Online Poker Deposit Methods

If you’re an online poker player looking to play for real money, your first task will be transferring money from your pocket to your online poker account. Most of the time this is really easy through the use of a credit card or eCheck, but sometimes you have to use more complicated deposit options like eWallets. Regardless of the method, this page will cover each deposit option so you can determine what will work for you.

eChecks

Electronic checks are one of the easiest ways to make deposits at online poker sites for US and Canadian players.  These work just like regular checks in that you fill out your checking account number, tell the site how much you want to deposit, and start playing poker.

eCheck deposits are immediately available for play but it’s important to remember that they can take up to ten days to fully clear.  Most poker sites impose a $25 minimum deposit using this method and enforce a maximum deposit limit of $1,000 per week.  Players in good standing can sometimes negotiate with the site for higher deposit limits but we can’t guarantee that it works for everyone.

There are no fees for using eChecks unless your bank rejects the purchase due to insufficient funds.  In that case you would be responsible for any fees the bank charges.

eCheck-Friendly Poker Sites » PokerStars.com and FullTiltPoker.com

Visa and MasterCard

Visa and MasterCard credit/pre-paid gift cards can be used to deposit at most online poker sites by players from the US and all over the world.  It’s a simple process and can be completed entirely through the cashier window at most poker sites.

Not all pre-paid gift cards work with poker sites so it would be wise to either do your own research or e-mail the site before purchasing any pre-paid gift cards.  The entire process takes about a minute after you submit your purchase so funds are immediately available at most poker sites.

At most poker sites the minimum credit card deposit is $10 and the maximum deposit is usually around $1,500 per week.  Most poker sites do not charge fees for using this deposit method but any charges your card carrier imposes are your responsibility.

Credit Card-Friendly Poker Sites » PokerStars.com and FullTiltPoker.com

Diners Club International

Diners Club deposits are open to all players from the US and around the world.  These are similar to Visa and MasterCard in that the purchases are simple and completed quickly.  The minimum deposit is usually $10 and the maximum is usually $1,500 per week.

Diners Club International-Friendly Poker Site » PokerStars.com

Click2Pay

Click2Pay is an e-wallet that’s available for almost everyone except players located in the United States.  It functions similar to PayPal in that you open an account, fund it with money, and then tell the poker site to debit your Click2Pay account.  You can also set it up to automatically debit your checking account so you don’t even have to have a balance at Click2Pay when making deposits.

The minimum deposit via Click2Pay is $10 and the maximum is $1,500 per week.  Poker sites don’t charge a fee for using Click2Pay but Click2Pay may.

To get started with Click2Pay just visit the website and sign up for an account.  Make sure you provide them with a valid telephone number because as a part of the verification process they will call you to verify your identity.  After that, you’re good to go.

Click2Pay-Friendly Poker Sites » AcedPoker.com and PokerStars.com

ClickandBuy

ClickandBuy is another e-wallet that operates similarly to Click2Pay.  All you have to do is open an account at ClickandBuy and verify your account to get started.  After that, just log in to your poker site and visit the cashier screen to fund your account.

ClickandBuy accounts can be linked to your checking account and/or your credit card.  In order to get your account verified, ClickandBuy will send two charges to your account between $1.00 and $1.99 and then ask you to tell them the amounts.  After that, you’re good to go.

When you use ClickandBuy to fund your poker account, there can be fees depending on which method you use to send money to ClickandBuy.  Credit cards charge a 3.9% plus $0.20 fee and direct express debits charge an 8.9% fee.  If you want to avoid fees, use the direct debit, money transfer or online money transfer options at ClickandBuy.

Most poker sites set the minimum deposit for ClickandBuy at $10 and the maximum at $1,500 per week.

ClickandBuy-Friendly Poker Site » PokerStars.com

NETeller

NETeller was once the main funding option for all poker players around the world.  Unfortunately they stopped accepting US customers so NETeller is now only available to non-US residents.

This deposit option is basically an e-wallet and works just like the above two.  All you have to do is sign up for an account and NETeller can transfer your money between poker sites.  NETeller has been around for a long time and has done a great job for its customers so far.

Poker sites do not charge players for using NETeller but NETeller does charge a 1.75% fee for purchases funded by credit/debit cards and it can charge a fee for instant bank deposits depending on your location.

When you sign up for NETeller, your bank account will be verified by them making a small deposit in your account and then asking you to tell them the size of the deposit.  This is done for security purposes and is standard across all e-wallets.

NETeller-Friendly Poker Site » BodogLife.com Poker

Local Bank Transfer

This service is offered by most poker sites and is serviced via local banks in your area.  This method allows players to walk in to any location and pay cash to have the money deposited directly to the poker site.  To initiate local bank transfers, just click on it in the cashier’s screen and the poker site will e-mail instructions for processing.  The e-mail will contain a reference number and give a list of physical locations you can visit to complete the deposit.  This method is simple but it does require a little legwork!

The minimum deposit amount is usually $10 and there is also a $5,000 per week maximum.

Local Bank Transfer-Friendly Poker Site » PokerStars.com

Cash Transfer

Cash transfers use local money transfer exchange agents like Western Union to complete the deposit.  The poker site will send you an e-mail with instructions and a reference number to take with you to the transfer agent.  The minimum deposit amount varies among poker sites but is usually about $250.

Cash Transfer Poker Sites » PokerStars.com and BodogLife.com Poker

Paysafecard

The Paysafecard is a major European prepaid credit card that is available for purchase at over 100,000 different physical locations.  To use this deposit method all you have to do is buy a Paysafecard, enter your pin number in the poker client and start playing.  It’s simple and effective.  The minimum deposit amount is $10 and the maximum deposit amount is $1,500 per week.

Paysafecard-Friendly Poker Site » PokerStars.com

WebMoney

WebMoney is yet another e-wallet option that players can use to deposit funds to most online poker sites.  To get started just sign up for a WebMoney account, fund it using your bank account or credit card and then choose this option in the cashier’s window.  WebMoney charges a 0.8% fee for transferring funds to poker sites.  The minimum deposit is $10 and the maximum is $1,500 per week.

WebMoney-Friendly Poker Site » TitanPoker.com