Poker Deposit Options
Getting chips at a live poker room is a pretty simple affair. You go to the cage, hand over money, and get chips in return. In fact, at some poker rooms you don't even have to go to the cage - a chip runner will come directly to the table, take your money, and return somewhat magically with racks of chips.
If only it were so simple online. Playing online poker requires you to engage in a slightly more complicated process to get chips for your money, but perhaps not as complicated a process as some believe. To help you make your deposit in the quickest, safest and cheapest manner possible, we've broken down all of the major deposit methods for online poker sites below. Click on any of the links for more detailed information about a particular deposit method and the rooms that accept it.
Typical Deposit Methods for Online Poker Rooms
There are almost as many ways to make a deposit at an online poker site as there are players at the site - at least it can seem that way sometimes. We've categorized the major ones by type and provided a quick synopsis of each below.
American Express is a well-known brand across the United States. Unfortunately, very few poker sites accept this method of payment. Read our Amex poker page to find out which sites do accept American Express deposits, how to use your card to make a purchase and how to use your Amex card to fund ewallet accounts.
The instant check, otherwise known as eChecks, is an easy to use payment option for US players. The eCheck system works in the same manner as paper checks and allows you to fund your online poker account directly from your bank account. No credit card required. Find out which poker sites accept eChecks in our review.
MasterCard is accepted by most USA poker rooms; however some poker rooms are able to process MasterCard transactions better than others. Our MasterCard deposit page lists the best sites based on player reviews and their ability to process M/C poker deposits. The review covers how to use your card, what to do if your card is rejected and sign up bonuses exclusive from our site.
All poker sites accept Visa deposits which is why we have put together this page which ranks and outlines the best poker rooms for USA players with Visa. This page features an easy to use guide on how to deposit and cash out, as well as which sites have the best bonus offers for players depositing with a Visa credit card.
Prepaid Visas are easy to use. You can pick up a Prepaid Visa at any Wal-Mart or Wal-Greens location (as well as any other store selling prepaid visas). Once purchased you simply log into a Prepaid Visa accepted poker site and initiate a transfer. It works just like cash. Our Prepaid page lists the best sites accepting this payment method as well as deposit/ cash out information.
Western Union is another popular option for USA poker players. This payment method does incur a higher fee than using a credit card, but it also allows you to make large deposits & withdrawals. Our Western Union poker page provides an easy to use guide on how to deposit to a WU poker room, which sites offer this payment options and first deposit bonuses.
Wire transfer / bank transfer is another option if you have issues with your credit card deposit or prefer to just deposit directly to the poker room without using a service like MoneyGram or Western Union. Our wire transfer page explains the steps necessary to initiate a transfer and a list of poker rooms that accept wires.
Click2Pay is an ewallet service similar to PayPal and Neteller. Our Click2Pay deposit page provides a how to guide on setting up an account and depositing to a poker site. Additionally, we also provide a list of poker sites that accept Click2Pay deposits. Please note – this deposit option is not available for USA poker players.
Entropay is another ewallet type service however it is slightly different from the others mentioned on this page. Entropay provides users with virtual Visa and MasterCard’s which you can later use to make a deposit at an Entropay accepted poker site. You will need to create an account with Entropay and purchase a virtual card first. Read this deposit page to find out which poker rooms accept this deposit option.
InstaCash is a service provided by Neteller, whereby players can deposit instantly to their poker accounst without having to wait for the deposit to clear Neteller first. The InstaCash service works in the same manner as the eCheck service. Our InstaCash page lists the best poker rooms accepting this deposit option as well as a brief overview of how to use this payment method.
Skrill, formerly known as Moneybookers is another ewallet service similar to Neteller. You can use your Moneybookers account to deposit and withdraw from online poker sites in addition to making purchases online. Our Skrill / Moneybookers page outlines the best sites accepting this option as well as a brief overview on using the Skrill service.
Neteller is one of the leading payment solutions for online poker players that live in Europe. This poker deposit option is not available to Canadians nor Americans. Our Neteller poker page provides a list of the top poker rooms accepting this method. You will also find most sites will give you an additional bonus above and beyond the sign up offer, just for using Neteller to deposit and cash out.
UKash is a prepaid card available in most local retailers throughout Europe, Asia, Canada and Australia. Our UKash page outlines which poker rooms accept UKash, how to use UKash to deposit and bonuses available to our players. Please note – Ukash is not available to USA players.
WebMoney is an online money transferring service where you can deposit to a poker site using WebMoney by loading your account using online transfers, bank transfers and / or prepaid WM cards. You can use this service to both deposit and cashout from participating poker sites. Read our WebMoney page to find out more information about this service as well as which poker sites accept WebMoney deposits.
Credit Cards
Probably the most-used deposit option for poker players looking to make a deposit. Benefits include speed and convenience, but players may not be able to use all cards at all rooms and security is a concern.
- Visa: One of the most popular payment solutions in the world is also a very frequent choice for online poker players.
- Mastercard: While not as universally accepted as Visa, still a very common choice for online poker players looking to deposit at a poker room.
- Amex: The least ubiquitous of the big three credit cards; options exist, but they're a bit scarce for online poker players.
- Prepaid Debit Cards: A newer choice that is gaining momentum among players that want to deposit at smaller sites or in a hyper-secure fashion.
E-Wallets
An ideal solution for players looking to segment their online poker activity from other financial activity. Upsides: Very quick transactions that generally carry no fees. Downsides: Not available to all poker players.
- Neteller: The original online poker ewallet, Neteller offers players an excellent mix of security, efficiency and top-notch customer support.
- Paypal: Only available in certain regions, but often the preferred option for poker players who can use it. Very secure, very fast and also free.
- Moneybookers: Arguably the most popular ewallet for online poker players thanks to wide acceptance rate, fast transactions and no fees for players.
Transfers
Method of choice for players that don't have access to ewallets or prefer to handle transactions in cash. Great for making tough deposits and for transaction speed, but generally causes players to incur some fees.
- Western Union: Great for poker players who want to keep the poker transactions private and don't mind a small fee for depositing. Rooms sometimes cover costs.
- Bank Wire: Good method for poker players looking to make larger deposits or withdrawals. Some fees associated but otherwise a secure and quick way for handling big transactions.
- EChecks: Very fast transactions with limited fees makes this option one that poker players are choosing more and more often.
In general, we suggest that players use ewallets like Neteller and Moneybookers if possible. Generally speaking, such services offer a solid combination of speed, security and reliability - and, as an added advantage, you can use them to manage all of your online poker accounts from one central location separate from your bank account. That's great not only for security, but for keeping track of your bankroll as well.
That is certainly not meant to imply that other deposit options aren't good - just that they're not always as optimal as an ewallet. Some sites don't accept ewallets, and players from some regions may not be able to sign up for them or use them at a particular room. If that's your situation, we think credit cards are going to be your next best option, with money transfer services like Western Union coming in a close second.
Ultimately, the choice of a method for making a deposit at an online poker site is going to be a personal one. Some players value speed, some value security and some value cost. Depending on which is the most important to you, one method might look quite a bit better than another. The key is to know the various pros and cons of all potential methods before you make a decision so that you don't get stuck using a method that is an awkward fit for your needs.
