Paysafecard Overview
paysafecard |
Founded | 2000 |
Headquarters | Vienna, Austria |
Nr. of operating countries | 60 |
Nr. of employees | 3,300+ |
New York Stock Exchange Ticker | PSFE |
Regulated by | The Central Bank of Ireland |
paysafecard is a global leader in eCash payment methods, established in 2000 with its headquarters in Vienna, Austria. In 2015, the company was acquired by Optimal Payments, an online payment corporation, which subsequently rebranded as Paysafe.
paysafecard operates as a subsidiary of Paysafe, alongside other reputable payment methods, such as Skrill and Neteller, and is represented in 60 countries worldwide.
The service allows users to purchase electronic or printed prepaid vouchers with cash in numerous physical locations and online at authorised merchants. Their vouchers are accepted by plenty of webshops, particularly in the gaming niche.
In fact, paysafecard is one of the biggest supporters of the Electronic Sports League, the oldest international esports competition.
In 2021, paysafecard went public, trading on the New York Stock Exchange and acquiring two major players in eCash, PagoEfectivo, and viafintech.
The company won several awards in recent years, including
- “Best Contribution to Economic Mobility in Payments” at the Fintech Futures’ PayTech Awards 2022.
- “Best Payments Led Financial Institution Initiative” at The Digital Banker’s Global Payments Innovations Awards 2023.
What Does a Paysafecard Voucher Look Like?
Your voucher might look different depending on where you got it from. All vouchers should display the prepaid amount and the unique 16-digit PIN (Personal Identification Number).
If you bought a physical voucher from a retail location, you might need to scratch off the protective coating to reveal your code. The voucher is typically issued as a receipt.
For online purchases, you will see your code on the merchant’s website after the payment confirmation but don’t worry about taking a screenshot or writing it down. You will also receive the necessary details on the e-mail address you provided before the transaction.
paysafecard values
In the UK, you can purchase vouchers valued between £10 and £175. Vouchers over £100 must be bought at Paypoint points of sale, but only with a registered account because there is a £40 upper limit for everyone else.
You can combine multiple codes if you’d like to deposit larger amounts than the available options. You may purchase up to 10 paysafecard vouchers from any distributor at a time.
Top 3 Reasons to Use Paysafecard for Online Gambling in the UK
Cash is king
Paysafecard rose to prominence after allowing users to pay cash in webshops. This is a major advantage for players who don’t have a bank account or who don’t want to provide their banking details to an online casino.
And when you take banking details out of the equation, your transactions are completely private and secure. Even if your paysafecard PIN gets into the wrong hands, you will only ever lose the prepaid amount.
Prepaid supports planning
By now, you should know having a strict gambling budget is essential for protecting your mental health (if you don’t, you might want to go over our responsible gambling guide). Using prepaid vouchers for your deposits makes budgeting easy, meaning you’ll have heightened control over your habit.
Stellar security
Printed, prepaid vouchers paid with cash are as secure as you can require, but a registered account also allows enhanced security through 2-factor authentication and biometrics if you’re using the mobile app.
To ensure you’re 100% protected, never share your 16-digit code with anyone, and only enter it at a trustworthy, paysafecard-authorized casino.
Some Important Drawbacks of Paysafecard
- You can only withdraw funds from online casinos with a registered paysafecard account.
- To deposit larger amounts, you will need several prepaid vouchers.
- Unregistered players will pay a monthly service fee for any funds left unused on their vouchers.
Where Can You Get Paysafecard Vouchers?
Depending on your location, you can get paysafecard vouchers in physical locations and online. Without a registered account, you can get prepaid vouchers with cash in various places, including:
- Retail stores. You can get codes from the cashier in retail locations such as convenience stores, major supermarkets like Asda and Tesco, newsagents, and gas stations. Supported locations display the paysafecard logo on the premises.
- Online retailers and marketplaces. If you register an account, you can buy vouchers online, either from the official website or from authorised online retailers. A quick Google search will reveal plenty of options.
In the UK, there are almost 35.000 physical points of sale for paysafecard of various POS brands, including McColl’s, epay, one stop and WHSmith.
What if the sales staff doesn’t know about paysafecard?
I found out about paysafecard shortly after turning 18, when my younger brother started pestering me about buying him codes. Before anyone brings out the pitchforks, you can’t buy them unless you’re 18, and he wanted them for League of Legends skins.
I had no idea what he was talking about, but I asked for a voucher at a retail store, only to receive a gift card after some confused stares. My brother wasn’t happy, but I can’t blame the cashier.
If you ever try buying a paysafecard and face a retail worker who looks at you funny, you can now avoid some awkwardness by showing them the paysafecard sales guide.
Using Paysafecard With or Without Registration
Paysafecard is a flexible payment method that lends itself well to the various regulatory frameworks regarding gambling in different countries. It satisfies all the conditions for a trusted payment method in the online casinos regulated by the UKGC.
UK Players can register to a MyPaysafe account, which they can use as any other e-wallet, and top up their balance via debit card or bank transfer.
Registered users can also download the mobile paysafacard app, allowing them to make quick payments with only their smartphone.
Here are some of the main differences between using paysafecard with or without registration.
No registration | With registration |
- No debit or credit card required
- No personal information needed
- Pay with your 16-digit code at authorised merchants
- Purchase codes in physical locations
| - Fill in personal and banking details in your account
- Pay by logging into your account
- Manage your transactions online or with the mobile app
- Purchase codes in physical locations or online
- Higher transaction limits
- Order a physical Mastercard Prepaid card
|
How to Deposit to an Online Casino With Paysafecard
Here is how to make a deposit with paysafecard in an online casino, step-by-step.
- Log into your casino account and go to the cashier section.
- Initiate a deposit and choose paysafecard as your deposit method.
- Enter the amount you want to deposit.
- Enter your 16-digit code in the appropriate field and confirm the transaction.
If you signed up for a My Paysafe account, you’ll need to log in after you initiate the deposit. The amount will be deducted from your balance.
Warning
Paysafecard vouchers should only be used for payments at authorised merchants. Rogue casinos might intend to scam players by either stealing their codes or login details.
This is how you recognise an authorised paysafecard online merchant:
- The web address of the payment window starts with "https://customer.cc.at.paysafecard.com".
- The security certificate was issued to "customer.cc.at.paysafecard.com". You can check that by clicking on the "padlock" symbol next to or in the input bar of your browser.
If you’re unsure whether an online casino should be trusted with your paysafecard details, you can contact their customer service team, who will check for you before you authorise the payment.
How to Withdraw from an Online Casino With Paysafecard
To withdraw from any online casino with paysafecard, you’ll need to set up a My Paysafe account. Here is where you’ll need to fill in some personal information, but you can rest assured that this data will never be managed by the online casino and will remain safe on your account.
I recommend you use the same email address for your My Paysafe account as for the online casino registration.
- Go to the cashier section and initiate a withdrawal.
- Enter the desired amount to withdraw. Remember that paysafecard has quite restrictive limits, depending on your country. These can be raised by performing an identity check within the app.
- Pick paysafecard as your desired method and log into your account to confirm the transaction.
- Time to enjoy the winnings. The transaction should be completed within 24 hours.
Paysafecard Fees and Additional Charges
If you’re using paysafecard without registration, there is only one fee to consider. You have six months to spend the balance on each voucher from purchase.
If funds are left on your voucher, you will be charged a monthly £3 fee, deducted from the voucher’s balance, until the voucher clears.
Registered accounts don’t pay service fees for the first year. Then, a minimal service fee will be charged monthly as long as you have funds in your balance. There are no fees for inactivity as long as your balance is zero.
Other than these, paysafecard charges a conversion fee for paying in foreign currencies. The exchange rate is available on their site.
Casino operators usually cover deposit and withdrawal fees. If yours doesn’t, it might be time to consider joining a new online casino.