PaySafeCard Casinos

PaySafeCard has changed the online casino market by allowing players to deposit using voucher codes that can be purchased in shops displaying the “Pay Point” symbol.

These pre-paid vouchers can be purchased in cash if you wish, without the need for a bank account.  You can also purchase vouchers using bank cards of course, with the benefit being it is the purchase of the voucher that shows up on an account, not the final deposit into a casino.

Voucher codes can then be used to added in the deposit section of sites that accept the method and money is instantly transferred to your player wallet.

If you also choose to sign up to My PaySafeCard you can store your voucher codes in an online wallet, rather than on a paper slip, which is more secure.  It also allows you to store codes obtained when withdrawing funds back to PaySafeCard.

Perhaps one of the most ingenious banking methods in the online casino industry, the paysafecard has not only revolutionised how players can make deposits, but also provides more security.

A true global market leader for online prepaid payment methods, paysafecard is a subsidiary of Paysafe Holdings UK Limited. Used across a wide range of industries, the Paysafecard has changed the way we think about consumerism, with more of an emphasis on responsible spending.

This applies none more so than in the gambling industry, with the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and relevant gambling ombudsman keen in recent years to ensure that every betting enterprise clearly advertises and promotes responsible gambling.

What is PaySafeCard?

Essentially the paysafecard exists to ensure that players who want to bet or wager using cash are able to do so in a safe and secure manner. Paysafecards are available from official online outlets and are distributed in the form of a unique 16 digit pin which represents the value of what you bought it for.

This means that if you bought one for £10, when you select the paysafecard icon as a deposit option at an online casino, when you type in this code, your online casino account will be credited with £10.

The main advantage here, is that you don’t have to give the online casino any personal or financial details which many people aren’t comfortable doing.

However, you can also buy a physical paysafecard, with a number of retailers including WHSmith and Poundland having paysafecard paypoints where you are able to exchange cash for one over the counter.

The process of receiving the funds still works in the same way; apart from the fact that the paysafecard exists in a voucher format which has your 16 digit pin on.

Always keep your paysafecard pin safe; if you lose it, this can be very hard to retrieve and customer service may not always help you unless there is proof of suspicious activity.

By registering a ‘My paysafecard’ account online you can more securely keep track of any transactions that are made and if you do lose it or suspect that it has been stolen a record of the fraudulent transaction will show up.

How To Use PaySafeCard for Gambling

The perfect partnership: round peg into a round hole. It could be argued that the paysafecard is an answer to critics of the gambling industry who suggest that once players are hooked on the games and slots, it is too easy for them to continue making deposits, without really thinking about the potential long term consequences.

The true beauty of the paysafecard method, is that this can be purchased in store or online for a set amount, typically in multiples of five.

Each card is assigned with a 16-digit code, which requires the purchaser to enter that code at the checkout stage of any transaction – most online gambling sites now have the option for players to choose this payment option.

Essentially, what this does is then credit your account with the amount that you bought the card for and then start wagering at your own pace and convenience. Once the credit has been used, it is hard for the player to then deposit again, unless they repeat the process, which can be time-consuming and therefore, this then prevents players from being too hooked.

The other major benefit is the the option to pay for the vouchers using cash, convient if you do not have a bank account or you do not wish to use it for gambling transactions.  Paying in cash is also a good means to control how much you depsoit and when.  Even if you use a bank card to purchase the vouchers, only the voucher purcahse will show up on a statement, not the deposit to a casino site.

Other Banking Methods Available

Online casinos do also other banking methods for players that they can explore, though it is always worth doing research to make sure which one will work best for you.

Below are just a few that most online casinos offer their players.

• Debit cards: Perhaps the most traditional method, online casinos offer players the chance to register bank cards to their online casino account. They accept most major debit cards, including Visa, Maestro and MasterCard.
• E-wallets/Payment Gateways: Quite a new, yet nevertheless popular way of banking with online casinos. These include PayPal, Skrill and Neteller that most major online casinos offer and this simply adds an extra layer of security to the transaction with these acting as a middleman.
• Apple Pay: Only available with an Apple device, this method allows players to deposit and withdraw via their Apple Pay app from either their iPhone or iPad. While some of the major online casinos offer this as a payment option, some are still in the decision making process.

The Fort Knox of Online Payment systems

Security is always generally the most important issue for consumers with any online payment method and this is naturally understandable. While anything online is always going to be vulnerable, there are plenty of precautions that you can take, though every payment method usually has sophisticated online security in place.

The paysafecard though is as secure as it comes. It is as practical and as safe as using cash to make a transaction and this lends great and considerable peace of mind to the consumer. This is especially true in the online gambling industry, which is sometimes a hunting ground for hackers, despite the stringent security measures and the enormous amount of money online casinos commit to making sure their customers stay safe.

The most important procedure and step that you can take, which is quite self-explanatory, is to protect your PIN code. If you pass on your paysafecard PIN to any third party, it increases the risk of the recipient of accessing the balance of funds that you have already paid for. Just like you wouldn’t leave cash lying around, this is exactly the same.

While the paysafecard is easy to use, it is always recommended that you should use it with care. This means that you should only ever submit your paysafecard code at authorised paysafecard shops, or in the world of online casino – always make sure that the website is licensed and regulated by a relevant industry body.

In the majority of instances, the website will be; the UK Gambling Commission commits a hefty part of their budget on a daily basis to crawling the internet to ensure that every site they come across is already under their purview and then coming down hard on the ones that aren’t.

There are very few industries where this happens, which is one of the other advantages of using a paysafecard. You can be confident that when it comes to entering your paysafecard pin code, that the site is legitimate though another sign is that the URL should contain this information: https://customer.cc.at.paysafecard.com.

As a result, the security certificate is issued to customer.cc.at.paysafecard.com and this can be checked by clicking on the padlock icon that is next to or inside the browser’s address bar.

While you can contact the gambling commission if you aren’t sure if a website is trustworthy, it is also possible to get in touch with the paysafecard service team on their official website and they will be able to tell straight away whether the site in question is a partner of theirs.

Only Buy From PaySafeCard Outlets

One of the most important things is to make sure that as a customer, you only buy a paysafecard from official sales outlets, otherwise you could be the subject of a potential scam.

There are a number of ways in which you can easily find legitimate paysafecard outlets and one of those is to use the paysafecard sales outlet finder, available through their official website, or by downloading the paysafecard app. Only ever buy a paysafecard from a vendor which is approved by paysafecard itself.

Under any circumstances should you purchase a paysafecard from unauthorised websites or any kind of online exchanges such as eBay. To engage in the trading (buying or selling) of paysafecards in this way is prohibited.

Furthermore, swapping paysafecard pins on forums or even social media is definitely not recommended from a security perspective. This is because you could be victim to possible fraudulent activity; for example, there are no guarantees that you will receive a valid paysafecard pin (credit could already have been used or pin could be made up), regardless of whether the seller may have offered you a ‘reduced price’.

If you do buy a paysafecard pin from an unauthorised platform, you are unable to receive a refund from paysafecard. By keeping the 16-digit pin to yourself, you minimise the risk of your credit being spent. Even if, for any reason you need to call the paysafecard team, any customer service representative should only ask you for the serial number and never the complete pin.

One of the good things, though, just like if you lose your bank card, the same security prevention measures apply. So if you lose your pin or physical card, you can call the paysafecard hotline on ‘0800 051 7162’ and are, as such able to freeze the funds. However, always make sure that you know the serial number, because this allows staff to identify the right card and then they will provide information about the next steps.

In the case of online casino, with this being such an in-demand industry, it could be the case that you may be subject to clever attempts by people to encourage you to share your paysafecard details with them, especially online.

Recognising Paysafecard Scams

There are a number of very clever and sophisticated scams that are associated with paysafecard and it is always worth having an idea of the kind of threats that you could be exposed to. As such, we explore in detail, so that you don’t fall victim to any of these harmful scams.

BKA/GEMA computer virus – demands the payment of a “fine” by paysafecard

This BKA/GEMA computer virus requires the users of computers or devices which are affected, to pay a ‘fine’ and then threatens to delete hard drives. Should your computer be affected, a pop up window will open, which requests that you pay a penalty charge or recovery fee.

Paysafecard is not accepted by the BKA or GEMA as a method of payment, so should you get such requests, always ignore them and do not under any circumstances pay these ‘fines’.

Windows Update trojan – demands the installation of a cost-bearing Windows license

When your computer has been subject to an attack, a pop-up window in the form of a ‘Windows Update’ opens and threatens you with a loss of data. You will then be prompted to pay for this update, using the PIN that is attached to a paysafecard. Should this occur, you need to disregard it at all costs and never pay the amount that is demanded because it is a scam and could lead to significant problems.

Telephone nuisance calls by criminals attempting to access your funds

Fraudulent telephone calls have become more sophisticated in recent years as scammers constantly adapt their approaches to sound more convincing to their targets.

One of the ways is that callers will impersonate or masquerade as an associate of a law firm and are calling to let you know that you are due to receive a substantial amount of money. Though, where you should be on guard and realise that it is a scam is when they reveal that the provision and delivery of legal documents will total a sum in the hundreds of pounds/euros and as such, request that you pay this. They advise that you do this using a paysafecard pin.

Another scam involves the caller saying that they work for a consumer protection group and make assurances that you can significantly decrease the size of any of your old debts if you pay a small fee up front using a paysafecard.

Advance Fee Fraud: Loan Scams/Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) Scams

Another common and typical tactic that scammers use focuses on the payment protection industry. What you will find is that you are contacted by phone or email or in reply to advertisements, where you are then tricked into paying a fee upfront to secure a loan, “payment protection insurance” and/or other relatable financial advantage. What you will find is that callers will usually impersonate someone who works for either a financial organisation or law practice and are due to come into some cash, though to receive it, you need to make an upfront payment via a paysafecard pin.

Security Measures Against Scams

There are a number of security measures that can and should be taken against paysafecard scams, which will proactively protect you in the future.

Such measures include never divulging your paysafecard details to anyone either by email or over the phone and never to any member of the paysafecard team. Furthermore, always ignore emails which demand payment of fines, especially in connection to accusations relating to any violation of the law – these are not real whatsoever.

Also, you should always avoid watching online videos or “tutorials” which show you how to increase your paysafecard credit. These videos are regularly advertised on websites and social media streams and can come across as convincing. However, it is impossible to increase your paysafecard credit and these videos should be completely disregarded.

When you transact via authorised websites – of which in online gambling, the vast majority will be authorised, you significantly increase your chances of ensuring that you are protected.

Although it is encouraged that any suspicious website should be reported to the Gambling Commission, if the issue is also related to paysafecards, it is highly likely that they themselves will want to know as well.

Furthermore, this is also the case for Skrill, another payment option that is also offered by online casinos and which have risen in popularity over the years, even rivalling PayPal in usage and signups.

The process is very similar to that of the Neteller method, which again just needs you to up your Skrill digital wallet using the paysafecard payment option which will then allow you to access funds from and wager at your convenience and leisure via your online casino.

Identifying Malware That is Suspicious

Even if you have the best and most highly recommended malware protection and antivirus measures in place, there is no guarantee that your computer will stay completely safe against malicious software.

This means that, arguably, the most important security measure against harmful malware is your own common sense and being able to treat you receive to your email inbox or which prompt you to download from certain websites with extreme caution.

What is usually the biggest sign of malware is by the presence of download windows in addition to other processes which aren’t usually common. Should you encounter something like this, it is always worth severing your connection from the internet, which will prevent your data from being transferred. Due to the fact that trojans integrate themselves into your computer system, it is therefore necessary to remove any data. Trojan removal software is available for free from any recognised software company, which specialise in anti-malware.

Paysafecard is Unhackable

One thing that you can be sure of, is that paysafecard is unhackable, so you should not entertain any indications to the otherwise. There are posts and articles out there which explain how to hack paysafecard pins or how to increase a paysafecard balance, or how to increase the value of paysafecards by downloading software, however, these are completely fantastical.

Any such software or website that you come across which advertise this are of those who engage in criminal activity with their eventual aim being to get access to your paysafecard pin code. As such, because paysafecard carries no guarantees of replacing any funds, always be savvy.

Ultimately, paysafecard commits a significant amount of money to ensure that various technical security measures are in place which make the paysafecard completely unhackable.

Paysafecard Perfect Solution for iGaming Beginners

Those who are new to the world of iGaming and online casino, should ease themselves into it and get familiar with the slots and games that are on offer before they start committing huge amounts of funds to this.

It means that, ideally an online casino which offers paysafecard as a payment option could be the best option.

With it being recommended that beginner gamblers never wager too much until they are fully accustomed with the slot or game in question that they want to play, the best thing about paysafecards is that you can purchase these for as little as £5 – an ideal starting wager for a beginner.

Also, due to the fact that you have to repeat the process to then deposit again which can take more time, there could well be less of a temptation attached, which if you are new to gambling, is a good thing in the long term.

Link Paysafecard to Digital Wallets

Another very good feature of the paysafecard is that it lets you link up to a digital wallet and deposit via your 16 digit code.

What this means is that, should you change your mind already having purchased a paysafecard and decide to add a further layer of security and take advantage of the many different payment options provided by online casinos such as digital wallets, you can then do so!

Digital wallets have become popular among the online gambling community in recent years and the ability to link up to your Neteller account with your paysafecard adds even greater versatility, making for an even better user experience.

The method is easy. Once you have bought your paysafecard from an authorised vendor, simply top up your paysafecard account using your 16 digit pin.Then, log into your Neteller account and use your paysafecard to top up your Neteller account. You are presented with the paysafecard method as an option to top up your Neteller account, and just have to submit your paysafecard account username and password to authorise the top up.

From there, when you are using your online casino of choice, you know that you can use your Neteller account for depositing funds, knowing that you don’t have your bank account linked, but your highly secure paysafecard, with no trace at all to any sensitive details.

Can You Withdraw Using PaySafeCard?

Due to the disposable nature of the paysafecard many think it can only be used for deposits, but fortunately you can reverse the process with some operators.  If the betting site is a registered PSC provider they can themselves generate their own vouchers allowing you to withdraw back to a MyPaySafeCard account.  Most casinos still only take deposits via the vouchers however, and if this is the case you cannot make a withdrawal back to the same method.

However, with many people for understandable reasons hesitant about linking up their bank accounts, there is another way of doing this which is more secure.

One of the best ways of this is by having a payment gateway account registered, such as Skrill or Neteller (as you will have read above, paysafecard work with) and withdrawing any funds via this method.

Ultimately, you will have to synchronise a bank account to your payment gateway account, especially if you wish to use these funds following the transaction, however, due to the presence of a payment gateway, this adds an extra layer of security, and anonymity.

However, it may take three to five working days for any funds to arrive in your payment gateway account, especially if it is for a considerable sum of money, so do not panic if you do not notice this in your account immediately.

Future As An iGaming Payment Option?

As long as iGaming exists and continues to thrive, then there will always be a market for the paysafecard in this industry.

There are gamblers who do not wish to have their bank details associated with online gambling websites and the same could be said about consumers, who are reluctant to sign up to most transactional websites (eBay/Amazon) with their card details. Because consumers are becoming ever more savvy, entering personal bank details into any website is beginning to be seen as a thing of the past, with more secure options available.

Particularly the older generation who are generally by nature, particularly cautious about parting with sensitive information, the paysafecard option provides the ideal answer to any concerns that they may have in connection to security issues, especially relating to online gambling.

Paysafecard CFO (Chief Financial Officer) Brian McArthur Muscroft has spoken passionately about the growth of the company in recent years, since he joined in 2015 and is keen to ensure that this continues.

“We doubled the size of the business through the acquisition of Skrill, which was an exciting opportunity for us because to fund the deal, we successfully executed the largest ever rights issue on the London Stock Exchange AIM market and raised over $0.5 billion in debt,” McArthur explained about his first year in his executive board level role, where expansion has clearly been the most important factor on the agenda.”

This is a move that typically makes sense, especially considering the iGaming industry, with many players becoming more and more security conscious. Having the Skrill integration offers more peace of mind to players knowing that there is an added layer of security available for their transactions.

“We also renamed the combined business to Paysafe, rapidly integrated the Skrill acquisition and we ended 2015 by moving our stock market listing to the Main Board of the London Stock Exchange.

“We issued two 300+ page financial prospectuses in the year, one for the share issue and one for the move to main market. The latter involved careful due diligence of our business by the listing authority, in order to satisfy the UKLA that we adhered to the more stringent main market regulations,” he continued.

“Over $50 million..”

“In 2016, we joined the FTSE 250 Index of leading companies, and we achieved $1 billion of revenue for the first time and significantly increased EBITDA to $300 million. In 2016 we also completed two North American acquisitions, and then generated over $50 million of savings arising from the 2015 Skrill acquisition due to the integration being completed ahead of schedule.”

A big indication of how far the company and by extent the technology, has come since Muscroft took over is in the impressive financial performance indicators and also the ability to expand their holdings, which really highlight the demand across multiple industries, not least online gaming.

“Two and a half years ago our equivalent share price was £1.97. In June 2017, we received an offer three times this at 590p per share from Blackstone and CVC to acquire the entire business. In September, our shareholders voted to accept the offer and we anticipate the acquisition should close by the end of the year.”

“So, it is safe to say that things have been busy. Clearly these were all big opportunities for our company, and although it was challenging at times, we’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far.”

Due to the high security around paysafecard itself (yes, you do have to enter your bank details to purchase a code), and the fact that, because this is their business, the chances of having your details hacked through paysafecard is considerably remote – virtually impossible.

This means that there are very positive signs that paysafecard is not only here to stay, but is likely to become an ever-present and popular payment option in the online gambling sphere, as momentum gains for the sophisticated payment technology provider. With more and more online gaming sites starting up as well, this presents almost endless possibilities for new partnerships across the board.

History of PaySafeCard

Originally launching in Austria and Germany in 2000 in alignment with the online boom as companies moved towards offering online payment for their products, it has since gone from strength to strength.

Co-founders; Armin Sageder (CEO), Michael Müller, Reinhard Eilmsteiner and Michael Altrichter all shared a vision of a ‘cash for the internet’ initiative and, as such, developed the paysafecard.

A simple idea, the paysafecard is purchased at designated and approved official outlets and comes with a unique 16 digit pin which enables the purchaser to use this in order to pay for products or services online.

In 2002, this also became an e-voucher, while two years later, the paysafecard could be bought online. Due to its huge success, in 2005, the company received EU funding in order to help it expand significantly internationally, promoting online payments without needing a credit or debit card.

Four years later in 2006 the company expanded its presence across Europe with operations in Greece, Slovenia, Spain, Great Britain and Slovakia and just one year on a new record was reached, with in excess of 10 million transactions made with paysafecard for the first time.

Ever since, the company has grown into a true global force with operations in the US and Mexico as well as South America. Multiple awards have been won, while a smartphone app has been developed in addition to securing a Mastercard licence.

FAQs

Paysafecard is still a relatively new option in the online casino industry and while we have done our best to ensure that we have covered everything that you need to know, we appreciate that there could be other questions that you may have.

So, we have endeavoured to pre-empt any potential queries below about all things paysafecard in relation to online casinos and answered them in detail!