Despite the vast array of alternative deposit choices available to players at mobile casinos – many of which are far more convenient – the most popular method of depositing at online and mobile casinos remains to be Visa debit and credit cards.
This is because vast majority of British banks issue Visa cards as debit cards, which are handed out when you sign up to a bank account. This means that there are Visa debit cards sat inside the wallets of millions of people round the UK. This makes them the easy and obvious choice for players who want to deposit into mobile casinos by card.
What is the Difference Between a Debit and Credit Card?
Ok, bear with us here as we know this sounds like an obvious question! Whilst we all may know the main differences between credit and debit cards, there are some casino-specific advantages and disadvantages to each that we think you should be aware of.
First, however, let's start with the basics. A debit card allows you to take money directly from your bank account and deposit it into your casino account. This means that you can only deposit whatever funds you have available in your bank account.
In contrast, a credit card essentially allows you to borrow money.
With a credit card, you can deposit whatever you want to into your casino account, and then you must pay it off at the end of the month or over a certain period of time.
Most credit cards, however, do charge interest rates and therefore you should always be mindful of what you're spending.
The Main UK Credit and Debit Card Providers
- Visa
- Visa Debit
- Visa Electron
- Mastercard
- Maestro
- Solo
- Switch
The Advantages of Debit Card Deposits
The main advantage of using a debit card over a credit card is that you're spending your own money. When you spend on a debit card you can see the transaction almost immediately on your bank statement, which these days you can check online with ease. This makes it easier to keep tabs on your budget and not let your casino deposits get out of hand.
Another advantage of debit card deposits is that withdrawing via the same method is straightforward and easy. In contrast, sometimes a credit card deposit or withdrawal may need extra identification checks and verification.
The Advantages of Credit Card Deposits
Aside from letting you borrow money, credit card deposits also have a couple of other advantages. For example, most credit cards will reward you with benefits for choosing them.
These could cashback vouchers, air miles or other discounts. The more you use your credit card, the more benefits you'll pick up and so this could be an incentive to use the card at your casino of choice.
Perhaps more importantly, however, credit cards also offer you protection that a debit card does not. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act states that if you spend between £100 and £30,000 on a credit card, you're protected.
This means that if an online casino goes bust or is found to be rogue, you can reclaim your funds. If your casino deposits are regularly over £100, you should consider using a credit card.
How to Deposit at a Casino with Credit/Debit Card
While being slightly more time consuming than other depositing methods, deposits by Visa are secure and instant, meaning that when you deposit with Visa at mobile casino, you can be playing right away.
To deposit with Visa, simply head to the banking pages of your chosen casino and select ‘Visa’. The casino will prompt you to enter your chosen deposit amount and card details. So long as all the details are correct, as soon as you hit ‘Confirm’ your deposit should be waiting for you in your account.
The process should be almost identical with Visa credit cards to debit cards, and the same with Mastercard, Maestro, Solo or Switch too.
Depositing Limits With Credit/Debit Card
Another huge benefit of using a credit/debit card over more modern payment methods is that they usually have much greater upper depositing limits.
What's more, minimum credit and debit card deposits start as low as just £5 at some online casinos, which means they're perfect for more casual gamers.
Depositing/Withdrawal Times With Credit/Debit Card
At the majority of online casinos, credit and debit card transactions are processed immediately. This means that if you use your card to fund your casino account, you'll be a
ble to play with the cash just seconds later.
Withdrawals via credit or debit card are a different story, however. Unlike e-wallet services, which often offer instant withdrawals, credit and debit card withdrawals generally take between 1-5 working days.
If you're using a UK casino and a UK card the processing time for your withdrawal may be towards the lower end of this scale. Yet, it's essentially dependent on how long it takes your bank to process transactions. Furthermore, this means if you decide to withdraw on a Saturday, the process may not start until the Monday.
The good news, however, is that debit card casino deposits are almost always free. You shouldn't incur any transaction fees when using this type of card. Credit cards, on the other hand, do sometimes carry an extra fee so make sure you check with your casino before deciding whether this is the method for you.