Funding Your Online Poker Account

The most common methods of funding and withdrawing from a poker room account are:

• Credit cards
• Cashier’s checks, wire transfers or bank drafts
• Online funds transfer services

Almost all of the online poker rooms accept credit cards. However, most credit card companies will not authorize a charge for online gambling. Even if the bank performs the transfer, it will treat the transaction as a cash advance, which means you will pay a transaction fee of a few percent, plus a higher interest rate that begins accruing immediately.

Most sites also accept bank wires or bank drafts (a check from your bank to theirs), but usually not personal checks. Your bank will charge you a fee in the $20 to $50 range for either service. Mailing a bank draft overseas will take several weeks while the bank wire only takes a day or two. Neither option is very convenient.

So, what’s the best way to fund you online poker account? You guessed it – online funds transfer services. Neteller, in particular. There are many funds transfer services, but Neteller is the best and will be the focus of this article.

With Neteller, the customer doesn’t need to enter their credit card or bank details at every website with which they wish to transact. Rather, they enter these details only once and are then able to make quick and secure transactions at thousands of websites.

Neteller provides its customers with a variety of convenient ways to load and withdraw funds from their accounts, including several instant transfer methods: credit card deposits, instaCASH bank account transfers, and transfers using the Neteller ATM cards.

Transfers between Neteller and the poker sites are usually free. A basic transfer from your bank to Neteller is free and usually only takes a day or two. You can also request a check or use their ATM card to withdraw for a small free.

Neteller also offers player to player transfers and gives cash giveaways. Every time you move your money through Neteller, you earn NETpoints. You can use these points to sign up for cash drawings. I’ve never won any cash from them but I must say, it is an interesting and creative way of rewarding a client base.

Setting up a Neteller account is free and only takes a few minutes. Just go to Neteller.com and fill out the form. If you need help, you can chat with a live representative.

Chane Steiner is an avid online poker player and owner of the following websites:

Chane Steiner’s Blog
Poker Forum
Poker Income Guide
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