Why can't you use Google Pay at an online casino?

When it comes to making payments and withdrawals at an online casino, customers are usually spoilt for choice. Most sites support a wide range of payment options, ranging from credit and debit cards to more recently developed electronic payment solutions.

Online casino users might be disappointed, though, to find that trusted payment method Google Pay, a service known for its speed, simplicity and strong security credentials, doesn’t seem to be widely available to make payments on these sites. Despite this, a good few other payment methods which offer the same benefits as Google Pay are widely accepted at online casinos. We’ve compiled a list of the best alternatives to Google Pay below.

PayPal

PayPal might be the most recognisable payment method in the world. Its fast transaction times and solid security credentials have made it hugely popular — and now online casinos are capitalising on this service. Like with Google Pay, you can use PayPal to transfer money directly without needing to give away your card details, and the service uses end-to-end encryption for extra peace of mind. Importantly, you can use PayPal to withdraw as well as to deposit without giving your bank details away. Check out our PayPal payment guide and list of PayPal casinos to find out more.

Apple Pay

Set up in 2014, Apple Pay is another service known for promoting customer security: payments have to be verified by the tech company’s Touch ID and Face ID authorisation systems, so the chances of fraud are incredibly small. As more and more bingo and casino sites become compatible with Apple Pay, its popularity will only grow. Like Google Pay, Apple Pay offers very fast, fee-free transfers. It is only available on Apple products, however.

Paysafecard

When you use Paysafecard, you can be absolutely certain that your financial information is safe. With a voucher payment system, transactions are entirely independent of credit or debit cards and so basically anonymous: you can even buy the vouchers using cash. Paysafecard vouchers are widely available and, since they can only be bought in set amounts, it’s easy to keep track of your spending when using them. Not all casinos accept it as a withdrawal method, however, so it’s worth double-checking on the website before deciding to use Paysafecard.

Skrill

Perhaps the payment method most closely associated with the online gaming sphere, Skrill is a market-leading eWallet platform. Skrill’s early association with online gambling sites means that it is readily available across most of them. With Skrill, you can make payments from your bank account without having to provide any bank details. Payments are secure and fast, although fees are charged for both deposits and withdrawals.

Neteller

Neteller is another eWallet that has long been associated with the online gambling sector. You only need to provide two pieces of information (your Account ID and Secure ID) to make a transaction and industry-standard 128-bit encryption is employed to keep all details safe and secure. Withdrawal times are much faster than with credit or debit cards and you can even gain access to a VIP programme if you use the service regularly. If that all seems a bit too good to be true, then you should know that Neteller charges rather hefty fees. A full breakdown of these is available on the platform’s website, but in short, if you’re only looking to make small transactions, this will be somewhat annoying.

Pay By Phone

Despite being less well known, pay-by-phone services offer a convenient and secure way to make transactions at an online casino. They allow you to charge deposits to your phone bill or pay-as-you-go balance. It’s possible to deposit money in this way without the need to supply bank and card details. Every payment is confirmed by SMS, making it easy to keep track of your spending and to spot any potential fraudulent transactions. Pay-by-phone platforms are regulated by the Phone-Paid Services Authority (PSA) to ensure their conformity with security measures, offering customers an extra layer of protection. There are daily and weekly deposit limits of £30 and £240 respectively, which make these services ideal for small depositors. It’s not possible to make withdrawals, however.

The most common pay-by-phone platform is Boku, which can be used by anyone with a UK mobile phone number.