
Throughout my years of online sports betting I’ve found a huge range of payment methods you can use to deposit money and one that I’ve been using for sometime now is PaysafeCard.
As you will see below, PaysafeCard betting sites utilize this unique payment card that has physical elements to allow you to make incredibly secure transactions and have greater control over your spending. In this guide I explain what PaysafeCard is, how it works at betting sites, and the benefits it offers.
Let’s start with the basics and have a little history lesson. PaysafeCard is a prepaid payment card that uses cash to make online payments with. The company was founded in 2000 in Austria and initially started in Europe, expanding to countries like Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Slovakia, and Spain. As it grew in popularity, it spread worldwide and is currently available in over 50 countries. The system is renowned for its functionality and security.
| Company | PaysafeCard |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Vienna, Austria |
| Service | Prepaid online payment card |
| Countries available in | Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA, Uruguay. |
I’ll explain how betting sites with PaysafeCard work in a later section, but the basic process is that you first buy a PaysafeCard from a physical retailer such as a gas station with a prepaid value of like $10. That card should have a unique 16 digit pin that you enter during the online payment stage – the value you deposit is then removed from the card and transferred to the recipient – easy!
Betting with PaysafeCard is especially easy like the best Neteller betting sites and I think aside from credit and debit cards, this has to be one of the simplest online payment methods available. Below I explain how you purchase a PaysafeCard and then how you can use it at an online betting site.
It’s vital to realize that there is a physical element to the PaysafeCard system and this involves purchasing a physical e-voucher from a retailer. You can’t buy PaysafeCards online – it’s meant to have that physical element as a part of its security. Therefore, to get a PaysafeCard voucher you will have to go to one of the following locations:
There is a complementary app that PaysafeCard maintains that you can use to find retailers that sell the cards near your location which I find really handy. There’s usually loads of retails available, for example, in the US there’s over 40,000 locations where you can buy the vouchers. You simply have to go to one of the retailers and ask for a prepaid PaysafeCard voucher – you will also have to specify the denomination which is usually in multiples of 10 such as $10, $20, $50, etc.
You will then either pay by cash or card and get an e-voucher. Originally you got a scratchcard where you scratched a foil to reveal the 16-digit code, but to reduce costs and wastage, you now simply get a voucher with the 16 digit code printed on it that looks like a shopping receipt.
Now that you’ve got your PaysafeCard voucher with an amount on it, you can use it at a PaysafeCard betting site. The process for this is also extremely simple and it should require the following steps:
This may vary depending on the individual operator, but there shouldn’t be anything more to making a deposit. The amount you deposit will then be deducted from your voucher. From my experience, I’ve found that PaysafeCard transactions are usually processed instantly but this can depend on the processing capabilities of the sportsbook.
It’s important to remember that you can’t withdraw money from your account back to your PaysafeCard – you’d have to use another withdrawal method, or use your myPaysafe account which acts like an e-wallet.
Compared to other online payment methods, I think PaysafeCard is a superior choice for sports betting and it offers several key benefits concerning security and control.
I don’t think you should ever try and hide your gambling spending habits as this can lead to problems. However, the fact that your paysafeCard deposit will not appear on your bank balance can have benefits. For example, online gambling transactions can have a potential impact on your credit score when applying for things like mortgages and loans so using a PaysafeCard can potentially help with that.
The main benefit for me is the control that it offers in terms of regulating my sportsbook spending. PaysafeCard betting sites usually have responsible gambling tools too where you can set things like deposit limits, but PaysafeCard deposits can give you an extra form of control on top of those tools.
This is because using this payment method requires more effort compared to depositing with your debit card. Think about it – to deposit with your debit card, all you have to do is open your wallet, take your card out, and enter the details – it’s quick and easily accessible. In contrast, you have to make a physical journey to get a PaysafeCard voucher which takes more time and effort.
I typically combine a weekly deposit limit via the responsible gambling tools, with only using PaysafeCard for deposits to effectively control my spending. For example, I might top up the card with $25 per week and set my weekly deposit limit at the sportsbook to $25 per week.
Online sportsbooks that accept PaysafeCard rank among the best betting sites when it comes to security. This is because there is no link between your actual banking details and the PaysafeCard voucher and you never enter any personal details when making your PaysafeCard deposit. All you have to enter is the 16-digit code which means that theoretically, hackers and cybercriminals should never be able to defraud you.
I think about it this way – the only way that a PaysafeCard voucher can be compromised is if someone physically gets your voucher and steals your 16 digit code. The reality is if that happens then you’ve probably got more important things to worry about anyway and have probably lost more than your PaysafeCard! This payment method is essentially anonymous which gives you a far greater level of security compared to other online payment methods.
Like betting sites accepting Apple Pay, PaysafeCard isn’t infallible and there are some potential drawbacks which I’ve briefly explained in the below pros and cons:
I rate PaysafeCard betting sites right up there with other operators like Trustly bookmakers. It’s just an incredibly convenient, secure, and useful payment method. For me, the biggest thing is the security and I love knowing that unless someone manages to get my 16-digit code, that my money is safe. Being able to easily control my sportsbook spending is also a big plus, and it helps that the deposit process is especially simple.
If you are looking for an alternative payment method, want to protect your credit score, and want a better way to control your weekly sportsbook spend, converting PaysafeCard bookies could be just the thing you need so why not check out the links or banners on this page for inspiration and sites to try?
Currently PaysafeCard is supported in over 50 countries including the USA, Australia, Belgium, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Turkey, New Zealand, Portugal, Germany, and Denmark.
You buy a PaysafeCard from a physical retailer with a pre-set amount such as $10. You then login to your sportsbook account, choose PaysafeCard as a payment method, and enter the 16 digit code from the card to make a deposit.
Yes. The only way for someone to get money from your PaysafeCard is if they physically steal it from you. It’s an especially secure payment method due to the nature of the physical card and how you need to enter a unique 16 digit code to make a payment.