VISA prepaid cards are a safe, fast and increasingly common way to register payments at online casinos. They don’t necessarily have your name associated with it, have a fixed value attached to them and, above all, are easy to use. If you don’t have online deposit options available to you at the sites of your preference, consider looking for an online casino accepting VISA gift cards.
What is a gift card?
Any online casino in Canada that accepts Visa debit, Visa Credit or MasterCard as a payment method will accept a prepaid MasterCard or prepaid Visa too. The first thing you'll need to do is actually get yourself a prepaid MasterCard or Visa.
Gift cards are prepaid cards that can be bought online or physically from any financial institution, usually without a name on them — thus, they can be purchased by anyone. Most importantly, using gift cards is convenient for those who aren’t comfortable entering personal or credit card information on the internet.
Because barcodes on gift cards are placed differently from your conventional credit or debit card, you can’t withdraw money with it at an ATM. Rather, the amount you purchase is linked to the database of the store that sold you the gift card.
Why use a gift card?
Online casinos that accept VISA credit cards usually accept VISA gift cards too. However, gift cards are almost always anonymous. Hence, using gift cards is also useful if you keep having your card declined: since prepaid cards are not associated with bank accounts, but rather were loaded with a fixed value, payments tend to occur smoothly.
Moreover, fixed values on gift cards are important for a good gambling strategy. A gambler with a cool head may plan spending $100 on a night, but the certainty that he can’t spend any more than that, since there is no more money to withdraw from the gift card, is reassuring and can lead to better results. Therefore, gift cards make your gambling budget immune to moments of weakness.
How to use a gift card
Due to the high chance that an online casino accepting VISA gift cards will have additional security measures, it is possible that the site will ask for a name and an address associated to the card, either on payment or withdrawal. In order to avoid having your gift card declined, ask the bank or store to associate your name and address information to the gift card.
Finally, make sure the card you are using is accepted by the online casino. You might even find you can take advantage of welcome bonuses or similar promotions by using your gift card.
Planning your account funding strategy is one of the most important part of your overall approach to getting the most out of online casinos. Ideally, you’ll have a small and carefully considered selection of options you can use to take advantage of special deals and offers while guaranteeing speedy payment and a hassle free wagering experience. Credit cards are an essential part of the overall mix and there’s no ignoring the biggest provider in the business – Visa.
Visa is a particularly handy option for use with funding your online casino account and in this article we’ll break down everything you need to know to make the most of it. Let’s start with some background on the company.
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Some Brief Background On Visa
With roots dating back to 1958 as an experimental credit card program of Bank of America, Visa’s modern incarnation began in 1976 when a number of existing credit card offerings such as Barclaycard, Carte Bleue, and Chargex were united under the new brand.
Visa has gone on to be one of the largest financial services on earth and currently processes well over 62 billion transactions per year with volumes of over $5 trillion. One little known fact about the company is that Visa does not actually issue cards itself, acting rather as a provider for other institutions to offer branded services. It’s a strategy that’s proven to be massively successful – as an example of the company’s reach, Visa now holds over 35% of the credit card marketplace and over 60% of the debit card marketplace in America alone.
Online Casinos that Accept Visa Deposits
In contrast to other payment methods such as PayPal and – to a certain degree – Mastercard, Visa cards (both credit and debit cards) are accepted at the vast majority of online casinos.
You can expect to be able to use Visa card at casinos such as Spin Palace Casino, William Hill Casino, All Slots Casino and many others. Setting up Visa as a payment option should be as simple as selecting it from your account and you can use your cards to withdraw funds as well as lodging money.
As with any method of lodging money, you should keep an eye out for deposit and no deposit bonus offers which casinos make available. Though you’ll need to be aware of play through requirements when working out how best to take advantage of these offers, they are an excellent way of getting a little more bang for your buck when using credit cards to fund your casino accounts.
After you’ve established that a casino accepts Visa, you’ll naturally want to do some due diligence on their offer as a whole in order to make sure it’s a worthwhile option to go with. Begin by checking their reputation online on casino forum sites to make sure they’re not known for tardy payments or shady practices. You should also check their terms and conditions relating to payment very carefully and make sure that a full range of account support options (email, live chat and telephone) are available.
The Legal Situation Regarding Online Casinos That Accept Visa Cards
The use of Visa cards to fund online casino accounts is hassle free in the vast majority of global markets with one glaring exception – the United States. The passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006 explicitly barred financial institutions in America from transacting business relating to internet gambling.
The implications of this remains somewhat opaque as individual states – New Jersey and Nevada being the notable examples – are free to set their own rules. As a general rule, you will struggle to use Visa to fund online gambling in America and you may well fall foul of the law if attempting to do so.
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At Metap we are strong advocates of responsible gambling so we urge you to fully research the legality of online gambling in your jurisdiction and make sure you’re operating within relevant local laws.
Advantages Of Using Visa Cards To Fund Your Online Casino Account
There are a number of major benefits for using Visa cards to fund your online casino account. Let’s briefly step through the main ones:
Convenience: Using a Visa card is one of the most frictionless methods of funding your casino account and brings a host of associated benefits with it. There’ll be virtually zero additional paperwork involved, associated costs are transparent and predictable, and you also get the benefit of being able to use your card for a range of other transactions both offline and online.
Access to credit: We don’t recommend using borrowed funds to gamble but the ability to access credit generally via a card such as Visa is a very handy thing to have generally. Regular use of your card can also have a positive impact on your credit rating assuming you are using it responsibly.
Security: As one of the largest financial services provider on the planet, Visa hold themselves to incredibly high security standards and use best-in-breed technological solutions. Their cards come with clearly outlined security measures and procedures you can follow if your card is compromised or stolen. You can also benefit from the consumer protection programs that Visa cards typically come with.
Visa Brands You Can Use At Online Casinos
The Visa brand encompasses a number of different options that users can take advantage of. Here is a brief breakdown of the main offerings you’ll see out there in the wild and that can usually be used to fund casino accounts:
Visa Gift Cards: Visa Gift Cards are pre-purchased cards that are pre-loaded with a specific amount of money. These can be purchased at the banks in advance and are helpful in preventing you from overspending your budget.
Visa Prepaid Cards: -Just like the Visa Gift Cards, Visa Prepaid Cards allow you to load money onto a card in advance and can be used in virtually any establishment. These types of cards are commonly used by many online casino enthusiasts because they allow you to put a firm limit on the amount of money available to gamble and manage your finances more effectively.
Visa Debit Cards: Visa debit cards also allow you to make instant transactions from your bank account. In addition, they also provide increased security through PIN protection and you’ll find them accepted at many, if not most, online casinos.
Visa Credit Cards: Assuming you’re staying within your monthly credit limit, Visa credit cards enable you to make hassle-free payments pretty much anywhere online. Speed, security and convenience come as standard and these are an excellent option to have in your overall portfolio of payment options.
Getting A Visa Card
Getting your hands on a Visa card is a fairly painless and simple process. Start by either contacting your existing bank, or consult Visa’s list of card providers for your country. You’ll typically have a range of different options across both credit and debit cards to choose from and the application process should be relatively straightforward in most cases.
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You should expect your application to be processed within a couple of days. If you are experiencing difficulty getting a full credit card due to a poor credit record, start with a pre-paid debit card to get things moving.
Alternatives To Using Visa Cards At Online Casinos
Visa cards are far from the only option available to you when it comes to funding your online casino account. We recommend that you make use of a couple of methods in tandem to avoid over-reliance on one solution. Here are some of the more common options that you can use in addition to Visa or wire transfer.
- Other credit cards: Though Visa is the most widely accepted option online, you’ll also be able to use options such as Mastercard and – to a lesser extent – Amex at a variety of online casinos. As with Visa, you benefit from world-class security, convenience, and attractive reward programs with these cards.
- PayPal and other online wallets: Pretty much every online casino provider will accept PayPal lodging and withdrawal and there is a lot to recommend when it comes to using this option. You’ll benefit from near instantaneous funds transfers, flexibility and high standards of security. Alternative services such as Skrill are also popular with casino players.
- Bitcoin: Though it’s still a somewhat left-field choice for many, Bitcoin is steadily increasing in popularity and more and more casinos are including it in their list of payment options. There is a degree of currency fluctuation risk you will have to learn to live with but it’s certainly an interesting option to start exploring.
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Visa is the world’s leading credit and debit card provider for good reason. It’s hard to beat its combination of convenience and security and it’s an incredibly convenient and widely accepted option for using with your online casino account. We encourage you to check out our range of top-notch online casinos which accept Visa cards and wish you good luck when playing!