MoneyGram vs. uPayCard

When looking for payment solutions to use for online casino deposits and withdrawals, players want to choose a method that would suit them best, and both UPayCard and MoneyGram are great options. These two are solutions accepted in many countries across the world, so suited for any player looking for safe and quick transactions. They are both offered across many online casino sites, too, so if you’re interested in knowing more about them before you choose one or the other, stay with us. What are UPayCard and MoneyGram and why choose them over other methods across online casinos?

About UPayCard and MoneyGram

UPayCard and MoneyGram are two global payment solutions that have become quite popular across online casinos in recent years. They are essentially different methods, so suited for different types of players, but they are still available to players from all across the world. That means they work great for both operators and players. The best thing about them is that they eliminate the need for the player to share important banking details with the operator. As such, they are great alternatives to traditional methods and allow for safe and quick transactions.

UPayCard is a solution that offers two services, the virtual prepaid card, as implied by its name, and the eWallet. Both services are available to users from all over the world. In fact, there is only a small list of countries whose users cannot use its services. These countries are Afghanistan, Bahrain, North Korea, the USA, Angola, American Samoa, Aruba, and Moldova. Any other country you can think of is definitely accepting of its services.

When the solution was first launched in 2013, it was a new name on the block, but it raised some eyebrows due to its high fees. As users started complaining about those fees, the solution made sure to lower them so much as to charge only for the basic ones, such as for the issuance of the first physical prepaid card and second virtual card and foreign exchange fees. As soon as it made that move, people from all across the world started appreciating it more, and now, it is used by millions.

The reason why its popularity grew across online casinos, in particular, was the fact that it started processing cryptocurrency transactions, in addition to allowing users to use different fiat currencies. With it, you can use Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin. Also, fiat currencies like Australian and Canadian dollars, Swedish krona and the UK pound. Being so convenient in this aspect, and continuously adding new digital and fiat currencies to its offering, it became one of the most useful online casino payment solutions.

MoneyGram is a solution that comes from the US, based in Minneapolis. Travelers Express is the money order company behind it, which was established way back in 1940. Ever since it has been working on improving its services and adapting them to the market needs, and that’s why in 1998 it teamed up with Integrated Payment Systems Inc to launch a brand-new product we know of as MoneyGram today. The money transfer service we know today, though, with an obvious long history, has been long in the making. While first available in the States only, throughout the years, it started expanding little by little in other countries, and in 2004, it went fully global. That’s why today, you have access to MoneyGram International’s services.

The thing is, today, MoneyGram is an option for safe, fast and convenient transactions all across the globe, for people from all across the world. It is a solution that is available literally everywhere; every country, every city and every little town globally has at least one MoneyGram branch. Go out on the street and you’ll certainly find a branch on the mainstream street. That’s because this money transfer service truly went global, and opened hundreds of branches all across the planet.

Its land-based presence and global retail network of over 150 million users are unrivalled. True, it became even more successful when it went digital. Previously, transfers with it could only be done when you visit a land-based branch, but today, you can save yourself the trouble and just visit its website to request a transaction online. Thanks to its next-gen platform, MoneyGram has become one of the best digital payment providers, offering its services digitally to people from all across the globe.

Another thing you should know about it is that, in addition to being so convenient in the first place, MoneyGram also likes to reward users for their loyalty. When you make your first transfer with it, you can rest assured that for the next transfer you make, you’ll be paying 20% less of the fee. Add to that the fact that with each new transfer you’ll be accumulating Plus Rewards, and there you have it, an excellent solution to use at an online casino. The best part is, now that it has gone digital, you can use it via any mobile or desktop device, and you can even download its app for an even more seamless online banking experience. You’ll be able to be transacting money to and from any casino, regardless of where the casino is based. Choosing it as your payment method, you’d have nothing to worry about.

Getting Started with the Two Solutions

To get started with…

… UPayCard and MoneyGram, you don’t need to visit your bank. These two are not solutions that would require a visit to the bank, as the former is a prepaid/eWallet and the latter a money transfer service.

Go to UPayCard’s official website to start the registration procedure. You’d need to decide whether you’d want to get started with the eWallet or prepaid card service, or both. Then, you’d need to go through the steps as indicated on the site. You would need to share some basic personal info, and after that, you’d need to verify your identity. Therefore, you’d need to share your email address, full name, date of birth, home address and phone number. Then, you’d need to share ID documents. An ID document is essential, as you must go through the Know Your Customer (KYC) protocol, as required by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. UPayCard takes regulations seriously, and unless you verify your account, you won’t be able to use it.

As soon as your account has been verified, you can start filling it with money. You would get several options for funding the prepaid card, such as POLi, Neteller, QIWI, Payeer, Skrill, wire transfer, or your UPayCard eWallet account, if ready. The same goes for funding your eWallet; you can use all of these payment methods, except wire transfer.

To get started with MoneyGram, you’d also need to visit its official website, regardless of whether you’d want to request a transfer in person in one of its branches or online. Speaking of, that’s the first decision you need to make. If you go with the land-based option, while on its official website, look for the locator tool, which will help you find the nearest location to your home. Visit that branch, give the desk clerk the cash you’d want to send, and provide them with the receiver’s details, the way they wish to cash out the money.

If you go with the online option, you have two choices: to continue registering via the website or to download its Android or iOS app, from Google Play or Apple App Store. Either way, you’d need to provide the same details to create your account. You’d need to simply enter your email and password and your mobile phone number. By accepting the Terms of Use, your account is automatically created.

To send money online via MoneyGram, you'd need to enter your account and specify the amount of money you'd want to send, to whom and the way (payment method) this person would like to withdraw the money. MoneyGram will take into consideration the amount that needs to be sent and the payment methods the receiver would use, and calculate the corresponding fee. After you pay the full amount, the money to be sent plus the fees, using your bank account or card, you will receive a reference number. This number needs to be shared with the receiver of the money, so that they can easily, safely and successfully cash it out.

Using UPayCard and MoneyGram Across Online Casinos

It is worth emphasizing that both UPayCard and MoneyGram are vastly available across online gambling sites. The two are quite popular with different player types since they allow players to make both deposits and withdrawals. Therefore, expect to find UPayCard in more than 60 casinos, while MoneyGram across over 35 sites. You would have plenty of sites to explore, to find the one you’d be happy to join. After you’ve joined the site that suits you, you can continue with the depositing procedure.

To fund your balance with UPayCard, you would need to go through the following steps:

1. Go to the online casino’s Banking/Deposits/Cashier page.
2. Look for UPayCard’s logo on the list of accepted methods and select it.
3. Log into your account using your credentials if you want to deposit with the eWallet, or enter the card details if you want to use the virtual prepaid card.
4. Specify how much you’d like to have on your online casino balance.
5. Confirm the transaction.
6. Watch the money arriving on your balance instantaneously.

You might have suspected this, but let’s clear the air. You can only withdraw money with UPayCard if using the eWallet service. The virtual prepaid card cannot be an option. So, if you’re planning on using it, make sure you have an eWallet account to cash out your winnings from an online casino. The withdrawal procedure is basically the same as the depositing one, so as soon as you specify how much you’d like to cash out and the casino approves the transaction, the winnings will arrive on your eWallet account instantly.

To make a deposit with MoneyGram, you’d need to go through the following steps:

1. Head over to the casino’s Banking/Deposits/Cashier page.
2. Find MoneyGram on the list of accepted methods and click on its logo.
3. Use your credentials to log into your account in the new window.
4. Specify how much you’d like to deposit at the casino.
5. If not pre-entered, enter the info on how the casino would like to cash out the money and put it on your balance.
6. Send the reference number to the casino, and as soon as it confirms it, the money will instantly arrive on your balance.

If looking for the best withdrawal methods out there, MoneyGram is the one you’re looking for. It is especially popular with US players, so if the casino offers, do not hesitate to choose it over any other. You’d be able to choose the way you’d like to cash out your money, and as soon as you receive the reference number, you’ll be able to cash out your winnings right away.

Advantages and Disadvantages

If you’ve been reading thoroughly, you must have already noticed the advantages and disadvantages these two payment methods come with. But, to have things neatly presented, we’ll summarize the pros and cons, so that you can make your decision in an easier way.

UPayCard is an exceptional payment method. It is available all across the world, with a few country exceptions and it offers two different services that you can use as you wish. You can transact with it using both fiat and digital currencies, you can fund it with different, convenient methods, and you can use it in more than 60 online casinos, for both deposits and withdrawals. On the other hand, you cannot use it as a US player, and the solution comes with fees.

MoneyGram is available literally everywhere across the globe, and it is one of the leading money transfer services out there, known to every single person in this world. You can use it both offline and online, on both desktop and mobile devices, to send and receive money to and from any place on this planet Earth. It is quite easy to use and available in over 35 casinos for both deposits and withdrawals. Contrary to UPayCard, not only is it available in the US but it is also the US players’ most preferred method for online casino transactions. Its only disadvantage is that it comes with fees.

So, it is clear that both of these solutions come with fees and that’s their major downside. The availability across the US can actually be the decisive factor for you, since if a US player, as you’d need to go with MoneyGram. But, if a player from anywhere else, you still have two incredible solutions to explore and try out for seamless online gambling transactions.