Online Poker Sites & Credit Card Deposits
You might think that making a credit card deposit at one of the many online poker rooms is going to be the same thing as making any other purchase online. Unfortunately, this is not quite the case. Each of these online poker sites will first have to get their own credit card processor and run these transactions through or with the help of a third company (usually a bank or company with a close connection to a bank).
Some of the credit card processors being used by these poker sites work better than others. This means that it could either be a very smooth transaction, or their processing bank may reject the transaction. Unfortunately, this can and does happen. Poker rooms that are connected to websites having real money and real cash sports books and/or casinos generally seem to have credit card processors that work the best in terms of accepted transactions.
In addition to issues with the credit card processor on the online poker site's end, you might also be dealing with an international company. In this case, both of your locations can make a big difference in how the credit card transaction is processed. Sometimes, as a US player (for example), it might require you to go through the US banking system. That may lead to more hoops jumping and even the 'special' request to conduct an identification review or verification of the card holder.
Poker Online - Credit Card Deposits
After you have found a legitimate poker site, you can simply go ahead and make your deposit. You should, of course, have already registered at your chosen poker room, and also downloaded the poker software onto your desktop or their mobile phone app (depending how you have chosen to play).
If you are using software provided by any of the best real money online poker sites we recommend, they should have instructions making this very simple and easy to do. The process will be all laid out, you just need to fill out a few online forms and supply your credit card information. If you are using one of our recommended poker rooms, you can be sure this will be a completely secure financial transaction. The best websites go to great lengths to protect all your information, including the use of 128-bit data encryption software. This is the same protection afforded by huge banking corporations.
In most cases, you will receive a confirmation message almost immediately, informing you that the online poker site has indeed accepted your transaction. The money should then show up in your account almost immediately as well. However, different poker rooms have different policies and time lags for this. There might be a short wait of up to 30 minutes for them to make sure everything went according to plan. In other online poker rooms, they might only update their system once or twice a day. If that is the case, it could take 12 hours or so before money is available. Generally, you can discover which method your chosen websites are going to use by reading their terms and conditions page.
There is another possibility you might have to face when making online poker site credit card deposits in 2023. The processing bank, or even your bank, may be wary of this transaction based on a number of factors & reasons. Therefore, they may ask for additional confirmation of your identity and that you are really giving authorization for this purchase. In the simplest case, you would be asked to sign and email back a document stating that you are the cardholder and have given authorization for these poker sites (in some cases it might look as if the transaction is flowing through more than one) to process your deposit.
You may also have to go through identity verification. Once again, this is relatively simple, although it does take more time and delay your start to playing at these poker sites and trying to make some real cash. The site will simply ask you to supply documents which prove your identity. Usually something like a driver's license or a utility bill will be sufficient. If you are unsure as to what they will consider acceptable, just ask. Either way, find them, make copies and send them over via fax or email to your chosen credit card poker site.
Bonuses with Poker Online – Credit Card Deposits
All of the best real money online poker sites like players making deposits with their credit cards. Those poker sites with good and stable processing companies have this down to a fine art and the whole thing moves like clockwork. To encourage you to make your deposit at their particular poker rooms, you will be offered bonuses.
Bonuses are great ways to make additional free cash. It can give a nice little kick start to your bankroll. These bonuses will be based on the amount of your deposit. Usually this will be described as a percentage. For example one, of the poker sites you may consider is offering you a 100% bonus and the other poker room will give you 200% of your deposit. What's the difference here?
Site one will essentially double your deposit. You put in $200 and they give you an additional 100%, or $200. That's a total of $400 in available cash. But the second of those poker sites is going to give you 200% of your deposit, or a $400 bonus. Combined with original deposit, that's a total of $600 in available real cash.
Bonuses will also have cut off points. You might be offered a 100% of up to $600. This means that you can deposit up to $600 for that full 100% bonus. However, if you deposit $1,000 they are going to cut you off and only give you the promised $600. Of course, if you are coming in with a nice chunk of real money, they might be willing to consider offering you a special high roller bonus!
Special Considerations For Online Poker Site Credit Card Deposits (pre-paid CC's)
In most cases, in online poker sites credit card deposits will be more or less straightforward. There might be times when an authorization form will be needed, or when you might have to undergo an identity verification process.
There is one unique situation that pertains to credit cards and online poker rooms. In the past, when the US laws began to change and some poker rooms tried to skirt around them, someone had the bright idea of using pre-paid credit cards. These are like gift cards you can buy at retail stores. In some cases, you might even be able to take a real credit card and load money onto it. Then, you could take this and make a deposit at your favorite online poker rooms.
This might have worked for a while, but the major credit card companies have put a stop to this. Those pre-paid credit cards no longer work for making online transaction in 2023 and onwards. They were likely abused on numerous levels and it got to a point where big companies added more safeguards into them.
HOW DO WE RATE THE BEST POKER SITES FOR CREDIT CARD BONUSES?
Credit cards are commonly used for deposits at online poker sites but their popularity doesn’t guarantee that the operator is a top choice. This is why we carefully analyze each poker room to see if it lives up to our standards.
When it comes to credit card bonuses, the rating is a combination of the size of the offer and its wagering requirements. A good bonus is of 100% but some online poker sites can offer additional bonuses for using a credit card to make the deposit. This can add a few more percentage points to the overall bonus and thus make for a better start when playing poker online.
Another important thing that many players overlook but we certainly take into consideration is the competition on the poker room. In 2016, a lot of players are familiar with the game and this can make it harder for newcomers to win at the tables, even at the lower stakes. However, some sites pride themselves on soft competition and this makes for a fun experience, especially if we add in the free money from the bonus.
Overall, credit card bonuses play a significant role in how we rate online poker sites but there are plenty of other factors we consider as well.
