Top Paysafe Poker Sites in 2018

PaySafeCard is a favorite prepaid card used by poker players worldwide. PaySafe is not as well-known as Skrill or Neteller, but readers will learn below that PaySafeCard payments are every bit as trustworthy and reputable as those more famous deposit methods. The reason PaySafe is comparable to its supposed rivals: all three payment processors now are owned by the same multinational corporation. PaySafe Group is a London-based financial group owned by a consortium of private equity firms led by groups in the United States and Luxembourg.

What Is PaySafeCard?

Before we discuss too much about PaySafe Group and its services, it might help to inform readers what PaySafeCard is. PaySafeCard is a prepaid card which can be bought much like Ukash e-vouchers used to be purchased. Online poker players can buy them at hundreds of thousands of retail outlets and kiosks worldwide in denominations of £10, £25, £50 and £75. PaySafeCard prepaid cards can be used to pay in foreign currencies, too. In fact, that’s one of the reasons players like to use PaySafeCard prepaid cards.

As for the history of PaySafeCard, Neteller, and Skrill, the PaySafe brand might have had the most auspicious start of all three famous payment services. Under its previous name (Ukash), PaySafeCard once received an award from the Queen of England. At a time, PaySafeCard was listed as one of the 100 fastest-growing British companies in any field of business. This guide will cover why poker sites love PaySafeCard so much, but let’s first take a quick glance at the company history.

 

PaySafeCard History

PaySafe Group is a combination of two famous web wallets, Neteller and Skrill, and one famous e-voucher company, Ukash. Neteller formed in Canada in 1999. Skrill formed in the United Kingdom in 2001. Ukash was formed in 2005, also in the UK. All three had tremendous success in the online gambling business, while building portfolios in non-gaming online payment processing and vendor services. Ukash was an innovative e-voucher service which has 100,000+ kiosks throughout Europe.

Those who bought Ukash vouchers (prepaid money) were given a 19-digit code which changed after each purchase. In a way, Ukash e-vouchers anticipated blockchain payments, which also use unique one-time codes for better security. Ukash was an innovator in other forms of fraud protection, such as its 2013 launch of AvoidOnlineScams.net, which protected against scammers and ransomware.

In 2015, Ukash was bought by Skrill. Its vouchers stopped being sold on August 31 of that year, while any vouchers expired on October 31, 2015. The Ukash brand was replaced by Skrill Group’s paysafecard scheme on the same day. In 2017, Blackstone Group and CVC Capital Partners bought Skrill, thus bringing Skrill, Neteller, and PaySafeCard under the same investment group. The new company is called PaySafe Group, so in a certain way, PaySafeCard is the parent brand of Skrill and Neteller.

PaySafeCard Benefits and Drawbacks

Using a PaySafeCard for poker sites has a number of advantages over Visa or MasterCard, along with a disadvantage or two. Below is a list of the various pros and cons of using this prepaid card, which can be purchased in over 300,000 outlets worldwide. The United Kingdom has 20,000 PaySafeCard outlets.

  • PaySafeCard App: PaySafeCard has its own mobile app. Whether you play poker using Android or iPhone, simply scan the PaySafeCard QR code to make mobile poker deposits.
  • Fast Deposits: Anytime you use PaySafeCard for poker deposits, they’ll arrive in instants. Besides being an instant payment method, most PaySafeCard deposits are free.
  • PaySafeCard MasterCard: PaySafe Group and MasterCard have a partnership, so anyone with a PaySafeCard account receives their own PaySafeCard MasterCard prepaid debit card. Anywhere MasterCard is accepted, you can use the prepaid card.
  • Smaller Deposits: PaySafeCard has a maximum payment limit of $300, so PaySafeCard is a deposit method for penny players and mid-stakes cardplayers. High rollers should consider Neteller, Skrill, or a credit card like Amex.
  • MyPaySafeCard: Use MyPaysafecard to keeps an overview of all your PaySafe passwords, so you no longer need to remember the 16-digit code. Instead, use MyPaySafeCard by entering your username and (shorter) pass code.
  • High Security: Because PaySafeCard uses smaller prepaid card amounts, you never have to worry about losing thousands upon thousands of dollars through carelessness or bad fortune. PaySafeCard poker deposits are safe and secure — and they safeguard your privacy.

What Poker Sites Accept PaySafeCard Deposits?

A full 2,035 online betting sites accepted PaySafeCard deposits. 888 Poker, William Hill Poker, Bet365 Poker, Ladbrokes Poker, Betfair Poker, Betfred Poker, Unibet, BetVictor, and PokerStars are just a few of the online poker sites which accept PaySafeCard. Most of the big brand name cardplayer sites do.

PaySafeCard is a favorite deposit method at a lot of US online casinos, like Lincoln Casino, Club World Casinos, Miami Club Casino, and Slotastic. Only a few US-friendly online poker sites accept PaySafeCard, such as Intertops Poker, TonyBet Poker, Lii Poker, and Super Poker.

PaySafeCard vs. Neteller vs. Skrill

Though all three payment processors are now owned by PaySafe Group, there is not much of a comparison between PaySafeCard and Neteller (or Skrill). PaySafeCard is a prepaid card, while Neteller and Skrill are e-Wallets. PaySafeCard requires you to buy a prepaid card at one of 300k vendors throughout the world, then make a deposit by inputting a 16-digit code to the poker site. If you use the PaySafeCard Android or IOS app, you can combine all your PaySafeCard PIN numbers together and make payments using a simple username and password.

Neteller and Skrill are e-wallets that allow people to maintain an account balance, much like one would with a credit card or bank account. Neteller and Skrill allow for bigger online poker deposits, while PaySafeCard’s main benefit is security. If you lose your PaySafeCard, the most you can lose is $300.

Pay Safe with the Paysafecard

The paysafecard lets you use the cash in your pocket to pay for things online. At one of 600,000 points of sale, you can use cash to buy a paysafecard with a unique 16-digit PIN number. There are plenty of advantages to this system, including:

  • No need to have a credit card or a bank account.
  • But if you do have them, you won’t have to provide that information.
  • Getting the card is free.
  • Checking its balance and transaction history is free.
  • You can use it to reload your Skrill digital wallet.
  • Available at more than 600,000 points of sale in 45 countries

A New Way to Pay

A small Austrian business created paysafecard in 2000 as a way to spend cash on the Internet. Within a year, the product was also available in Germany. With EU backing, paysafecard expanded into five more European countries, including the United Kingdom in 2006. Having earned a number of official licenses for its e-money transactions, paysafecard had reached most European countries and extended out to South America by 2009. Within the next three years, it was in North America and Asia. In 2014, the company entered a deal with Mastercard and began offering a pre-paid debit card. Paysafecard joined Skrill and Neteller as part of the publicly-traded Paysafe Group, in 2015.

Benefits to Using Paysafecard

The paysafecard system, which is essentially extra-secure Internet cash, offers a number of benefits to consumers:

  • Safety: You’ll never need to provide any credit card or banking numbers to online merchants.
  • Security: If your paysafecard number is lost or stolen, it can be locked immediately, at any time, on the paysafecard website. This blocks further charges. Then you can request a refund of your money.
  • Opportunity: People without a credit card or bank account are able to purchase goods and services online.
  • Accessibility: You can buy paysafecards around the world. They’re available at more than 600,000 sales outlets in 45 countries, in 26 currencies.
  • Affordability: There are no fees to buying a paysafecard. So your $100 is entirely yours to spend. There are no charges for checking your balance or transaction history. The paysafecard app, available for iOS and Android devices, is also free.

How to Get a Paysafecard PIN

Depending on your country, it can be simple to purchase your paysafecard online. Unfortunately that’s not yet possible in the United States. But because there are more than 600,000 physical locations that sell them, paysafecards are still very easy to get in America. The paysafecard website and free app have straightforward retailer locators to help you get your PIN quickly.

Once at the retail location, you’ll need to remember that what you’re buying is often a voucher with a 16-digit PIN rather than a plastic card. You can buy it from the salesperson using cash, credit or debit card. In the United States, these PINs are available in $10, $25, $50 and $100 amounts. Once you have your PIN you can immediately enjoy shopping online.

Keeping Your Paysafecard Safe

As secure as your paysafecard PIN is online, there are steps you can take to keep your digital money safer.

  • Do not share your PIN. Think of it like cash; anyone can spend it.
  • Do not make any financial transactions while your device is connected to an unsecured public wireless network.
  • If you lose your PIN or believe it was stolen, go to the paysafecard website to lock it immediately.

Summary of Paysafecard Fees

  • Purchasing your PIN: $0
  • Checking your PIN balance: $0
  • Reviewing your PIN purchase history: $0
  • PIN balance redemption: $7.50
  • Currency conversion: 2%-4%
  • PIN balance unused after 12 months: $2/month, starting on the 13th month

Conclusion

PaySafeCard is a good deposit option for low stakes poker players who value their bankroll’s security more than anything. PaySafe Card is the prepaid card choice for cardplayers who used to use Ukash e-vouchers. If you don’t want to use Visa or MasterCard prepaid cards for any reason, PaySafeCard is a good poker deposit alternative. Associated with Skrill and Neteller and owned by the London-based PaySafe Group, PaySafeCard is fast, reliable, and highly trusted.