For a very long time, American Express, otherwise referred to as AMEX, has been considered to be an apex player in the global financial industry. With more than 100 million cards currently in circulation, American Express certainly checks the right boxes for a lot of consumer needs and preferences with one of the most important aspects being its trustworthiness. A lot of reputable poker rooms currently allow their customers to make both deposits and withdrawals using AMEX and this is because the payment service provider has built a reputation for itself for being a gold standard for quality, dependability, and integrity.
When deciding on an online poker site deposit method to use, you will definitely not go wrong with American Express. Aside from all the good things that have been highlighted above, American Express offers plenty more great features that will appeal to every player. They include:
- Fast transaction processing speeds.
- Top-notch security powered by the latest encryption technologies.
- Support for the highest quality sites.
- Support for mobile payments.
What Is American Express?
Founded way back in 1850 as an express mail courier business, American Express company officially pivoted towards financial services in 1882 and finally to the card business in the 1950s and the 1960s. This was after the company noticed the increasing popularity of debit and credit card products from the likes of MasterCard and VISA. While the move was initially geared toward compensating for the decline is some of their business verticals, the company was by no means late to the party as it was able to quickly make a name for itself as a top payment service provider in the United States as well as many other parts of the world.
Today, American Express is among the top largest and most trusted card issuers in the world – it is, therefore, used as a payment method for a wide range of online services including on poker sites. All this is possible thanks to a neat selection of exclusive features that set it apart from all the rest.
Why Should You Choose AMEX?
In this day and age where there a good number of decent payment services that online poker players can choose from, AMEX manages to stand out from all the rest not just because it is associated with premium features but also because it actually lives up to its name in so many ways. Here is how:
Superfast Deposits – American Express Card can be used to top up online poker account balances instantly. This is a feature that is highly valued in the online gambling space and thus services like AMEX that transfer funds to your poker account with not extremely minimal to no wait times are the definitely the best options.
Top-notch Security – While American Express offers some of the exact same security features offered by other card providers, the company’s commitment to user safety and security cannot be dismissed. Unlike the other cards, AMEX cards are obtained directly from the company instead of banks or other financial institutions and this gives them an added layer of protection that cannot be found anywhere else.
Easy Setup Process – Since AMEX cards are obtained directly from the company, the users never need to worry about the tedious processes involved when applying for other types of cards. Depending on your credit score and source of income, the company can easily recommend the type of service you qualify for. Still, you are allowed to choose whichever card you want.
Great Card Selection – In addition to the credit cards and prepaid cards, American Express also offers charge cards which are, in essence, debit cards albeit with all of the features that come with credit cards. Each of the cards offered by AMEX is packed with awesome features but depending on the one you pick you will be able to access more customized offerings.
Access to World-Class Poker Rooms. – Needless to say, finding an online poker room that offers American Express is not as easy as it is for other deposit methods. This is not necessarily a bad thing since the payment service company puts a very strong emphasis on premium products and hence it can only be found at the best of the best poker rooms on the planet. A search for the supported poker rooms also reveals that the players are able to deposit much higher amounts as compared to most other payment methods.
Getting Started with American Express
Getting an American Express card is pretty easy – all you need to do is head over to the online site and apply for one by providing the necessary details. Since no third-party is involved the process is pretty straightforward. The company will then proceed to cross check some of the details you have provided and if your application is approved the card will be delivered right to your doorstep, mostly via post. That’s it!
Making a Deposit with American Express
If you already have your AMEX card you can proceed to the next, which is making a deposit at your online poker site of choice. This process is a breeze and goes as follows:
- Create an account at the AMEX-supported online poker site or log on to your account if you already have one.
- After logging on to your online poker account navigate to the cashier page or tab where you will be required to select your preferred payment method, which in this case should be American Express.
- Once you have chosen AMEX as your preferred payment method, you will be prompted to enter your billing and card information. Verify that all the information that you have provided is correct and up to date then proceed to the next step.
- Input the amount that you wish to deposit to your poker room account. At this stage, you may be able to take advantage of some bonuses and promotions. Once you are satisfied that the amount you have entered is enough to fund your gaming activities, confirm the payment.
- Lastly, you will have to wait for no less than a few seconds for the payment transaction to be verified and processed. Now that your funds are in your online poker account you can begin playing the available poker games with real money.
What About the Fees?
As mentioned earlier, not a lot of online poker sites accept payment via American Express and this perhaps is because of the rather high fees that the service provider charges. Even so, AMEX is considered to be a luxury brand hence its association to luxurious online gaming platforms – gamblers who use these sites usually do not mind the fees because they match the kind of services that the company offers. Besides, with the decent selection of AMEX cards that customers are allowed to choose from, there is at least something for every kind of player.
