How We Review Payment Methods

Managing your betting budget is by no means the most exciting part of online gambling — but it’s an essential step before placing your first bet. And when it comes to making deposits and withdrawals, not all payment methods are created equal. 

Here at TopRatedCasinos.co.uk, we want to ensure you’ve got all the knowledge necessary to pick the best option for you. That’s why we’ve put together comprehensive reviews of every payment method you might find at our recommended casino sites.  

Want to know more about our payment method review process? You’re in the right place. Read on as we break down the different factors we consider in our evaluation.

Format and Execution

First up, we’ll give a detailed overview of the service itself, explaining what kind of payment method it is and how it works. We consider things like convenience and ease of use, the sign-up process where applicable, and any additional functionality worthy of discussion. Likewise, we’ll surface any notable limitations — not all payment methods can be used for withdrawals, for example. Underpinning this overview is the first-hand experience of our own experts, who have personally tested each payment method. 

We’ll also compare the service with its competitors. Take e-wallets — today, you’ll often find three or more available at the best online casinos, and it can be tricky picking which is best for you. Whether we’re reviewing a global leader like PayPal or a lesser-known provider like AstroPay, you can be sure we’ll break down the most important differentiators to help you make a decision. 

Where a direct competitor doesn’t exist, we’ll give a more general comparison to alternative methods. Trustly, for example, is broadly similar to making a debit card deposit — so we’ll explore the trade-offs between the two. 

Deposit and Withdrawal Speeds

Top of many players’ minds when making a decision between payment methods is the transaction speed. 

It’s pretty much a given that deposits with modern payment methods will be completed instantly. But when it comes to withdrawals, things aren’t so clear cut. Most e-wallets support instant payouts, for example, but you could be waiting four or five days for a debit card withdrawal to arrive. 

Of course, there might be other trade-offs like fees to consider when choosing a service that supports fast withdrawals. We’re here to present the facts, helping you choose a payment method that best meets your priorities.

Security

We understand the importance of feeling confident your data is secure when you make payments at online casinos. 

In our reviews, we pick apart the different security measures baked into the service. Encryption, two-factor authentication, and biometric login are a few examples of additional protection you might encounter in a casino payment method. Some services like PayPal even include round-the-clock fraud monitoring. 

Putting all this together, it’s clear that certain services make excellent picks for those particularly conscious of sharing their bank details online — we’ll be sure to highlight any payment methods where this is a major strength.

Fees

Nobody likes to be caught out by fees they weren’t expecting, and having to pay for using a certain service can be the deciding factor in whether to use it. 

While the majority of methods are free when it comes to casino deposits and withdrawals, there may be some other charges to watch out for. e-Wallets like Neteller and Skrill, for example, charge a small percentage when moving money from your e-wallet balance to your bank account.

Our reviews include a detailed breakdown of any fees you’ll need to pay to use a given method, along with how these compare to the competition. 

Suitability to Our Users

The final piece of the payment puzzle is putting these different factors together and making a decision. We’ll give our own suggestions as to which payment methods will suit which kinds of users based on their priorities. 

For example, are you hesitant to share your card details with the online casino? In that case, we might recommend a service like Paysafecard. This prepaid card can be used to top up your casino wallet without sharing any financial info whatsoever. Likewise, the vouchers can also be purchased with cash and are a great way to manage your budget — two more use cases where this payment method may be a wise choice. 

The same goes when it comes to methods you might want to avoid. Although debit cards are fantastic for bonus eligibility, it might not be for you if fast withdrawals are a priority. We weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of each payment method, along with any quirks or particularities, to give our readers simple recommendations for a service that best suits them.

Extra Information

While it may not pertain specifically to online gambling, we also include relevant facts and figures about each payment method in our reviews. You’ll find a rundown of the service’s history and timeline, along with details of its headquarters, key staff, and any noteworthy upcoming plans. Our reviews are a one-stop shop for everything you might want to know about a specific payment method.

Tying it All Together

You’re now familiar with everything that goes into our payment reviews, which brings us onto the final step: putting together the review itself. Each one is written by one of our experts before it’s fact-checked and polished by our editorial team. Between us, we have over 30 years’ of combined experience in the online gambling industry, so we know what matters when it comes to managing your betting bankroll. 

We present the information in a range of ways to deliver maximum usefulness to our readers — from handy at-a-glance pros and cons, to detailed breakdowns of the most salient aspects of each payment method. Within each review you’ll get the cold hard facts as well as subjective commentary, outlining the benefits and drawbacks of each method and who it might suit. 

To round things off, we’ll point you towards a range of fantastic online casinos that accept the payment method in question. Using our expert recommendations and casino reviews, finding your next site is a breeze.