Although the whole basis of sweepstakes casinos is a way to sample casino gaming without having to place a bet, there are still a variety of providers that offer you options to deposit cash. Despite in-game tokens and gold coins being the only forms of currency you can use at a sweepstakes casino, in a bid to generate profits and maintain a viable business model, sweepstakes casinos often run incentives where you can unlock a large number of coins for a discounted price.
Best US sweepstakes casino payment methods in November 2023
It can be a tricky road to navigate for some sweepstakes casinos. Any competition with the traditional online casino industry is challenging, given the disparity between the profit margins stemming from each sector. It is a genuine David and Goliath battle. While it would be foolish to launch a sweepstakes casino with the aim to make more than those that provide full gambling services, the goal of any business is to make money, and sweepstakes casinos aren’t unique in this endeavor either.
By offering the same payment systems, sweepstakes casinos can at least match their counterparts in that department. Usually, the most effective payment method combines the cheapest and most convenient avenues. Very few sweepstake casino payment methods will charge you to deposit your funds, but they may set a minimum deposit amount or have a longer withdrawal time, so there is a lot to consider. However, we will be tackling all these components today as we review the top sweepstake casino payment methods that players find most accessible, affordable and easy to use.
How do we rate the best sweepstakes payment methods in the US?
There’s no shying away from the fact that the dominant variables to look out for when rating the best sweepstake payment methods are convenience, cost and security. Although other factors might come into play, they are secondary compared to these three. Similar to a traditional online casino, bettors will often seek out the payment method that ticks these three boxes.
Other vital variables range from online reviews on social media to how well-established the brand name or company is. However, these secondary variables are unlikely to change the outcome of the quality of a payment method if they’re able to provide a cost-effective, secure and frictionless way to deposit your cash at a sweepstakes casino.
Visa
Casino companies, pillars of global e-commerce and businesses worldwide are aware of Visa and its immense standing and reputation in international finance. Although other payment systems might be establishing themselves in the sector and taking some of the limelight from longstanding methods like Visa, there’s no denying that it is still the number one way that gamblers choose to interact with operators globally.
It’s not just traditional digital casinos that can boast this; sweepstakes casinos also accept more transactions via Visa than any other method. The convenience of Visa is all around us; it facilitates a massive number of centralized banking transactions, and it is the primary payment method for millions of bettors.
Due to the longstanding and heavily established connections Visa has made with banking and financial institutions, safety and convenience are almost a given. Some bettors who use traditional casinos sometimes highlight problems they have when depositing money via this route. This can range from their bank stepping in and either freezing the transaction or blocking it completely. Most deposits go through seamlessly, and this is even more true for sweepstakes providers, where the stakes are much lower.
While some casino players may consider this a negative, there is also a responsibility for financial institutions of Visa’s size to ensure you spend your money safely and responsibly. So, although we’re discussing sweepstakes casinos today, banks can mistakenly and understandably conflate the two, leading to delays in your deposit.
American Express
With over 130 million cards in global circulation, and increasing steadily, American Express (Amex) is a considerable force in the global financial industry. They have provided their financial services for over 170 years and continue to offer leading financial services to millions of Americans. As you’d expect from such a revered name, Amex cards provide a secure and convenient way to deposit your cash at a sweepstakes casino.
If you’re using your card outside of the US, you may encounter more issues than if you were using your Visa. However, as the company has generated significant profit over the last 12 months, with one of the key reasons being a number of international customers signing up for their services, these issues might not be as much of a problem moving forward if you use the card outside of the United States.
One of the most important things to consider with your Amex card is that there is often a minimum deposit. It’s best to check with the sweepstakes casino provider you use before punching in your American Express details, as there might be fees associated with the card. Although the company has a solid reputation, it’s not a common method for making sweepstakes casino payments.
PayPal
No company has revolutionized digital payments like PayPal. While many financial technology companies have attempted to follow their blueprint and develop their own model, they were pioneers in the way people make deposits and withdrawals online. Renowned for its payment security, easy-to-access customer service and helpdesk, low fees and ease of use, PayPal is often the method used by those making a deposit at a sweepstakes casino.
Available in over 200 countries, few financial companies have been able to generate the same mass appeal, and it’s still a sentiment that echoes positively throughout the world today. Having sampled several payment methods, PayPal is one of the best for cost, security and effectiveness.
Apple Pay
Apple Pay benefits from being a mobile-only payment method and it is one of the fastest-growing payment systems in the world. Nobody knows how the financial world will shape up a decade from now, but there’s a pretty good chance that mobile phone payment methods will continue to grow in stature and eat up a more considerable portion of the market.
With the whole paradigm of casino gaming shifting to a mobile-centric perspective, companies such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are best positioned in the market moving forward alongside other new disruptive innovations such as cryptocurrency. Looking at the dynamic, Apple Pay ticks all the boxes.
Convenience, customer service, no fees and security are all pretty much faultless. Despite some revenue decline this year, Apple is still the world’s biggest technology company, and this is evident to see in the quality of Apple Pay and the ease at which you can make deposits at a sweepstakes casino.
Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin has crashed the party over the last few years, with many centuries-old financial institutions concerned about the rise of a peerless, frictionless and secure payment system that alleviates any requirement for a bank to get involved. Other cryptocurrencies follow a similar model, verifying all transactions on the blockchain.
A sweepstakes casino that allows you to deposit via this new and innovative system benefits from security, convenience and instant payments. While crypto could arguably be the best of them all on paper, there are only a few sweepstakes casinos that offer this payment method. With potential new regulations impacting digital assets, it might not be the best method in the medium to long term. However, this pendulum could swing the other way too if the regulation is kind to the sector, particularly in the US.
Discover Card
Most sweepstakes casinos have a minimum deposit and a withdrawal fee that exceeds 48 hours when you use a Discover Card. Although this is hardly a nightmare scenario, many other options we have discussed today provide instant withdrawals and require no minimum deposit. Despite the popularity of Discover Cards among Americans, there are better ways to deposit your money with a sweepstakes casino.
However, if you only use this payment method for your online transactions, you shouldn’t encounter too much difficulty. Provided you’re happy to wait a few days for transactions to go through, then this payment method isn’t any better or worse than most other card systems like American Express or Visa.
Google Pay
Much of what we said about Apple Pay applies to Google Pay too. Although Apple might have more devices in circulation, Google Pay covers Android devices, such as Samsung and Google phones and tablets. Apple Pay is slightly easier to use, but there are no deposit fees or security concerns with Google Pay either, so it also boils down to your preference and the device you own.
Trustly
Noted as one of the most creative companies in the financial industry, Trustly thrives by allowing customers to bypass the use of their card, allowing them to make a deposit from their account directly. It is a relative minnow compared to some of the colossal companies we have discussed today, but it still ticks all the boxes on our list.
Online reviews are solid, there are no fees, and it is a company that continues to grow, building from a foundation of security and allowing consumers more options to deposit their cash online. Despite the fact there are no issues, we’d say PayPal, Apple Pay and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are better alternatives.
