Poker Sites with Best Banking Options

When it comes to making a deposit at an online poker site, players are given a wide number of different options to chose from.

However, it’s important that you chose a deposit option which is safe, fast and legal in your country. In this section of the site, we will cover all of the available payment methods supported by the world’s best poker rooms.

No matter where you live or what type of poker you’re looking to play, we will show you which methods you should be using to top up your poker bankroll.

And if you live in the US, there’s a whole section dedicated to you as we realise that it’s much harder for Americans to get their poker deposits accepted.

Understanding Our Poker Deposit Option Ratings

On each of the following pages, we’ll cover all of the poker deposit options available to you when it comes to making a real money deposit at a poker site.

Each page will contain a table listing what we believe to be the best poker rooms which accept that particular type of payment. Please note that we do not take payment to give a site a particular ranking in these tables.

Instead, we take an objective look at how effective a particular poker room is at accepting a specific type of payment. On top of that, we’ll only provide you with rooms that we believe you can trust.

To be listed on our site, these rooms must not only accept payments, they must also offer value to their players, quick cash out times and a friendly support team who know how to answer any questions quickly and accurately.

Our sole goal here is to find you the easiest poker room to deposit at. No matter where you’re from or which deposit options are open to you, we’ll find you a top poker site to play some real money poker at.

Poker Deposit Methods

There are a number of different payment methods that poker players can use to deposit money at a poker site. Largely, they fall into four different categories:

Credit Card

Credit cards are by far and away the most common method used to deposit money at poker sites. Statistics suggest that just under 80% of all poker transactions are made with a credit or debit card because they’re fast, secure and cheap.

Some sites accept credit card transactions more easily than others though, so be sure to check out list of credit card poker sites to give yourself the best chance of having a transaction accepted.

E-Wallets

Transferring money by electronic means has become hugely popular recently, especially with US poker players who tend to run into problems when using their credit cards.

E-Wallets are quick and easy to use and rely on players uploading funds from their bank account to a third party provider and then using those funds to deposit at a poker room.

As you can imagine, security is paramount when choosing an E-Wallet provider and we only list those companies which are 100% trustworthy. Other advantages of sending money digitally is that the whole process is incredibly user-friendly and that any deposits or withdrawals you make are processed instantly meaning that any funds will be in your bankroll just seconds after you send the deposit.

If you’re having problems with credit cards, we highly suggest you check out the following few pages to find out more about E-Wallet providers:

Moneybookers Poker Sites	Neteller Poker Sites	Paypal Poker Sites
Click2Pay Poker Sites	eWalletXpress Poker Sites	MoneyGram Poker Sites

Bank Transfers

Depositing with a poker room directly from your bank account is still relatively new, but is understandably becoming hugely popular with poker players due to the fact that they can cut out any third parties.

Most banks won’t charge for the transfer either meaning that deposits and withdrawals are both free and fast. For more information, check out our page on the best ECheck poker sites.

Pre Pay Cards

Originally popular in Europe, the idea of ‘topping up’ credit cards to fund your poker bankroll is starting to spread around the world. The process is still unavailable to American players due to the UIGEA ruling, so if you’re a US resident, we would suggest checking out some of the e-Wallet solutions above.

However, for those in Europe or Canada interested in finding out more, have a read through our article on UKash Poker sites.

Depositing as a US player

If you’re a poker player living in the US, then the paragraphs above could make for some pretty sad reading. After all, it seems like you’re really up against it if you’re looking to play poker for real money.

Don’t fear though – it’s certainly not impossible. However, it is going to be a little tricker and with that in mind we’ve set up a page specifically designed to help you out.

Our US Poker Deposits page will give you suggestions on the best way to get a real money payment accepted at your favourite poker room. It will also give you details on the best payment methods to use.

Depositing as a US Poker Player

Since the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, depositing real money at poker sites has become a lot harder for US citizens.

While the UIGEA hasn’t made online poker illegal in the States, it has passed a precedent whereby US financial institutions are required to block all transactions involving online gambling sites.

This isn’t quite as clear-cut as it sounds though as it’s practically impossible for banks to screen every transaction which they process over the course of the day. Therefore, we’re left with a slightly strange situation whereby US poker players just have to hope that their transaction isn’t going to be screened by their financial institution when they try to make a deposit at an online poker room.

The only real good news to come out of all this is that attitudes to online poker appear to have softened somewhat since the UIGEA was passed in 2006. Today, we’re seeing much more of a debate regarding the matter of which the general theme seems to be how best to manage online gambling WHEN (rather than IF) it becomes legal again.

In the meantime though, US poker players will need to pick the rooms they play at with care as some are most definitely better than others when it comes to accepting deposits.

Depositing Options for US Players

As you might expect, the anti-gambling stance that the US has taken against poker has put off a lot of financial institutions from entering the American market. As a result, it can be difficult for US poker players to find a way to even attempt to deposit money.

Our recommendation would be to always try to deposit with your debit card where at all possible. In recent tests, we had a much higher acceptance rate when using debit cards, especially at poker rooms such as Bodog who have drastically improved their acceptance rates over the last 12 months.

The next best option would be to use a credit card at somewhere like Sportsbook Poker (who have one of the highest acceptance rates for credit card deposits in the industry). Again a VISA card would be best, but failing that MasterCard and Amex are also accepted at a number of poker rooms and are equally convenient.

If credit cards are not an option, then there are a number of electronic solutions which are open to American players.

Some of the more popular ones are as follows:

• MoneyGram
• Western Union

If you have no luck there, then you may want to try the following cash transfer services that are available directly from your bank or through a third party:

• EChecks
• Cash Transfer
• Western Union

Withdrawing from US Poker Sites

We can confirm that cashing out any winnings from your poker room is not affected by the current UIGEA rulings. The most common methods of withdrawing from a poker room are by Check or Cash Transfer. However, any of the eWallet solutions mentioned above can also be used, and if you happen to have an old Click2Pay account, you can also use that.

Please Note: Click2Pay are no longer allowing US citizens to open new accounts. However, existing accounts belong to long term US players are permitted.

Is it illegal to deposit at a US Poker Site?

There is a common misconception that the UIGEA bill has made online poker illegal in the United States. With the exception of a few states such as Washington, this is not the case at all.

What the UIGEA bill has done is to enforce US financial institutions to block all transactions involving poker sites – but that’s largely unenforceable due to the number of transactions that banks have to deal with on a daily basis.

There’s an argument suggests that it’s illegal for your bank to allow gambling transactions to be processed, but that’s a grey area at best – and anyway, that’s something for your bank to worry about rather than you.

Please note that we are not advocating any illegal behavior here. We would advise all readers to check the regulations in their area regarding poker bank deposits.

What we are trying to do though is kill the myth that online poker is illegal in the States, because it isn’t. In fact the amount of traffic seen by US friendly poker rooms has grown steadily every year since the UIGEA bill was passed.

Poker Deposits with Credit Card

Out of all the different ways to deposit at a poker room, credit cards are probably the most popular.

All of the major poker rooms will accept MasterCard and Visa deposits without any problems, although depositors form the US may have some issues with their transactions being approved due to financial establishments being asked to block payments to online gambling sites as a part of the UIGEA bill which was passed in 2006.

Most of these financial institutions will have a list of the largest online gambling sites which they will not all payments to be made to. Therefore, if you’re living in the US and looking to deposit funds with a Credit Card, we would suggest trying one of the lesser known rooms such as Sportsbook Poker which had the highest acceptance rate for credit card payments in our latest test.

Ultimately though, the only way to find out whether a credit card transaction will work for you is to try it, and if you run in to problems simply contact the poker room’s customer service team and ask what other deposit options they support.

Poker Deposits with Paypal

Despite being the world’s largest eWallet, Paypal is relatively new to the world of online poker. Unfortunately though, Paypal still tends to be limited to European poker rooms and does not accept poker players from the US to open an account with them.

However, despite being one of the newest depositing options being open to poker players, Paypal is set to become one of the most popular ways for online gamblers to top up their bankroll.

Owned by the eBay organisation, when you open up a free account with Paypal, you’re not only able to deposit and play poker instantly, but you’re also able to pay for all sorts of other things at some of the world’s largest online shopping sites – all with the knowledge that your transactions are being handled with the upmost security.

Setting up a Paypal account is quick, easy and perhaps more importantly, free. To open an account (or for more details), head on over to www.paypal.com.

Once you’ve opened up an account, you can link your Paypal wallet directly to your bank or alternatively, you can upload funds using a credit or debit card. These funds can then be transferred directly to your poker bankroll or to anyone else who has a Paypal account.

Sending and receiving money using Paypal happens instantly and means that your poker winnings can be in your Paypal account within minutes and can be in your bank account normally within 48 hours.

PayPal Fees

When it comes to paying Paypal for your transactions, how much you pay very much depends on how much you use your account. Opening your account and uploading money is completely free although there is a daily upload limit of £500.

Members who want to spend more than that basic limit will be required to upgrade to a premier account which is again free. A premier account allows you to accept credit card payments although fees for accepting these payments are slightly higher than the standard.

Paypal Security

Paypal are considered by many to be the authority in conducting online payments. All transactions are secured using technology also used by the military and any information stored on servers is strongly shielded and never shared with third parties.

Poker Deposits with Neteller

Founded in 1999, Neteller offers poker players the opportunity to send and receive money digitally.

Although they no longer accept deposits from US players, Neteller currently has customers in over 160 countries around the world and has become the major alternative to credit cards for poker players looking for quick and secure ways to boost their bankroll.

Depositing money with Neteller

Setting up an account with Neteller is free and easy to set up.

Simply head on over to www.neteller.com and complete the simple application process. Once Neteller have your details, they’ll ask you to verify them by sending in scanned copies of your passport and a recent utility bill, upon receipt of which they will give you full access to their services.

When that happens, funds can be uploaded to your wallet via cheque or credit/debit card. Funds uploaded with your credit/debit card will arrive instantly whereas if you’re cashing a cheque, you may well have to wait up to 10 days before you see the funds in youre Neteller account.

From there, money can be sent to all of the web’s major poker rooms as well as to other individuals who hold a Neteller account.

Before you can deposit at a Neteller poker site, you obviously need to have a Neteller account to send money from. Luckily enough they’re quick to set up and don’t cost a penny.

Withdrawing funds with Moneybookers

Neteller is such a widely accepted payment solution that withdrawing winnings from a poker room couldn’t be easier either.

As a player, you simply need to visit the ‘Cashier’ section of the poker site you’re playing at and chose the Neteller option. You’ll be asked to provide the email address associated with your Neteller account and the transaction will be processed instantly.

You should see the funds in your Neteller account the same day at which point you can chose to withdraw them to your bank account. This process generally takes less than 48 hours.

Neteller and US Depositors

With the passing of the UIGEA bill in 2006, it became illegal for financial institutions to process transactions involving online gamling companies.

As a result, payment companies such as Neteller were forced to pull out of the United States and block all American citizens from using their services.

Today, there are a very limited number of depositing options open to US players. Our first choice would certainly be Credit Cards – they’re quick and easy and have a reasonably high success rate (especially at rooms such as Sportsbook Poker, who process close to 100% of all credit card transactions that come their way).

Failing that, the likes of Western Union and MoneyGram are other payment options which should be considered, although they will both charge a fee to process your transaction and aren’t generally as user friendly.

Neteller fees

Neteller has built its business on the fact that its services are quick, easy and cheap. Whether you’re depositing at a poker room or withdrawing winnings, you won’t be charged by Neteller for your transaction as generally speaking the poker room will cover those for you.

However, Neteller obviously make their money somehow and it comes in the form of two small charges.

Firstly, if you deposit into your Neteller account using a credit or debit card, you’ll find yourself being charged a 3.9% processing fee on all deposits that you make.

Similarly, if you decide to send funds using the InstaCash method you’ll also incur a small fee. This type of payment is effectively an e-check solution and while it is processed much more quickly (i.e. you don’t have to wait for a bank transfer to clear), you will be charged a percentage of the transaction’s value.

Advantages of Neteller

Neteller is the largest eWallet solution out there.They are generally regarded as the best at what they do thanks to their user friendly software and incredibly secure database.

Whether you’re sending or receving money, you can be assured that the transaction will go through smoothly and safely and perhaps more importantly that the funds will arrive at their designated destination within just a few minutes.

Neteller Security

When you pay by Neteller, you do so with complete peace of mind. The company employs the latest state of the art security techniques to encrypt and secure your data both on their servers and during payment transfers.

Neteller also secure their server centres heavily, schedule regular back ups and ensure that all of their users are provided with in-depth transaction histories to help track all income and expenditure.

Moneybookers Poker Sites

Moneybookers is one of the web’s most popular eWallet solutions. Based in London, Moneybookers currently boasts over five million account holders from around the world, although it’s important to note that players from the US will not be able to use Moneybookers to deposit money at an online poker room.

For those outside the US though, Moneybookers offers a secure and easy way to add funds to your bankroll.

Depositing money with MoneyBookers

Opening an account with Moneybookers is both free and easy. Simply head on over to www.moneybookers.com and follow the straight forward “Sign up” procedure.

Once your account has been approved, you’ll be requested to send in some form of identification before you can process any transactions, but a photocopy of your passport usually suffices and is processed quickly meaning that new members can gain access to all of Moneybookers features in around 48 hours.

After you have passed the necessary security checks, you will need to use a credit or debit card to upload funds into your wallet. These funds will appear in your wallet practically straight away and, from there, these funds can be transferred to a wide number of poker rooms quickly and securely.

Cheques can also be cashed to add funds to your Moneybookers account. However, users should be aware that this process usually takes around 10 days to clear.

Withdrawing funds with Moneybookers

Moneybookers isn’t just about depositing funds though. The software can also be used when winnings need to be withdrawn too.

In order to exact funds, players simply need to chose Moneybookers as their preferred payment method and give their poker room the email address associated with their eWallet account. They’ll then find funds in their Moneybookers account within a day or so.

From there, money can be withdrawn to your bank account (generally in around 48 hours) or spent at a number of different online retail destinations.

MoneyBookers and US Depositors

Unfortunately, Moneybookers is not a payment option that can be used by American players as the company no longer accepts registrations from US.

The reason for this is the passing of the UIGEA bill in 2006 which forbade financial institutions from processing transactions involving online gambling companies.

However, if you’re an American player looking to deposit at an online poker room, all is not lost.

You’re not going to be able to deposit funds with Moneybookers, but instead we would suggest using your credit/debit cards at a site like Sportsbook Poker who are widely acknowledged as having the highest acceptance rates in the industry.

If, for whatever reason, you still have problems we would suggest checking out those sites who accept deposit methods such as Western Union or MoneyGram – two payment solutions that still accept poker deposits from US players.

Both methods are a little more expensive than credit cards, and aren’t quite as user friendly but they have a good history of having poker deposits accepted by the major rooms.

MoneyBookers Fees

Every time Moneybookers is used to make a transaction, the user responsible for sending the money is charged a minimal fee. The size of the fee is set at 1% of the value of the transaction up to a maximum of $0.70.

No fees are levied on the user to withdraw funds from poker sites.

Advantages of MoneyBookers

Moneybookers is an incredibly user-friendly way of transferring money on the internet. Aside from using Moneybookers to fund your poker bankroll, you can also use it to shop at a number of different online merchants as well as sending peer to peer transfers directly to other Moneybookers members.

From a poker point of view, managing your bankroll through a third party allows you to deposit quickly at a number of different poker rooms which in turn allows you to take advantage of a number of different bonus offers.

Deposits can be made in a number of different currencies, and the charges for transferring money are lower than most of Moneybookers’ competitors.

Security of MoneyBookers

Using an eWallet for the time can be raise various security concerns with those people who are worried about their personal details being stored in an online database.

With Moneybookers though, those concerns are not valid as the company guarantees that their infrastructure is 100% secure. They use the latest technology to ensure that all transactions are sent without risk and that users details are encrypted and securely protected against attack.

Poker Deposits with Click2Pay

Click2Pay is a secure online payment solution that will allow players from around the world to deposit funds at an online poker site. Unfortunately, Click2Pay is not currently available to US players but it has been accepted by poker players from other countries at a quite amazing rate.

As with other eWallet solutions, players are able to upload funds from their bank into their Click2Pay account. Alternatively, Click2Pay can be set up to access your bank account directly meaning that it’s not even necessary to ensure that funds are in your eWallet when you come to deposit.

Opening an account with Click2Pay

The Click2Pay registration process is one of the most straight forward out there. With free registration, players simply need to visit www.Click2Pay.com and fill in a brief form.

Once the information has been submitted and your account has been approved, then you’ll be able to transfer funds straight away.

Depositing with Click2Pay

As with all eWallets, we would recommend funding your account using your credit card. This is simple and secure and ensures that your money will be available instantly.

Other options include depositing via your checking account (which may well take a few days to process) or eChecks. Both of these last two methods are free, where as credit card deposits will entail a small charge (see below).

Once you have money in your Click2Pay account, transferring it to a poker room is simple and secure.The funds will show up in your poker bankroll almost immediately meaning that you can hit the tables straight away.

Withdrawing with Click2Pay

When it comes to getting money out of your poker room and back into your bank account, you’ll be glad to hear that Click2Pay is able to manage this quickly and securely.

As you might expect, funds can be withdrawn from your Click2Pay wallet and sent directly to a bank account of your choice. This usually entails a small charge (see below) and takes up to 3 business days.

However, Click2Pay also offers an interesting second solution which has become very popular recently: a Click2Pay debit card.

Choosing to have funds withdrawn to this card is completely free and usually takes around 24 hours to process. After that, you can any Cirrus/Maestro ATM machine to get your hands on your cash.

Click2Pay and US Players

Unfortunately, Click2Pay doesn’t currently offer their services to poker players from the USA. That may well change in future, depending on if/when online gambling is opened up in the States.

Until then though, we’d recommend that US players use methods such as Credit or Debit cards to deposit at a poker room.

However, that doesn’t mean that Click2Pay is totally useless to Americans. The UIGEA bill forbids deposits being made using these sort of methods, but it’s still perfectly legal for players to withdraw funds to a Click2Pay account.

However, these Withdrawal services are only available to those US players who currently hold a Click2Pay account.

If you’re an American who already has access to a Click2Pay account and you’re looking for a high speed, low cost way to withdraw funds from your poker bankroll, then you may well want to consider this payment deposit option as it will do an excellent job for you.

Unfortunately, if you don’t currently have a Click2Pay account, then you will need to find other solutions, as Click2Pay is no longer accepting registrations from US citizens.

Click2Pay Charges

The first thing to say here is that Click2Pay doesn’t charge you a cent for transferring your money to an online poker room. Instead, the company makes its money by charging users a small amount to deposit funds into their wallet.

As mentioned above, depositing via Bank Transfer or ECheck is a free (yet slightly slow) way of funding your account. If you need access to instant funds, then you’ll be charged a processing fee of 3% when you deposit with your credit card.

Similarly, when it comes to withdrawing funds from poker rooms, you’ll receive no charge from Click2Pay. However, you will face a small charge of $2 on all funds that you transfer from your Click2Pay account into your bank account. Click2Pay will also pass on any fees that you incur from your bank for doing this, so ask with your financial institution whether you will incur any charges for direct bank transfers.

There will be no charges for withdrawing funds on to a Click2Pay Debit card.

Advantages of Click2Pay

One of the reasons that Click2Pay has become such a popular payment solution is because they aim to be as flexible as possible.

Not only can Click2Pay members receive and send funds from other account holders, but they can also access their funds by using a special Click2Pay Debit Card which allows them to pay for every day items in high street shopping chains.

Other advantages include low fees, an ever growing number of poker rooms that will accept Click2Pay deposits and a fast withdrawal system for those US players who already have a Click2Pay account.

Click2Pay Security

Click2Pay claims that it stands for the highest standards in internet security and data protection, and having examined that claim it’s hard to disagree with them.

All data is transmitted over a secure SSL connection and personal data is encrypted with a 128 bit security key – the highest level security currently available to commercial organisations – as well as being stored in a monitored environment where third party access is not available.

In short, when you decide to pay with Click2Pay, you can be sure that both your transactions and your details will be totally secure.

Poker Deposits with Western Union

Despite being more commonly known for sending money abroad, Western Union has recently become recognised as a simple and direct way to deposit money at a poker room – especially by players in the US who have had problems depositing with more traditional methods of payment such as credit cards.

Western Union has been in operation for since the middle of the nineteenth century and currently has around 450,000 agencies in over 240 countries. Perhaps most importantly for American players, these agencies can be found easily in practically ever city in the US.

Depositing Money with Western Union

When depositing with Western Union, players have the choice of sending the money online (via www.westernunion.com) or by physically going to see their nearest Western Union agent and paying them the necessary funds by cash or credit card.

Western Union agents have sprung up all over the place and can usually be found in newsagents or corner shops. For more information relating to agent locations, we’d recommend checking out the Western Union website.

If you’re planning to send funds online, you’ll need to open an account with Western Union and register your credit card. The specific address you need to send funds to will obviously differ based on the site you’re playing at, but in general, once you’ve sent your money, all sites will ask you to give them the MTCN (Money Transfer Control Number) which Western Union will assign to your specific transaction.

Once your funds have been handed over, the transaction will take place straight away and you can expect your poker bankroll to be credited around 30 minutes later. This may take a little longer depending on the time of day though.

Some poker rooms will only process these payments during office hours, so these transactions can sometimes take up to 1 business day.

Withdrawing with Western Union

While Western Union makes a great deposit option (especially for for US players), it unfortunately can not be used to withdraw poker funds. If you’re looking to take money out of your poker bankroll, you’ll need to find another method such as one of the other eWallet solutions. US players may well want to consider withdrawing funds via check.

Western Union and US players

Western Union is one of the few deposit methods which is still available to US poker players looking to top up their bankroll. This is one of the main reasons why Western Union has suddenly become so popular with poker players recently.

Western Union deposits have a much better chance of being accepted by poker rooms as your payments are not processed by the more traditional financial institutions.

On the down side though, US players should be aware that they won’t be able to withdraw funds using Western Union.

It should also be pointed out that Western Union is a relatively new way of deposition money for to play poker and as such it can be slightly harder to find poker rooms that accept deposits using this method.

Western Union Fees

The main disadvantage of Western Union is the fees that are involved. When compared to other deposit options, Western Union fees are fairly high and vary depending on where the money is being sent and how much you’re sending.

We would therefore highly recommend that all poker players get a quote from Western Union with regards to their fees before they commit to any transaction.

If you prefer to send your money via a cheaper solution, we would recommend credit cards or one of the more traditional eWallets.

American players who may not be able to take advantage of those methods might want to consider making a single large deposit with a provider like Moneygram who charge a one off flat fee per transaction.

WesternUnion Security

Considering how long Western Union has been around, it’s not surprising to hear how seriously they take security. When registering for an online account, all new members will be asked to validate their identity by sending in photocopies of driving licenses or passports.

Transfers are made using the latest technology include Secure Socket Layers (SSL) and encrypted with 128 bit security key and all servers are locked in a secure vault that is guarded 24 hours a day.

Poker Deposits with UKash

UKash is a hugely easy way of depositing at online poker rooms that has been particularly embraced by players from the UK. It’s an incredibly fast and effective way of topping up your poker bank roll and it differs from its competitors in as far as it’s totally anonymous.

There is no registration process involved and no personal details are stored online, which means that if you’re someone who is concerned about internet security, then you can rely on UKash for serious peace of mind.

Depositing money with UKash

If you’ve ever used gift cards or pre-paid credit cards, then you’ll be right at home with the UKash way of doing things. UKash credit can be purchased at any number of retail places on the high street and then used to instantly top up your bank roll at your favourite poker room.

Since you’re effectively purchasing a gift card, there’s no registration process that you need to go through in order to use UKash. You simply need to walk into a store that sells UKash credit and purchase what you need.

Once you’ve used the credit that was initially placed your card, you can add more funds via www.ukash.com, although you will need to register for a free account in order to do this.

Once you have the funds on your card, you just need to log in to the cashier section of your preferred web site and enter the 19-digit UKash number which you will find printed on the back of your card.

Your deposit will be processed instantly and you will be able to access your funds straight away.

Withdrawing with UKash

While UKash is a recognised method of depositing funds at an online poker room, players should be aware that it’s not possible to withdraw funds on to your UKash card.

Instead, you will need to find a different withdrawal method such as an eWallet (Neteller, Moneybookers or Paypal for example) or a direct wire transfer into your bank account.

Please be aware though, that if you decide to proceed with a direct bank transfer, your bank may well issue charges against you. Please make sure that you check with your bank before using proceeding in this manner.

UKash and US Depositors

Unfortunately it’s not possible for US poker players to deposit at a poker room with UKash. The company is primarily based in the UK and only offers its services to British and European players.

If you’re a US player looking for a reliable deposit method, we would primarily recommend depositing by credit or debit card.

If problems arise while getting your deposits accepted with a credit card, we’d first of all recommend that you try depositing at Sportsbook Poker. They’re widely recognised as having some of the highest deposit rates in the industry and came out with the highest acceptance rate in our latest test of US poker rooms.

If you’re still having problems having deposits accepted, then we would suggest you try other deposit methods such as Western Union or Moneygram – both of which are still available to US players.

UKash Fees

When it comes to depositing with UKash, perhaps the best news is that they charge no fees whatsoever. It’s completely free to top up your card and to deposit your funds at a poker room of your choice.

Advantages of UKash

It’s not hard to see why UKash become such a popular payment method in the UK and Europe. Your initial card can be purchased from a wide range of locations and from there your money can be spent online or in a number of the world’s most popular retail destinations.

The whole system is incredibly user-friendly, with users being able to top up their funds by purchasing vouchers up to the value of £499.00 … and perhaps best of all it’s free.

While you have funds on your UKash card, they can be converted into 22 different currencies or (should you want to for whatever reason!) you can chose to transfer/split your funds on to a number of different cards.

UKash is one of the newest payment methods out there, but when depositing is this easy you can almost guarantee that it’s going to be around for quite a while!

UKash Security

If you’re the kind of person that likes the idea of being able to transfer money online, without feeling totally confident that your transaction will be carried out securely, then UKash may well be the payment option for you.

Due to the fact that there’s no registration process needed to purchase the card, the whole system is totally anonymous. As a result, you don’t need to worry about having personal details stolen or any other kind of security breach that you may well associate with various other online payment solutions.

It really is as simple as going into a shop, buying credit and then walking out again!

Poker Deposits with eWalletXpress

Up until the end of 2010, eWalletXpress was one of the most popular deposit methods available to US players. Unfortunately though, a federal warrant served to the company just before Christmas meant that they were forced to withdraw from the US market.

Nevertheless for those players outside of the US, eWalletXpress still remains a very good payment provider offering fast and secure transactions as well a user friendly interface.

One slight downside of eWalletXpress is that their fees are reasonably high when compared to other payment solutions.

Depositing money with eWalletXpress

To deposit money at an online poker room, you’ll need to create an account with eWalletXpress. The process is quick, and easy and contains no charges whatsoever.

Once your account has been approved, you’ll be free to upload funds into your wallet. This is generally done using a credit or debit card but it’s also possible to link directly to your bank checking account. If you chose to link your bank account, then any funds will appear in your eWalletXpress account instantly and can be transferred to your favourite poker room straight away.

Withdrawing money with eWalletXpress

Unlike some of its competitors, eWalletXpress will also allow you to withdraw funds from a poker room. To do this, you’ll simply need to visit the cashier section of the site you play at and choose eWalletXpress from the various different payment options.

You’ll be asked to enter the email address associated with your eWalletXpress account and then the transaction will be processed. The time you’ll need to wait before you find the funds in your account tends to vary depending on the room that you play at, but as a rough rule of thumb you should expect to wait around 48 hours, although some rooms will process your withdrawals faster.

A case in point is Body who are a great example of a poker site that processes eWalletXpress transfers quickly. In our recent tests, the average eWalletXpress withdrawal there was processed in around an hour.

eWalletXpress and US Depositors

eWalletXpress was the last major online payment solution to leave the US in 2010 when a federal order was served to the company just before Christmas.

This is a real shame as eWalletXpress had become hugely popular with American players due to the fact that it was one of the last online payment solutions open to them.

However, from the start of 2011, US poker players can no longer use this method to top up their bankroll.

Instead, we would recommend that they initially try to deposit using a credit or debit card. We would recommend trying this at a place like Sportsbook Poker which is renowned for having some of the highest acceptance rates in the gambling industry.

If you don’t have any luck there though, there are other payment solutions to try. Western Union is a good option with a reasonable success rate or alternatively you might want to try MoneyGram.

eWalletXpress Fees

If there’s one area that lets eWalletXpress down slightly, it’s the fees that they charge their users. While not being huge, the fees are still slightly larger than you would find at other eWallet solutions such as Moneybookers, Paypal or Neteller.

There is some good news though – and that’s that your first deposit with eWalletXpress will be completely free, regardless of how much you deposit. So if you think you’re going to be playing poker for quite a while, we’d certainly recommend that you take advantage of this.

After that initial deposit though, how much you’re charged will very much depend on the method you’re using and the amount that you’re trying to deposit.

Money orders are completely free, whereas a Bank Wire will cost $15, on top of any charges that your bank may levy at you. Credit Cards will be subject to a $10 fee regardless of how much you’re putting into your wallet and if you’re looking to transfer money directly from your bank account (via Xpress Funds Transfer) you’ll be charged 8.8% of the transactions’ value but the funds will appear in your account instantly.

In short, when you sign up to eWalletXpress, it pays to make one large deposit as opposed to a number of smaller ones.

When it comes to withdrawals, players will face no charge from the poker room for withdrawing their funds to their eWalletXpress account. However, if that money is then transferred into a checking back account, users will be charged a 10% fee (up to a maximum of $150).

Advantage of eWalletXpress

The main advantage of using eWalletXpress is the fact that no fees are charged by the poker rooms, when withdrawing your winnings to an eWalletXpress account.

This may not seem like a lot, but it certainly adds up when you consider that a poker room can charge $50 to send a cheque out and sometimes more to transfer funds directly into your bank account.

Security of eWalletXpress

As with all online payment solutions, eWalletXpress focuses on ensuring that its security is top of the line. All new members to the service are asked to verify their identity before their account is activated and all personal details are encrypted and the relevant servers under constant 24-hour guard.

All transactions are processed using 128-bit SSL technology and funds arrive instantly ensuring that funds can’t not be interfered with while a transfer is in progress.

Poker Deposits with MoneyGram

Founded in 1940, MoneyGram operates in a very similar way to Western Union. The company has a number of retail outlets based in most of the world’s major cities and has made its money by allowing individuals to transfer funds globally.

While, MoneyGram has traditionally relied on individuals physically visiting one of their retails outlets in order to send money, poker players will be glad to hear that they can now deposit and withdraw funds online too.

Perhaps most importantly though, MoneyGram is one of the few online payment processors which is still available to US poker players.

Depositing Money with MoneyGram

There are actually two ways of sending money with MoneyGram. The most common way is to visit an authorised MoneyGram office (check out www.moneygram.com for details of your nearest office) and send funds using your credit/debit card or by handing over the relevant amount of cash.

You’ll be asked for details of the recipient (check with the poker room you’re playing at to make sure that you get these right) and then the money will be transferred straight into your poker bankroll.

If you don’t fancy leaving the comfort of your own living room, then it is possible to send funds via the MoneyGram website, although you will need to register for a free account by filling in a short registration form. Once your account has been approved, you will be able to use your credit card to upload the necessary funds.

However you chose to send your money though, you can pretty much guarantee that your funds will appear in your poker bankroll almost immediately, which is a vast improvement on the usual 3-5 days that you tend to have to wait when making a bank transfer.

Withdrawing Funds with MoneyGram

One big advantage that MoneyGram has over its main rival Western Union is that it will allow poker players to withdraw funds too. You will need to have registered an online account at the MoneyGram website to ensure that you can receive funds, but this is a big thing, especially for US poker players who have found the number of payment methods at their disposal to be seriously limited over the last few years.

MoneyGram and US Depositors

With the UIGEA bill causing so many problems for US poker players, it’s a relief to be able to write about a payment solution that is still available and legal for Americans to use.

On top of that, it’s an added bonus that one of the few remaining depositing options left in American is such an established and well-trusted brand.

In short, if you’re a US poker player who hasn’t been able to make a deposit with your debit/credit card, we would highly recommend trying out MoneyGram, as we’re fairly sure you’ll have more success topping up your bankroll with them.

MoneyGram Fees

One of the principal reasons why the poker community prefers MoneyGram to Western Union is because the relevant fees are so much cheaper.

If you’re sending your money through an agent, then MoneyGram will simply charge you a one off fee of $9.99 no matter how much you’re looking to send (compare this to Western Union who have been known to charge up to 10% on some transactions).

If you’re going to be sending funds online, then the price will vary depending on the poker room that you’re looking to transfer money to. However, MoneyGram has a very good Cost Calculator embedded into their site to enable you to work out your costs easily

However, if you’re someone who is going to be playing poker fairly regularly we would recommend sending through a fairly large transaction from a MoneyGram agent as a one off fee of $9.99 is likely to be much cheaper in the long run.

Advantages of MoneyGram

The major advantage of MoneyGram, without any doubt, is that it legally allows US poker players to sit down at a poker table and play for real money … and there are very few payment processors that can say that at the moment.

The other major selling point of MoneyGram is its low fee structure. Charges are much more reasonable than you’ll find at Western Union and ensure that you sit down at the poker table with more of your money in front of you.

Security of MoneyGram

Unlike the traditional eWallet solutions such as Moneybookers or Neteller, MoneyGram can be a completely anonymous service.

If you’re at all concerned about having your personal details stored on a server somewhere, then simply head round the corner to your nearest MoneyGram agent and send your money from there – you won’t need to register an account and your personal details won’t be stored online. You simply walk into the shop, send your money and walk out again.

If you do decide to register an account online though, you’ll be pleased to hear that all personal details are encrypted using the most powerful software currently available to the retail market. Your details aren’t available to any third parties and are rigorously guarded in a secure vault that is under surveillance 24 hours a day.