Neteller
An e-money option, an e-wallet, or whatever you prefer to call it, Neteller is a very common payment method offered at most online casinos, a great way to protect your personal information, as well as have an account for your gaming that’s separate from your primary finances. They have two headquarters, one in the UK and the other in the Isle of Man, the latter of which is the #1 hotspot of online gaming companies.
How Do I Open An Account?
Go to the Neteller website and fill out the appropriate information, which includes your email address and password, the currency you want your account in, and your general personal information, like your name, date of birth, address, etc. You do not need to enter any payment information to join; you only need to enter the payment info when you want to make a deposit, so if you are just opening up a Neteller account to accept a withdrawal at the casino, no further action is required. If you do want to deposit funds on there in order to make a deposit at an online casino, you have several choices to choose from, including MasterCard, Visa, paysafecard, and even Bitcoin.
You can also request a prepaid MasterCard through your Neteller account, making it possible to withdraw money out of an ATM and shop at (offline) places using your mastercard plastic card.
What’s the Advantage?
One of the biggest advantages of using a Neteller wallet is the fact that it’s a third party payment method, allowing for a more anonymous experience that protects your personal bank account, credit, or debit card information. Another advantage is the fact that pretty much every single online casino allows for players to use Neteller as a payment method, which makes it the most accessible option out of all the other web wallet type services. When the company pulled out of the US and Canadian markets for a brief time, many online casinos responded by dropping them, but since they have opened their doors back up, most of those casinos reestablished Neteller as an option. There will be a few casinos that you might come across that do not accept it, but given all the fantastic ones that do (truly the best of the best), if you want to use a Neteller payment method, simply don’t play at the casinos that don’t accept it. We seriously doubt you’ll be sacrificing much.
What Are the Downsides?
No payment method is without its downsides. Debit and credit cards often have transaction fees, and BPAY is limited to a very select few casinos and do not offer the option to withdraw. With Neteller, the biggest downsides are the fees. There is a 3.39% foreign exchange fee, and since the vast majority of online casinos are not based in Australia, you will probably have to pay it every time you deposit and withdraw. While there are no fees to pay in shops, restaurants, or online stores, there is a $6 ATM withdrawal fee if you choose to get the Neteller MasterCard, and $14 to replace the card if you lose it. Also you need to pay a one time $14 fee to activate your Mastercard. While their methods of depositing into your Neteller account covers the preference spectrum, there are fees there as well, with 5% for Bitcoin, but less than 2% for MasterCard or Visa.
Conclusion
The vast majority of (if not all) payment methods will charge a small foreign transaction fee, so it doesn’t disqualify Neteller as a strong contender. Adding an extra layer of security to your most sensitive personal information (like personal credit card or bank account) can be a great bit of additional assurance, and the fact that pretty much every online casino offers the Neteller option makes it a safer bet than all other e-money options. Neteller is now synonymous with online gaming, and that’s because, since opening in 2000, it has garnered consistent client satisfaction, partnered with the best casinos, and continues to offer innovative services as technology advances.