playing in no time. You don’t have to own a card or leave the house to initiate these deposits.
Online Poker E-wallets consist of services such as Neteller and Paypal that act as intermediaries between your bank account and your poker site. This payment type is popular among poker players who like to keep their poker money separate from the rest of their money. Poker E-wallets also make transferring money from one online poker site to another fast and easy.
Cash Transfer Services are preferred by poker players who aren’t too excited by the idea of giving their credit card or banking information to poker sites. Services such as Moneygram and Western Union let you take actual cash to a transfer station and then forward it on to your player account at whichever poker site.
Pre-paid Poker Vouchers and gift cards run along the same vein as cash transfer services. After you buy a funded gift card or voucher, you can use that to deposit at any online poker site. This allows you to get your cash online without giving the poker site your personal banking information.
All Poker Deposit Options
The following is a complete list of all the most common poker deposit options. Visit any of the links below for a detailed explanation of each online poker deposit option plus a list of the top poker sites that use that payment method.
- Ecocard
- Entropay
- InstaDebit
- Moneybookers
- Neteller
- Paypal
- Paysafecard
- Ukash Poker Sites
- Webmoney
- Instant Echecks
If you are ready to deposit and play online poker for real money, check out BetOnline for the easiest deposits and fast payouts.