What’s the difference between a credit card and a debit card? A prepaid virtual card and an e-wallet provider? A bank draft and a bank transfer? I found this all very confusing, and so set out to find out a little about all the different types of payment methods available; here’s my overview:
MasterCard: a credit card; it’s as if you’ve paid the money now, but you don’t actually pay it until your credit card bill comes at the end of the month where you will see the payment usually under the casino’s financial partner’s name.
Visa: Credit card, see MasterCard.
Delta: Debit Card under the Visa umbrella; a debit card takes the money directly from your bank account.
Visa electron: Either a debit card or a credit card depending on how a particular bank issues it. Not available in USA, Canada or Australia.
Neteller: Set up an account, pay into that account from your bank, credit card etc., and use that account to pay into online accounts such as your casino account. It acts as an in between man between you and your casino so your casino doesn’t have your bank details. Your Neteller account can be in a bunch of different currencies. A Neteller account also accepts money from the casino, so you can withdraw your funds into it. Charges vary depending on deposit methods.
Neteller Instacash: Offered in some countries only, this form of Neteller payment allows for instant credit transfer rather than waiting the usual 3 days for transfer of funds.
Ecocard: An online prepaid debit card. It can be topped up using a number of methods, and allows stricter control of online spending. Again, using the Ecocard limits the personal details that a casino site has; they will have your Ecocard details, not your credit card details.
Firepay: an online account that acts like a debit card; like the Ecocard, the funds must be in your Firepay account before you can use them, allowing for purchasing control. Firepay offers instant credit, direct bank funding, real-time account access, and unlimited incoming funds payments (i.e. your winnings from your casino account).
Moneybookers: An email based method of sending and receiving funds; the account is linked to your bank account or credit card.
EwalletXpress/900pay: 900pay from EwalletXpress bills online transactions to your phone bill; 900pay does not offer credit facilities.
Wire transfer: A straight transfer of funds from your bank account to the casino or from a cash office to the casino; wire transfers usually require a waiting period and often carry charges.
Cheque/bank draft: Just like writing a cheque to a friend; there is usually a fairly long waiting period for cheque payments.
Click2Pay: online account that acts as a middle man between you and the casino. May be funded through a number of options, and accepts incoming funds, i.e. from the casino. Comes with charges.
