Whether you’re an online poker pro with a winning strategy or a complete newcomer to the scene, you’ll want a payment method you can depend on when trying your hand at the best online poker sites. PayPal offers its 200 million worldwide users a safe, simple and convenient way to pay and play online. Let’s take a closer look at what PayPal brings to the table and find out if it’s the right option for you.
Why use PayPal?
There’s an array of e-wallet options out there that are compatible with the best online gambling sites, from online casinos to sportsbooks. Neteller and Skrill are among players’ favourite methods, but PayPal is undoubtedly the most popular. In the space of almost two decades, PayPal has become a household name synonymous with online payments. It’s easy to see why – PayPal offers online poker players with a payment method that’s fast, easy to use and reliable.
You can use your credit card, debit card or bank account to fund your PayPal account, or simply store these options using your PayPal wallet. However, when making deposits at an online poker site, you’ll never be required to share details of any of these payment methods with the site operator. Instead, you simply use your PayPal login details – your email address and password. This virtually eliminates any leaks of sensitive information. In addition, PayPal takes a number of measures to keep players secure, including key pinning, data encryption and email confirmations. In short, you can rest assured your funds are safe when playing at a PayPal-friendly online poker site, even from your mobile device.
In addition to instant deposits, you can also expect faster withdrawals using PayPal over a more traditional method such as a credit card. This is great news for players who want to make a quick buck and cash out quickly. If PayPal ticks all your boxes, you’ll be able to sign up for an account free of charge and get started within minutes!
How to play online at a PayPal-friendly online poker site
- Compare and choose an online poker site.
We’ve compiled a list of reputable, trustworthy and fully licensed PayPal-friendly poker sites. All you need to do is compare and pick one that matches your needs. So whether you’re after a huge welcome bonus or the best live dealer poker tables, we’ve got you covered. - Sign up.
Once you’ve picked out a favourite, simply follow our link to sign up and become eligible for your exclusive welcome bonus. All that’s required to sign up is a few personal details and contact information. You’ll be done within minutes! If you’ve opted for a no deposit bonus, you’ll usually receive your bonus immediately after your account is created. - Create a PayPal account
Haven’t signed up with PayPal already? Registering an account is quick and easy. Simply head over to PayPal’s site to get started. To open a personal account, all you’ll need to provide is your name, address, phone number, and email address. You’ll then need to link a credit card, debit card or bank account to your account before you can use it to make payments. - Make a deposit
With your online poker and PayPal accounts set up and ready to go, your next step is to make a deposit. Head to the cashier page of your chosen online poker site and follow the on-screen instructions, choosing PayPal as your payment method. If you’re a new player, you can expect to receive your welcome bonus almost instantly follow your first deposit. - Find a game to join.
PayPal promises instant payments, so you’ll be able to play your favourite online poker games right away. Once your account is funded, you’ll be able to take your pick from a number of free and real money poker rooms at the best PayPal-friendly poker sites. Pretty much every top poker brand features a game of Texas Hold’em, but you can expect to find other variations such as Omaha and 7-card stud too. Whatever you opt for in the poker lobby, you’re guaranteed hours of fun when you play at one of our featured sites.
PayPal Security
PayPal has established a solid reputation as a trustworthy online payment option thanks to its track record of ensuring secure payments. Security is usually the main concern for players making online payments and it’s safe to say PayPal doesn’t fall short in this department.
Using PayPal eliminates the need to share sensitive data such as your bank account details with any third parties. However, this isn’t the only measure PayPal takes to help you stay secure. Let’s take a look at some of the other ways PayPal guarantees safe online payments.
Whether you’re logging in from your mobile device or computer, PayPal makes sure you’re only connecting with Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) sites with Transport Layer Security 1.0 (TLS) or higher. This is the current industry standard for trusted communication channels and reduces the risk of any attacks.
The PayPal Security Key gives you a second authentication factor when you’re logging into your account. In addition to your password, you enter a one time pin that’s unique for each login, giving you an additional layer of account security.
Mobile players are guaranteed safe payments too. Key pinning is a feature of the PayPal iOS and Android mobile apps. Key pinning ensures your device only connects to a true PayPal server, meaning no imposters can intercept the connection request.
PayPal Fees
You’ll be able to set up your PayPal account free of charge and deposit with your bank account or debit card for free too. However, credit card users will be charged a small fee per transaction. You’ll be able to make payments without incurring any cost at your online poker site if there’s no currency conversion taking place.
However, you may find that some sites charge an additional processing fee for using PayPal. While this isn’t particularly common, we’d recommend checking out the terms and conditions just to be sure.
Welcome bonuses
You might find that your chosen online poker site does accept PayPal as a payment method, but disqualifies users who make initial deposits with PayPal from claiming a welcome bonus. This isn’t a frequent occurrence and is much more common with other e-wallets such as Instadebit, Neteller and Skrill. Nevertheless, it’s always a good idea to play it safe – always check out the terms and conditions of any bonus offer before making a deposit.
