With millions of MasterCard’s in circulation, it’s no mystery why so many online casinos accept them as one of their main real money deposit methods.
Find out how to use a MasterCard to make an online slots deposit, if you have to pay any fees, and how safe using a credit card online really is below.
How to Use It
When you get ready to make a deposit using your MasterCard to play slots or other casino games navigate to the deposit section of the casino cage or cashier.
Click on the MasterCard or credit card option; enter all of the card details and your billing information. Most credit card transactions are processed with your billing zip code so you need to make sure the casino has the correct zip code if you want the payment to go through successfully.
Once you enter all of the required details and the amount you want to deposit you should be able to start playing right away. Most credit cards are processed almost instantly and your account will usually have your money in it by the time you pick out a slot machine to try.
Sometimes your MasterCard may be declined. This usually doesn’t have anything to do with your card or your credit limit. It usually happens when a payment processor has run into difficulties.
Banks change their policies and online casinos have a hard time keeping credit card options open and available. When you have a card declined you should either try a different card or try the card at a different online casino.
Fees
The credit card industry runs on fees paid by merchants and finance charges people get charged when they don’t pay their entire balance off every month.
Every time you pay for something using your MasterCard, including making a deposit at your favorite online casino, the merchant is charged a small fee. Most of these fees are around 2 or 3% of the amount charged, but they vary based on many factors.
If you deposit $1,000 with your MasterCard the casino is probably paying between $20 and $30 to the credit card processing company and the credit card company.
The casino is probably also giving you a big sign up or reload bonus, so they count on you losing most or all of your deposit and the bonus before you cash out.
Some online casinos charge players a fee to use a MasterCard to make a deposit. This isn’t common practice, but it happens often enough that you should always ask support about any possible fees or check on the casino’s web site for a list of fees before you start making a deposit.
If I play where they charge a fee for using my MasterCard I ask for an extra bonus to cover the fees. I don’t always get one, but if I don’t ask there’s no chance of getting one. It’s not the same as real money, but it’s close enough. You never know when the extra few spins you can take because of a bonus will be the ones that hit a big jackpot.
Is It Safe?
Credit cards have a terrible reputation for safety, especially when using them online.
On one hand I understand why people feel cards are unsafe, but on the other hand using a MasterCard is about as safe as any payment method you can use on the Internet.
It seems like the news has a new story about a business getting hacked or losing millions of records and credit card numbers every week. This makes it seem like it’s never safe to use a card online.
But what other method can you use that’s safer?
Is Paypal or another e-wallet type account safer than using a MasterCard? I argue that it’s not safer because my Paypal account is tied to my bank account. If a thief gets my Paypal information they can not only clean out my Paypal account, they can also clean out my bank account.
At least when I use my MasterCard it has fraud protection that limits my financial exposure and it’s not tied directly to my bank account.
The key is to use common sense, make smart decisions about the security of your card and personal information, and only deal with online casinos you trust.
Start your search for safe online casinos by reading about the sites I recommend on this web site. Unlike most sites I only recommend places I feel safe enough to play myself.
Bonuses
Because this is a site about slot machines, most visitors want to play slots. This is great news when it comes time to make a real money deposit because almost every online casino offers a big sign up bonus for slots players.
If you plan to play any casino games other than slot machines check the terms and conditions to make sure the bonus is eligible for those games.
When you take a look at the terms see what the play through requirements consists of. You usually have to play the combined total of the deposit and the bonus a set number of times before the casino will let you request a cash out.
If you deposit $200 and get a 100% matching bonus that has a 40 times play through you’ll need to make wagers of at least $16,000 before you can make a withdrawal. Your bonus of $200 is added to your deposit for a total of $400. That is multiplied by the 40 times play through for the total amount you must bet.
Conclusion
MasterCard is one of the main deposit options I recommend to casino players.
If you’re worried about the safety and security of using your credit card at online casinos, read the section above about safety. If you’re still worried, get a new MasterCard account with a low limit and use it to make your online deposits. That way you enjoy the protection the card offers plus the added level of security of reducing your total risk to the credit limit on the card. You can ask for a specific limit and I’ve seen them as low as $300.
