Poker Deposit Options

If you decide to play online poker for real money, the first step is to actually deposit money onto the poker site of your choice. Most online poker rooms accept similar deposit methods, and the major difference between poker deposit methods is if they're USA friendly or not. Common USA friendly options include eChecks, credit cards, and money transfers. Common options that are closed to USA players include most eWallets and prepaid cards.

Every poker deposit option has different fees, deposit limits, and sign up processes, so make sure to read the individual articles below to learn specific information about each deposit method.

Credit and Debit Cards

Credit cards are arguably the quickest and most convenient form of deposit at online poker sites. To deposit with a credit card, you only have to provide the poker site with your name, the card number, the expiration date, and the CSV code. Credit card deposits, if approved, are instant, and have no fees associated with them. The current issue with credit cards is the fact that the UIGEA bill targets payment processors including credit and debit cards.

Because of this, credit and debit cards are kind of hit and miss as to whether or not they'll work for online poker deposits.

» List of Poker Sites that Accept Credit Cards

eChecks

eChecks work just like a paper check, but the entire process is carried out online. You can transfer funds directly from your checking account to your poker account. To deposit with eChecks, you'll have to provide the poker room with with your bank routing number and your checking account number (both of which can be found on your paper checks), your social security number, and a few other small details. eCheck deposits are instant and without fees; it's just like using a debit card to pay a bill from your checking account. Just like debit cards, eChecks are hit or miss in the USA.

» List of Poker Sites that Accept eChecks

eWallets

eWallets used to be the most popular USA poker deposit method, but the UIGEA bill has really cracked down on eWallets that process poker transactions. An eWallet is basically an online account that lets you transfer funds from your bank account to a poker site by using their transfer service. Also, eWallets let you withdraw directly from a poker site back to your bank account. One draw back with eWallets is that all of the eWalelts charge small fees for their services. Each of the below pages fully examines each service's fees, transaction times, and full terms of service.

» List of   Poker Sites that Accept Click2Pay            
- Poker Sites that Accept ClickandBuy        
- Poker Sites that Accept NETeller                 
- Poker Sites that Accept Moneybookers    
- Poker Sites that Accept PayPal                 
- Poker Sites that Accept EcoCard               

Prepaid Cards

Prepaid cards are an anonymous and secure way to deposit money directly to your poker account. To use a prepaid card, you have to buy the card with cash in a store, then log into your poker account to "redeem" the card for its online value. To deposit with a prepaid card, you usually you need to provide the poker site with the PIN number of the card - that's it. This is a great deposit option for players who would rather not share their financial or personal banking information with an online poker site. Also, there is usually no fee involved with this method, because the poker sites pick up the fees.

» List of Poker Sites that Accept PaySafeCard
- Poker Sites at Accept EntroPay         

Person-to-Person Transfers

Some poker sites have set themselves up to accept "person-to-person" money transfers, which are financial payments that can be sent around the world. These transfers allow people to walk into a live store in say, Germany, and send money to someone in a different country, say, Canada. Person-to-person transfers usually carry pretty high fees and require more work than the other deposit methods listed on this page, so we recommend using person-to-person poker deposits as a method of last resort. The pages below list each person-to-person transfer's fees, processing times, and full terms of use.

» List of Poker Sites that Accept MoneyGram

Other Poker Deposit Methods

Every once in a while a new poker deposit method pops up, has a good run, then disappears. These methods are usually a "quick buck" scheme by some company looking to make money, so we recommend avoiding new deposit options. The poker deposit methods we have listed on this page are proven options that have been around for a long time, and will provide you with quality transaction services for the long run.

One deposit method that is unique and rare, but is trusted, is PicClub. Learn about PicClub below:

» List of Poker Sites that Accept PicClub