Online Poker Deposit Options
Payment recommendations
In most places in the world, if you're trying to make an online poker deposit you'll find that it's as easy as making virtually any other online transaction. Open up a secure from, enter in your credit card or banking details, click a button and that's it - your payment is made.
If you live in the United States, though, or you're trying out a smaller site on a more localized poker network, it may take a bit more leg work before you can get your money online and start playing.
Make no mistake, though - you WILL find a way to get your money deposited on to an online poker site and, if you're smart, reap the rewards of a big online poker bonus. You'll also be able to withdraw all of your winnings with little hassle, often is as little as 2-3 days.
To make things easier for all of your poker deposit plans Poker Junkie has done the leg work of tracking down most of the various poker deposit methods out there for you. Below you'll find a complete list of the most convenient, safest and fastest poker deposit options both for US players and the rest of the world.
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US Poker Deposit Methods
If you live in the United States the best metaphor for the current online poker environment is "A Tale of Two Cities." If you live in one of the 4 states (New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, Pennsylvania) where online poker is licensed and regulated, online poker deposit options are plentiful and simple.
Credit cards, pre-paid debit cards, eWallets, PayPal ... even walking up to the cage at one of the many brick-and-mortar casinos with an online poker partner are easy and efficient ways you can get money into a US online poker account. Transactions are safe, secure and as fundamentally sound as making any online transaction.
If you live outside of one of those States, however, you're facing two different dilemmas - whether you should actually play on an unlicensed poker site that still offers games to US online poker players and whether or not you can even find a way to get your deposits (and, importantly, withdrawals) processed.
It's not against the law to play online poker but it is a violation (at least on the poker site's behalf) of the UIGEA to process unlicensed online poker transactions. You're not at risk of prosecution of any sort for playing unlicensed online poker but you are at risk of not having your funds returned to you.
Because there is no overarching government body overseeing the games or the deposit/withdrawal methods you are at the whim of the poker site to whether or not it will guarantee its business practices.
Below we'll run through the options you have to make online poker deposits at both types of sites - although be forewarned we don't recommend putting your money into an unlicensed online poker site.
Credit Cards - Visa and MasterCard
Credit cards are obviously one of the most convenient online poker payment methods and if you've ever made an online transaction with a credit card you know just how easy it is.
Simply decide how much you'd like to deposit (given the minimum/maximum each site has set), enter your credit card details, click "submit" and your request will be processed in less than a minute.
The most popular credit cards are still Visa and Mastercard and are the overwhelming favorites for online poker players. American Express and Discover cards are still accepted in most cases as well although they're known for having more/higher fees when using for online poker deposits.
The obvious downside to making an online poker deposit via credit card? You're on the hook for any interest payments and you may face some incidental fees for making an online poker transaction.
Poker sites typically waive any fees for deposits but could charge a fee for making withdrawals to credit cards. The card company might also charge a fee.
As for unlicensed US poker sites ... there are a few who will accept major credit cards but it might not be a simple straight-forward process which will happen in just a few minutes. Bitcoin is likely the most efficient way to deposit money on an unlicensed US poker site; read more about Bitcoin here.
Learn more:
- Visa Poker Sites
- Mastercard Poker Sites
- Discover Poker Sites
- American Express Poker Sites
Other US Poker Deposit Methods
Alongside the major credit cards US poker players in licensed states have access to several more safe and efficient online poker deposit methods including:
- Instant eChecks
- Skrill (formerly Moneybookers)
- Neteller
- PayNearMe
- Casino Cage
- PayPal
More on each payment method below:
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eChecks
eChecks work the same way as traditional paper checks do; the only difference is that you do it online. When you choose this payment option the money you deposit is requested from your bank and when the payment is cleared the money is added to your poker account.
Although it might take a few days for the payment to be processed you're often allowed to play right away (but not make a withdrawal.) Instant eChecks are accepted at all of of the major poker site in licensed states including PokerStars, 888poker, WSOP.com and more.
Read more:
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Bank Wires/Drafts
Bank wires and drafts are direct transfers from your bank to your chosen poker site. Bank drafts are usually cheaper than bank wires but they have to be physically mailed and the payment can take up to a couple of weeks to be cleared.
Bank wires, on the other hand, are generally a little more expensive. The upside though is that the payment process is handled online and you will instantly have your money in your poker account.
Bank wires are more typically a withdrawal method for most online poker sites as there are easier and cheaper ways to make your online poker deposits (see above).
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eWallets - Skrill, Neteller, PayPal
With the exception of credit cards, eWallets are the most convenient online poker payment method. eWallets are basically web-based financial institutions that act as middle men between your bank and the poker site.
If you've ever used PayPal you know just how easy creating and using a third-party eWallet is. You simply create an eWallet account at any of the major providers and then fund that account through any one of several easy ways (credit card, debit, bank transfer etc.)
Once the money has arrived n your eWallet account you can then use it for any kind of online transaction including deposits and withdrawals from online poker sites. Poker sites generally waive all fees for using an eWallet to fund your poker account although the eWallet itself might charge small fees for processing and money exchanges, for example.
Moving money from your your eWallet into your poker account is instantaneous and your funds are available immediately for play. All withdrawals from poker sites must go through a vetting process but once they've passed that having them returned to your eWallet is also instantaneous..
The major licensed poker sites in the US all accept some of (if not all) these third-party payment processors:
and they are by far the most popular for online poker players. Read more about each individual payment options on their respective pages.
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PayNearMe (7-Eleven)
If you're a frequenter of the ubiquitous convenience store chain 7-Eleven you likely aren't surprised to find out one of the many services they provide is something called PayNearMe, which accepts cash payments in stores you can in turn deposit into your online poker account.
How to Deposit using PayNearMe:
Log in to your poker account, go to the cashier and select PayNearMe as your deposit option. Follow the screen prompts to generate a re-useable barcode and payment instructions. Either print or get your PayNearMe barcode sent via text to your phone.
You can then take the barcode to a local 7-Eleven, give the cashier your deposit amount and barcode and voila, your money will be transferred into your poker account and available in minutes
Keep your receipt for proof; you can also use the same barcode for any future deposits.
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Casino Cage
Another easy way to get your money into your online poker account? Just walk up to the cage the next time you're at your favorite casino that has an online poker partner (Borgata/partypoker, Harrah's/WSOP/888poker, Resorts/PokerStars) and make a deposit right there.
Every licensed online poker site in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware (Pennsylvania incoming) has an online and live casino partner so while they may be using the online software of a poker provider they are still licensed and regulated via the casino partner. Therefore you can use their services to fund and access your online account as well.
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More Online Poker Deposit Options
If you live outside of the United States a whole new set of online poker deposit options are open to you. Local bank options in your home country are certainly one of them. Whether it's the UK, Germany, Sweden, Spain, France or Russia any poker site legally licensed to operate will have a variety of banking options available to you.
We won't list all of them here as you will know whether your bank has a payment method accepted by an online poker site simply by looking through the list of options presented to you on the site's cashier page.
If the logo of your bank is listed in the cashier deposit option, simply click through and you'll be prompted to enter the details needed to make a deposit or set up an account to do so.
There are also many 3rd-party eWallets and payment processors that operate in specific markets around Europe and the world. Below is a short list of some of your options outside of the US but far from exhaustive.
Check the cashier page of any online poker site to see the full range of deposit and withdrawal options available to you - which, if you're playing at one of the major international poker sites like PokerStars, 888poker, partypoker etc, are plentiful.
Visa Electron/Maestro
Pre-paid debit cards like Visa Electron and Mastercard Maestro are very popular options for funding online poker accounts in the UK and Europe. They work incredibly simply: Buy a preloaded card at any retail outlet or store in any available increment above the poker site's minimum deposit.
Log in to your online poker account and navigate to the cashier. Select the debit card logo from the menu and enter the card details from the back. Select the amount you'd like to deposit and click submit; your money will be in your account and available for play almost immediately.
Entropay is another prepaid debit card that can be used everywhere Visa is accepted. Entropay is the perfect option for those who don't want to disclose credit-card information online.
ClickandBuy is used by 7,000 online merchants. Fund your ClickandBuy account with MasterCard, Visa, Direct Bank Transfer or several country-specific credit cards.
Paysafecard is a prepaid card and online eWallet that allows you to make poker deposits and withdrawals online without divulging any bank or credit card details. Paysafecards worth in increments from £10-£200 are available at 600,000 sales outlets worldwide.
WebMoney is a versatile eWallet primarily used in Russia and Eastern Europe. It offers a lot of different features including holding "purses" in different currencies. Fees are quire low and you can add funds to your WebMoney account with bank wires/transfers or by purchasing a prepaid WebMoney card.
Ukash is the leading prepaid payment service. Ukash vouchers are sold at thousands of physical locations throughout Europe and Canada and can also be obtained via online bank transfer.
ecoPayz is one of the leading European e-Wallets. It's free to register an account, and when that's done, you can fund your EcoCard by using most credit cards and different bank transfers.
Click2Pay is one of the most popular eWallets around the world. There are countless of ways to fund your Click2Pay account. Visit Click2Pay's easy-to-use web page to find the best solution for you.
iDEAL is a method of direct bank transfer from your account to an online poker site. iDEAL is specific to the Netherlands.
Poli (Pay Online) is a payment option in Australia and New Zealand that allows you to transfer funds directly from your bank account to a poker site.
Boku (Pay By Mobile) - If your cell phone carrier allows Boku payments, you can find many poker sites that will accept a deposit and the charge will be billed to your mobile phone.
Western Union is the oldest money transfer company in the world. You can use Western Union to pay by cash in person, pre-paid card, online transfer or mobile app.
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Making a Withdrawal from an Online Poker Site
The general rule is for withdrawing money from a poker site is you typically have to use the same payment option you used when you made the deposit.
So if you made your first deposit with Neteller, you usually have to use Neteller to get your money out.
That's not a hard and fast rule for all poker sites, though, so its best to check with your specific poker site to see which options are available to you. Receiving a ban transfer or actual paper cheque are usually available to all players if you insist on it.
If you live outside the US and choose to deposit with any of the eWallets listed above you can usually use the same payment method when you want to withdraw your money. For US players, however, there are usually fewer cash-out methods than there are deposit methods.
Common withdrawal methods for US players are:
- Check via regular mail
- Check via Fedex
- eCheck
- Cash transfer
For more information on poker withdrawal methods, visit the cashier at your poker site or speak to a customer service representative via their live chat or phone support.
Online Poker Deposit Options FAQs
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Is My Online Poker Deposit Safe Secure?
IF you're playing on a fully licensed, authorized and monitored poker the answer is absolutely yes. In the UK, Europe and Asia online poker sites are all licensed, regulated and taxed and subject to all of the normal security precautions required by law to protect consumers. All use the latest ssl encryption to protect your transactions and your credit card/banking information is all secure and protected. As long as you are playing on a regulated poker site - ie one that is vetted and overseen by a proper regulatory body - your transaction is encrypted and secure and will be guaranteed. All regulated poker sites are also required to have their deposit and withdrawal methods verified and monitored and are legally required to keep all player funds separated from their operating funds at all times. Whenever you wish to withdraw your money (given that you have met any pre-existing playing requirements for bonuses and haven't broken any of the site's terms & conditions, etc) you may do so. Using a credit card for your deposits might also give you the same purchasing protections you'd get in other online transactions including fraud protection. If you live in the United States and play on a licensed and regulated site within the borders of New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware or Pennsylvania the same terms apply for your deposits and withdrawals. All are very safe and secure and you as a consumer are protected by the standard laws for all online transactions. If you choose to play at an unlicensed (or offshore site licensed in another jurisdiction) your deposits and withdrawals can not be secured in the same way. -
Is There a Minimum Online Poker Deposit?
Most online poker sites do have a minimum deposit required but it is usually very low. We've seen minimum deposits as low as $10 but the standard is typically $25. Deposit maximums are also usually in place but will depend on each particular poker site. Each site also also has withdrawal maximums and limits on withdrawals over a certain timeframe so be sure to check with your chosen poker site for their specific terms and conditions. -
How Do I Make a Deposit at an Online Poker Site?
Once you know which methods are available to you and have set up the proper accounts making an online poker deposit is very quick and easy. If you choose to use a third-party provider you'll need to set up a separate account with that provider before you can make a transfer to your poker account. If you already do have an account with an eWallet and it has funds in it, you can move it to your poker account immediately. To make your actual online poker deposit by any method you must first log in to your poker account and navigate to the 'Cashier' page. Then you simply select your chosen payment method from the menu and follow the on-screen prompts. Once you've set up your preferred payment method subsequent deposits are very quick and easy. -
Are There Fees for Online Poker Deposits?
Most poker sites waive all fees for making an online poker deposit no matter which payment method you choose. It's obviously in their best interest for you to get money on to the poker site and start playing. But while you might not pay a fee to the poker site, you will likely pay a small fee or percentage to the processor you use. For example a third-party payment processor will typically have a small fee on each transaction for both loading you account and for transferring to the poker site. Those fees are typically pretty small for the convenience of the transactions, though. If you do envision sending large sums of money back and forth from your poker account it's best to consult with the poker site's customer support to see what your best options are and what they recommend or services they provide for "high rollers." -
Can I Withdraw My Poker Money to a Credit Card?
For some poker sites, yes; for other poker sites no. If you made your deposit via credit card you may be able to have your withdrawal processed that way as well but it's not likely. You will also likely pay a fee to the credit card company for it.
