MasterCard certainly needs no introduction amongst people who have used credit cards and debit cards or been involved in an online transaction of some kind. The company’s reputation as a leading financial system has grown tremendously since it was founded way back in 1966. With credit and debit cards still being some of the most popular forms of payment made both on and offline, it has managed to carve out a spot for itself as one of the go-to services for people seeking to transfer funds conveniently and securely.
That said, it is quite obvious that MasterCard is widely used by online poker players and is a key consideration for newbies. Fortunately finding poker rooms that offer this payment method as a service for both deposits and withdrawals is very easy. As a matter of fact, it is almost impossible to find an online poker site that does not accept MasterCard and this just goes to show how incredibly popular it is. As you will come to find out, all of the hype that the company is getting after decades of launching its online payment service is well deserved.
How Does MasterCard Work?
MasterCard is currently one of the top types of credit and debit cards in the world. The notion of any of these cards is pretty simple – the Mastercard is linked to your normal bank account and it guarantees the payment to the recipient. MasterCard credit cards allow you to make the deposits to your poker account even when during a certain point of time you do not have the money in your bank account. This is, in essence, what every credit or debit card provider offers but with MasterCard, there are many more features and perks that the users get to enjoy.
It is important to know that, to deliver the exceptional services it offers, whenever you initiate an online poker deposit using MasterCard, the transaction undergoes a number of steps. At its core, the information required to make the process a success is reasonable – they include the card’s expiry date, the name of the owner the Card Verification Value (CVV) and its number.
Where Can You Use MasterCard?
Over the past few decades, MasterCard has solidified its position as a leader in the payments industry, something that it has achieved through thorough market consolidation efforts. As it stands, the payment service is accepted in over 210 countries across the globe. It is also backed by over 250 million companies, each of which uses the service to facilitate payments between them and their clients.
Obviously, online poker operators have not been left out – in fact, online poker sites are among the oldest users of MasterCard’s online payment services. The fact that MasterCard can even be used internationally makes it the ideal choice for online gamblers who prefer to play at international online gambling sites, especially those that are not yet available in their jurisdictions.
Why MasterCard Is So Popular
Millions of online gamblers are currently active MasterCard users which makes it a key component of the global online gambling ecosystem. But why is it such a popular choice for making online poker room deposits?
Ease of Use – Just like it is for any other online transaction, the process of making an online poker deposit is pretty simple and straightforward with MasterCard. All the player needs to do is to input their MasterCard and billing information after which the transaction is processed almost immediately.
Safe and Secure Transactions – Nothing matters more than safety and security in the online space, and this applies to even cases where no real money is involved. MasterCard has only been able to survive this long because of its dedication to ensuring that user data and funds remain confidential through the application of strict security policies and the use of the latest state-of-the-art security technology.
Speed Transactions – Every online poker player knows how important timing is when it comes to getting the value of your money at a poker room. With MasterCard, making a deposit is a swift and effortless process that will ensure that you are able to begin playing your favorite games in no more than a few seconds.
Reliability – To qualify to be MasterCard-supported vendors, all interested companies have to meet certain standards. This means that it is extremely rare to find MasterCard being used as a payment method at shady or unregulated gambling sites. As such, transactions are processed smoothly since few or no disputes have to be handled. Moreover, MasterCard has excellent customer support services that are available to users 24/7 via a number of different channels and in multiple languages.
Lots of Options – MasterCard customers are treated to a neat selection of credit and debit card options that they can choose from depending on their bankrolls or personal preferences. Online poker players, therefore, have the option of choosing cards to satisfy specific needs like taking advantage of a cash-back rewards program among other poker perks.
Getting a MasterCard
While there are a number of ways of getting a card that is part of the MasterCard network, the best place to source for information about what you need is your bank. Nearly all existing banks on the planet offer MasterCard cards with a few charging some fees for them – however, the fees are quite reasonable and they should definitely not be a deal-breaker.
How to Make a Poker Site Deposit with MasterCard
One of the advantages that MasterCard offers is simplicity and ease of use and this applies to both the online poker withdrawals and deposits. When it comes to making deposits, these are the steps that you need to follow:
- Log on to your online poker account or create an account if you do not already have one. Once your account window loads up, head over to the cashier page. Depending on the design of the poker site, this should be on the dashboard, sidebar or navigation pane.
- Once you are on the cashier’s page, you will be presented with a list of supported payment services. Obviously, if MasterCard is not in that list then that poker room is not the one for you. If its available select it then enter your card and billing information.
- Once all of your MasterCard details have been confirmed, all you will need to do next is to enter the amount that you wish to deposit in your online poker account. Verify the amount and then click the confirmation button.
- Once you have clicked on the verification button you can begin playing your favorite online poker games. In most cases, the payments are processed in just a few seconds but some poker rooms take up to a minute which can be justified since a few more seconds may be required to ensure that the transaction is indeed safe and secure.
What About the Fees?
All credit cards charge varying amounts of fees ranging from annual fees to transaction fees. Even so, online poker players will be happy to know that MasterCard’s fees are among the most reasonable ones in the market and they also vary depending on the kind of card you opt for.
The fees might be a deal breaker for some players but if weighed against all the outstanding perks that MasterCard offers, these fees are arguably quite negligible.
