Paysafecard vs MasterCard

We don’t doubt you’ve run into methods like Paysafecard and MasterCard when going through the motions of the online gambling world. These services are some of the most easily recognizable brands available to fans of online gaming, and they’ve been providing users with easy access to premium content for a long time now. While both of these methods include the word card in their names, they couldn’t be more different. One follows a more traditional approach to banking, while the other is moving forward with the latest trend available. The perks offered by these services are undoubtedly excellent, but in today’s competitive banking market, are they enough to keep users happy? In the following sections of this text, we’ll try to come up with an answer to a big question. Why use Paysafecard or MasterCard across online casinos?

About Paysafecard and MasterCard

Paysafecard is the more modern of the two methods. It dates back to the year 2000 when it debuted as one of the few excellent products created by the Paysafe Group. While some might see this as a disadvantage, the company’s business savvy managed to launch three incredibly successful payment methods that most of us are familiar with. Besides the one we’re currently discussing, it created Neteller and Skrill. These three powerhouses might be pretty different from each other, but they learned and grew together. Paysafecard took all of the criticism its sister products faced and used it to improve. Naturally, this led to a positive response from users who adored the constant changes that worked in their favor.

The relationship between Paysafecard, Neteller, and Skrill led to some fruitful efforts, but it’s not the main reason why the service blew up as much as it did. When it was released, the prepaid voucher filled an obvious market gap waiting for a solution. It’s good to remember that this method appeared in the early 2000s. During this time, the internet was becoming a constant in every home, and the popularity of online shopping grew exponentially. Unfortunately, the online world wasn’t known for being a safe space. Online shopping came with the risk of hacking, identity theft, and misuse of personal information.

These issues were dominant across nearly all online shops and services, so many payment options were blown out of the water immediately. Since it was essential to share user information for them to operate, they were insanely prone to security risks. Of course, that wasn’t the case with Paysafecard. Since the main service is a prepaid card, all you have to do is purchase one and use it as you like. This doesn’t require any player information, instead, it works with a unique security code. As you can imagine, people immediately flocked to this service as one of the safest and most reliable ways to transact online.

These days, the anonymity Paysafecard provides is still a big reason why people choose it. Of course, this is aided by many of its other pros, including convenience, speed, and a growing presence in iGaming. The speed part of the equation should be pretty obvious. The method facilitates lightning-quick transactions that improve the user experience significantly. When convenience is in question, this perk mainly comes from the multiple services offered by this method. While the prepaid card is its most popular service, Paysafecard also offers an eWallet-adjacent service called MyPaysafecard and a more old-school service in the Paysafe MasterCard.

MasterCard is one of the best-known global payment services right now. Many of you might be surprised, but the company started as a membership organization named Master Charge in 1966 in the US. It was put together by a couple of powerful financial institutions, including Wells Fargo, the Bank of California, California National Bank, and Crocker National. Not long after it started operating, it managed to amass over 25,000 financial institutions in its ranks of shareholders. As expected, word of its massive growth spread quickly, reaching countless countries beyond the US borders interested in what it had to offer. To keep up with these new developments, the service rebranded to MasterCard after the release of its go-to products – bank cards.

With roots that date back as far as 1966, it’s easy to see why so many people go for this service. MasterCard is incredibly well-established and respected. In its years on the market, it’s managed to reach over 180 countries, growing its payment network into one of the biggest ones available. Thanks to its near-endless reach, users can access nearly every venue in the online gambling space. Of course, this is one of the biggest reasons why so many casino fans choose it. On top of this, it offers stellar security, reliable service, and a user-friendly platform that’s easy to use.

You probably already know that MasterCard has released various products over the years. While most have been pretty successful, none have reached the same level of success as its credit and debit cards. At the moment, these two are the brand’s bread and butter, and they’re what we’ll be discussing when referring to the service.

Most of you should be familiar with debit and credit cards. These payment options are so widespread that most people use them daily for various payments. If you’re not aware of how they function, here are the basics. With debit cards, users are privy to the funds available in their accounts. They can only spend as much as they’ve put in there, which is usually the standard. Credit cards are a bit different. Users can spend past the money available, going into debt.

A noteworthy detail about credit cards is that they’ve undergone some scrutiny in the online gambling world in the past few years. Unfortunately, their use for online gambling purposes has been banned in Germany and the UK. While this issue seems to be isolated to these two regions, we’re not sure if other countries plan to reconsider their stances regarding the method and its use.

Getting Started with the Two Methods

Paysafecard currently consists of three separate services, so getting started with it might seem more complex than most methods. Thankfully, once you choose between its prepaid service, traditional bank card, and online payment service, it’s fairly easy to get things up and running.

We’ll start with the most sought-after Paysafecard service, the prepaid card. If you’re looking to get your hands on this service, you won’t have to go through much hassle. To start, look for a local outlet that carries these prepaid cards. Finding one shouldn’t be hard, as the service is popular in most places. After you find a shop near you, you’ll need to choose a denomination that fits your needs. Thankfully, you’re presented with several options here. They include a $10, $30, $50, $100, $150, and $250 voucher! If you’re worried about the currency, you needn’t get too hung up on it. The voucher supports several popular currencies, so you can find it in US dollars, Canadian dollars, UK pounds, and several digital currencies like Bitcoin!

The second most popular Paysafecard option is the MyPaysafecard service. As we already mentioned, this service works similarly to an eWallet. It’s a digital transfer service that requires an account before users can proceed to make transfers. On that note, to create an account, you’ll need to visit the official Paysafe website. Enter the required information in the registration form, and everything should be good to go within minutes! Of course, you’ll need to fund your account if you want to use it. You can do this by using a credit card, debit card, or some of the other Paysafecard services we’ve discussed in this text.

The last Paysafecard option on this list is the Paysafe MasterCard service. This service is likely what you’ve imagined. It’s a collaboration between the two methods we’re discussing in this text, and it’s a pretty popular option among users that prefer something a bit more old-school. To obtain this card, you’ll need to visit a bank and follow the process for requesting a bank card. Essentially, you’ll need to fill out a few forms with data about yourself, provide identity verification documents, and have some patience while they’re being reviewed. Once approved, your new card should be ready within a few days. We’ll go into more detail about the bank card getting-started process when discussing MasterCard, so stick around for a more in-depth review.

The good news about applying for a MasterCard is that you probably already know how to do it. The process is the same across the board for all bank cards, and since getting one is a rite of passage for many new adults, you’ve likely been through it before. Even if you haven’t, we just went over some of the key steps when discussing the previous method. Sticking to these basics should be enough to get you on your way without any issues arising.

The first step to getting a MasterCard bank card is finding a bank or financial institution near you that supports the service. Doing so is easy. The service’s massive network has partners everywhere, and even if you run into trouble finding one around, you can use the locator tool on the MasterCard website. Before you go inside and get the process started, keep in mind that you’ll need to decide whether you want a credit or debit card. Both options are excellent, but their unique offers might suit some players better than others.

After you’ve made a decision, you can proceed to the main event. Start by requesting the needed application forms and filling them out. It’s good to remember that these forms require tons of personal information. Sure, answering some questions about your marital status or monthly income may be uncomfortable, but that information is kept as secure as possible and is only used to set up your account and card. In addition to the forms, you’ll also need to verify your identity. You can do this by providing a passport, government-issued ID, driving license, or another photo ID document.

It shouldn’t take longer than a couple of days for the bank to process everything and get the card ready. Once it’s done, you’ll be contacted immediately by phone or email. If you feel like taking a walk, you can pick up the card personally on location. If you’re too busy to head over to the bank, you can request to have it delivered by mail.

Using Paysafecard and MasterCard Across Online Casinos

Paysafecard and MasterCard are both very popular options in the online gambling world. Their benefits make them excellent choices for any player, and their availability allows access to more gambling venues than one can count! While MasterCard is in the lead when the latter sentiment is in question, Paysafecard has a few unique perks of its own that don’t let it drag behind.

If you’ve landed on Paysafecard as your preferred casino payment method, the first thing you’ll need to do is choose which of the three services it offers you’ll be using. We’ll go over all of them in this text, starting with the prepaid card. Here’s how you can deposit with it:

1. Check out the operator’s Payments/Banking/Cashier page
2. Search for the Paysafe logo among the other payment options
3. Choose the prepaid card option and enter the required 16-digit code
4. Confirm the transaction and wait a bit for the money to arrive.

The next Paysafe option on the list is the online payment service – Mypaysafecard. Here are the steps you should follow to start depositing:

1. Visit the operator’s Payments/Banking/Cashier page
2. Find the Paysafe logo on the list of supported payment options
3. Enter the required account information
4. Enter the amount you wish to deposit
5. Proceed with the transfer and wait for the money to arrive on your balance.

The last Paysafe option we’ll look at is the bank card. The Paysafe Master Card option operates just like any other bank card. Here’s how to use it for online casino deposits:

1. Visit the casino’s Payments/Banking/Cashier page.
2. Look for the MasterCard logo on the list of accepted methods and click or tap on it.
3. In the new window, enter the card’s number, expiry date, and the CCV2 number, if needed, and specify your name as the cardholder.
4. Specify the amount of money you’d like to deposit.
5. Accept the transaction, and the money will arrive on your balance right away.

Unfortunately, we have some bad news about Paysafecard withdrawals. While they’re perfectly viable via the online payment service and the bank card, they’re not available through the prepaid card. Since this is the most popular option of the bunch, many users might be disappointed by the need for an additional method to withdraw. To withdraw via the other two Paysafe options, you can follow the same steps for depositing listed above, respectively, with a small change. Instead of clicking the deposit button at the casino, click on withdraw.

For those of you that want to use MasterCard to deposit, here’s what to do:

1. Choose the “Deposit with Credit/Debit Card” option.
2. From the list of offered credit/debit cards, select MasterCard as your deposit option.
3. Enter the card’s number, expiry date, your name as the cardholder, and the CCV2 code on the back of the card.
4. Specify how much you wish to deposit and confirm the transaction.
5. In an instant, the funds will arrive on your balance!

We have some unfortunate news about MasterCard withdrawals too. While they’re available with most operators, some venues don’t allow this option. Sure, this is an inconvenience in select spaces, but an inconvenience nonetheless. Another disappointing thing about MasterCard withdrawals is the processing time. Compared to other services, the withdrawal time for this service is long. It can take users between five to seven days to receive their payment.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Paysafecard and MasterCard are some of the best online casino payment options available. From this text, you can see they offer users top-tier benefits in the online gambling space, but they also come with a few downsides that could make or break a player’s experience. Below, we’ll review these points for a final time.

Paysafecard comes with a plethora of perks that users can enjoy. The biggest benefit to using this service is the pick of options you get. Paysafe offers three different payment services, and all of them operate differently. Naturally, this gives players a chance to choose the one best suited to their needs. Generally, the perks most people associate with this service are anonymity, convenience, and speed. The con of using this service can be seen when the prepaid card comes into play. Unfortunately, the most popular option of the three doesn’t offer withdrawals. On top of this, the service does come with some fees.

MasterCard’s biggest strength lies in its massive network that reaches nearly every crevice of the online gambling world. By using this service, players are privy to nearly every online casino out there, including the best venues on the market! Of course, the service’s reliability, safety, and convenience help make it a top choice for many. Unfortunately, its cons can be pretty significant deal-breakers. Its withdrawal processing times are painfully slow, and the use of its credit card option is banned in some regions.

All in all, both methods are great picks. We doubt you’ll regret choosing one or the other, so go over their offer again to be sure of your decision and have fun playing at your favorite online casino!