Paysafecard is known across the world as arguably one of the most secure casino payment methods you can use to fund your player account. Over forty countries currently accept Paysafecard, including most of Europe and North America, Oceania and even South American and some Asian countries. Paysafecard processes millions of dollars in transactions each year.
Supported currencies include Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and US dollars, euros, Czech koruna, Mexican pesos, British pound sterling, Swedish kronor, Norwegian krone, Danish krone, Bulgarian levs, Croatian kuna, Polish zloty, Hungarian forints, Romanian new leu, and Swiss francs. Cryptocurrencies are not currently accepted. Read More
Naturally, the biggest perk is that no casino or hijacker can steal your bank details. You can deposit freely without having to hand over sensitive information, such as your bank account or e-wallet log-in details. There are drawbacks to Paysafecard, though. Because this casino payment method is a prepaid voucher, there is no means of withdrawing any casino winnings. Instead, Paysafecard depositors are going to have to find another choice to take away their prizes. In most cases, bank transfers will be the way to go.
Paysafecard first appeared in 2000, at around the same time that many other digital payment systems went live online. The prepaid option is considerably different from e-wallets (which store money) and bank transfer options. Founded by Armin Sageder, Michael Müller, Reinhard Eilmsteiner and Michael Atrichter, Paysafecard was first developed in Austria.
In an age where SSL encryption still did not convince casino players that they could safely top-up online, many players turned to Paysafecard as an excellent way to deposit. Similarly, players in countries where bank transfers to (but notably not from) casinos were prohibited also turned to the simple to use casino payment provider.
In 2013, Skrill – the famous e-wallet casino payment method – acquired Paysafecard. They, in turn, were acquired by the Optimal Payments Group, which rebranded as the Paysafe Group in 2015. This group now also includes another famous casino e-wallet – Neteller. As Paysafecard expanded in other countries, it took on a variety of new names. Today, every country refers to it as Paysafe, although the “card” part of the company’s name is often translated into various languages.
Paysafecard’s popularity extends far beyond the online casino world. The prepaid voucher is hugely popular amongst social media, telecommunications companies, and online gamers and is used to purchase music, goods, and other products at online retailers. Naturally, we are only concerned with its practical implications for the online casino world for the purpose of our article. Therefore, let us see if we can explain how it works for you.
Before you can use a Paysafecard at an online casino, you need to get yourself a Paysafecard voucher. You can do this either via a land-based retailer or online. They come in multiple denominations, which vary depending on the country you are in. For instance, in a Eurozone country, you can expect to buy Paysafecards worth €10, €25, €50 or €100. You will buy the Paysafecard in much the same way as you purchase a gift card, with any payment method you see fit.
Each Paysafecard has a 16-digit PIN code on it. Paysafecard users have two choices here. In many countries, they can create a personal account (or use an app) called My Paysafecard to upload their funds. Doing so means that you will not need to enter PINs to purchase or deposit. It is also handy as it allows you to keep tabs on all your active cards. Alternatively, they can enter the PIN code directly into the relevant box at an online casino to deposit. The funds will be subtracted from the card (which is more of a voucher than anything else). Once the card has been emptied, it is useless.
However, players may stumble across a fee or two associated with using Paysafecard itself. If you have funds remaining on an open Paysafecard (the one you have already used), then seven months after it has been first used, you will be charged $3 from the remaining balance of the spin. This will continue every month until you use the balance, or it runs out.
At the same time, if a currency conversion is involved when you want to top-up using Paysafecard, you will find that there may be a fee applied. The Paysafecard website has a currency converter that allows you to see the rate you will be charged instantly. That rate will then be removed from the balance of the voucher.
We will explain this more clearly below…
There is one drawback with Paysafecard, and it is a big one. Because this is a prepaid voucher option, you will not be able to process withdrawals with Paysafecard. Some casinos claim that they allow you to withdraw via this casino payment method, but we are yet to see a gambling casino that follows through with that.
You may be wondering – if I cannot withdraw with this option, what is the point of it? Paysafecard is still incredibly handy to use as it provides the best security of any option online. You do not need a bank account; you do not need an e-wallet. There is nothing for anybody to steal, and no personal data is required.
All the above should make you think about Paysafecard’s limitations before you decide to use it. However, if online security is an issue for you or your country forbids bank payments at casinos, then this prepaid voucher is still the way to go.
It is unlikely that you are going to come across specific casino bonuses tied to Paysafecard deposits. However, this does not mean that you cannot claim any sorts of offers and deals. It simply means that you will not get specialised perks for depositing with the option.
While major e-wallet options such as Skrill and Neteller can sometimes find themselves excluded from welcome bonuses, that will not be the case with Paysafecard. Moreover, a Paysafecard deposit is usually accepted and eligible for any sort of bonus.
Paysafecard is typically compatible with all the following offers:
There are no specific benefits of playing with Paysafecard where online gambling games are concerned. This is a basic casino payment method that can be used to play all sorts of online games, ranging from online slot machines to table gambling games, live dealer titles, video poker, scratch cards, instant win online games, lottery gambling games and more.
Some might claim that Paysafecard puts you at a disadvantage when playing jackpot slots, as you cannot withdraw with it. That is not true when it comes to jackpot slots. Payment methods – such as e-wallets – are equally as useless for jackpot slots. If you were to win millions of dollars playing these online games, you would not be able to cash out your entire withdrawal with e-wallets, either. This is no different than Paysafecard. If you win those kinds of sums, you will always get hold of your winnings via a bank transfer.
If you still have thoughts or questions about Paysafecard and what it can bring to the table, do not hesitate to check out this brief FAQ guide which is tailor-made to answer your queries on this gambling payment method. They include: