How To Deposit At Party Poker – The Easiest Options Reviewed
PartyPoker.com are one of the original poker sites, and have a fantastic record of processing deposits and withdrawals quickly going back more than 10 years. What I like best about this site is that you can quickly find a list of the deposit options sorted by country. You’ll see a ‘deposit options’ link on the bottom left hand side of the PartyPoker.com homepage, then you choose your country from the list of flags to see the options available to you... you can see the page via the: www.partypoker.com/en/promo/deposit-options
These include regular deposit options like PayPal and Bank Cards, as well as some newer and more innovative options via your phone.
This article is a summary of the different options, along with the pros and cons of using each. I have divided the methods into three categories, starting with eWallets, then bank cards and finally transfers / others. At the end of the page are some notes for players from Canada (several unique deposit options) and Russian / Eastern Europe.
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Party Cashier
Just a quick historical note before I get to the deposits. Party were the first site to have an independent cashier system. Many sites have since followed this. They were also involved in the creation of my personal favorite eWallet system called MoneyBookers (Skrill) which is now owned by the people behind Neteller – who have lower fees than any other similar service. Just a side note really, though it does demonstrate how Party have consistently been ahead of the curve.
Global / General Deposit Methods at Party Poker – eWallets
I recommend you get yourself an electronic wallet system for all your poker transactions (not only at Party Poker, all sites). What these systems do is separate your poker bankroll from your banking. I keep a good proportion of my bankroll in Skrill, then when there is a reload or special offer at any poker site I am able to take advantage instantly. Depositing and withdrawing takes seconds (well, you have to get your withdrawals approved at some sites) and nothing appears on my bank statements either.
Party Poker accept several eWallet brands including, PayPal, Neteller, uKash and Skrill. There are more of these services on a country specific basis too, with big brands like Moneta and Webmoney all covered. Note that PayPal is a positive sign, only the biggest and best trusted brands get to use this system. Since you only pay to receive money, it is great value for making deposits with.
You do have an initial ‘hassle factor’ involving registering and funding your account. This is well worth it – after you have an eWallet you will never have to think about how to make poker deposits again.
Party Poker Deposit Methods – Credit / Debit Cards
This is the single fastest way of getting money into your Party Poker account. Visa and Mastercard are the key brands to use. You will find them pretty much instant for getting money into your account. What I should note is that the initial amount you deposited will be returned to the same card – though any profit above this can be withdrawn in any other way available for your country. Unusually, Party also welcome Diners Club, players in some countries will also be able to use Maestro and Visa Electron.
If you prefer not to let your bank manager know that you made a poker deposit then you can always try a pre-paid visa card (or simply use an eWallet service instead). There are now hybrids of online wallets and credit cards. Some involve buying vouchers (for example PaySafeCard), others like EntroPay are online wallets with card-like capabilities via a 'virtual credit card'. The newest card to add to this list is the virtual 'Go Pay' which is a pre-paid MasterCard.
Note that if you use MasterCard on any poker site, you will not be able to make withdrawals to it. There are plenty of other options, with a local bank transfer the easiest.
See www.partypoker.com for a full list of credit cards, divided by country - don't forget bonus code SNGPLANET for your free €/$30 welcome bonus!
Party Poker Deposit Options – Bank Transfers
There are two types of bank transfer available, local transfer or international wires. Local transfer services are used in some countries instead of debit cards, and are usually instant. Wires are great for larger deposits – any high rollers out there should get in touch with the Party support team who will be happy to guide you through the process.
If you are making a smaller deposit, I do not recommend these methods. For high rollers, the fixed fees are small in comparison to the total amount being deposited.
Country Specific Options at Party Poker - Canada
Canadians have some of the most liberal online gambling laws around - unfortunately, nobody told the banks! This means restrictions on credit card deposits, and several of the big eWallets (including PayPal) are not available.
Party Poker does have some unique options for Canadian players. The first is InstaDebit. This is a 3rd party system which sits between your bank and online merchants. You spend money from your current account, though it is InstaDebit taking the funds, and not a poker site. This avoids any issues with blocks. PaySafeCard is also welcomed from Canada. Electronic Transfer is also possible, this refers to the unique Interac system in Canada. You will need to verify your bank account to use this, which does take a few days.
See this article for more details of popular Canadian Poker Deposit Methods.
Russia and Eastern / Central Europe
As you travel east there are several popular online wallets and payment systems which are unique to this region. Party Poker welcome several of these. They include the popular WebMoney and Moneta - plus the QIWI virtual visa card system. Poland has a popular eWallet / Online payment solution called Przelewy24, and Hungary has abaqoos. These are in addition to the credit cards, bank transfers and eWallet systems already covered above.
Party Poker Deposits – Summary And Next Steps
I can not think of any site with more experience at handling poker deposits than Party. Their listing on the London Stock Exchange gives you peace of mind, and those bonus offers are pretty damn generous too.
You can claim your €/$30 instant bonus (SPINS tokens and cash game buy-ins!) with bonus code SNGPLANET.
Check out Party Poker now, the full list of deposits by country can be found via the link at the bottom left corner of their homepage.