Checks (outside of the USA, cheques) are the oldest and most traditional method of payment that is still used at a large number of real money online casinos today. There are obvious downsides to using a paper check to fund an online casino account for real money, not the least of which is the huge lag time between when you send the check and when you can start playing. However, eChecks – essentially, electronic versions of traditional checks – have all the same advantages as checka, while also being faster and more secure.
Depositing At Casinos Using Checks and eChecks
First, let’s note that not all online casinos accept checks or eChecks as a deposit method. Some take both, some will only accept one or the other, and still others will not take any form of checks at all. Be sure to check with an individual online casino’s website before planning to make a deposit by check or eCheck.
Of these two options, sending an eCheck is usually a faster, easier option than sending a paper check. The main difficulty in sending a traditional check to an online casino is the fact that you’ll usually have to wait for the check to clear before you can begin playing. While that may not sound too daunting, remember that you’ll be sending a check internationally, and then the casino will need to process that check; finally, given that your check is probably issued in a different country than that of the casino company, it will take longer than usual to clear.
The alternative, an eCheck, will generally be faster for a couple of reasons. For one, electronic delivery means that the real money online casino will immediately receive the eCheck. While it will still take a few days to clear, many online casinos will allow you to play with the money you’ve deposited immediately, though you won’t be able to withdraw any winnings until after the check clears.
If you want to send a paper check to the online casino, you’ll obviously not be able to finish your deposit through the casino software’s cashier. Typically, you’ll be given the address you’ll need to send the check to, along with any other information the casino requires you to write on the check or enclose with your deposit. On the other hand, eChecks can be handled entirely online; you’ll just want to have a check in front of you so that you have all of your banking information handy.
Casino Deposits Using Checks (Cheques)
Most people are familiar with the use of paper checks, although their usage has dropped dramatically in the last 20 years. A check is a simple bill of exchange that allows people and businesses to make payments from one bank account to another person or account. Today, traditional checks have increasingly become replaced by electronic methods of payment processing, as these methods are faster, more secure, and less vulnerable to fraud. For making purchases in person, credit and debit cards have become much more popular alternatives to cash, and electronic payments have far surpassed sending paper checks.
However, many people still use checks at least occasionally, and as such, many online casinos are still happy to accept them. There are two major problems you may encounter when sending a check to real money online casino. First, as we mentioned above, you’ll have to deal with the long wait between the time when you mail the check and when it finally clears on the casino’s end. This process can sometimes take several weeks; in the meantime, you won’t be able to play in the online casino, which can be very frustrating.
The other problem with using a paper check for a real money deposit is the chance that your check will never arrive at all. We’re not trying to scare you hear; the vast majority of the time, your check will arrive just fine. But the chances of a paper check being lost, damaged, or sent to the wrong address result in a much higher error rate than when dealing with electronic deposit methods. While a paper check will work in a pinch if it is your only way to make a deposit, we definitely recommend finding another way to deposit money into your real money online casino account if one is available to you.
Casinos Offering eCheck Deposits
Most online casinos will tell you that eChecks are simply electronic versions of standard checks. This isn’t technically true, but they do work in much the same way. An eCheck is really a type of Electronic Funds Transfer (or EFT), in which money is transferred directly from your bank account to a bank account owned by the real money online casino.
When you use an eCheck to make a deposit, an electronic request is made to your bank, after which the amount you’ve deposited is removed from your bank account. After the transaction clears – usually anywhere between three days and a week later – the money will arrive in the online casino’s bank account.
Because the process of using an eCheck is simpler, faster, and more secure than making real money deposits with paper checks, eChecks are usually the better way to go if you have a choice between the two methods. While some people may have concerns about transmitting financial data over the Internet, remember that you’re only giving the same information that appears on your paper checks anyway – and the payment processing systems used by modern online casinos are almost certainly more reliable than international mail.
