Neosurf vs. PayPal

When you explore the payment methods list across online casinos, you are showered with choices. You get to choose from many options, but they are all different and offer their own pros and cons. One of the things that are usually bothering players is the method’s availability. Some solutions are absolutely global, accepted in all or most countries across the world, while others are rather limited.

Another concern players have is the processing time. Some methods offer instant deposits and withdrawals, while others take days. And then, of course, the fees, which can be quite hefty with some methods and pretty normal with others. Two solutions that offer incredibly convenient times and fees are Neosurf and PayPal. Although rather different solutions, the two are very popular across online casinos. Why choose Neosurf or PayPal as a payment method at an online casino?

About Neosurf and PayPal

Neosurf and PayPal differ fundamentally. One is an eVoucher, while the other is an eWallet. As such, they offer different benefits and downsides to different types of players.

But what they do have in common is that they are both alternatives to traditional payment solutions like credit and debit cards and bank transfer. That’s one of the reasons why players choose to use them across online casinos over other solutions, especially UK players, who are not allowed to gamble with credit cards.

As an eVoucher, practically a prepaid card that can be used for fee-free, one-time deposits, Neosurf is a pretty convenient solution to use for those players who do not wish to commit to the casino and do not wish to share more than necessary. It was launched in France in 2004, but throughout the years, it has expanded throughout Europe.

It started offering its services in Germany, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Spain and Malta, and with that, it got a really good reputation worldwide.

Soon after, it went global, expanding its reach to countries like China, Australia, Colombia, and Canada. The global expansion was thanks to its efforts in partnering with many resellers all across the globe, known as NARs (Neosurf Authorized Resellers). Today, the voucher can be purchased across more than 135,000 NARs, ranging from supermarkets to online platforms.

On that note, you should know that you can buy your Neosurf voucher online, across many authorized online platforms. That’s actually its strongest suit; you don’t have to leave your home each time you need to make a deposit at an online casino with it, you just have to visit one online NAR and purchase your voucher.

As far as its availability across online casinos goes, Neosurf is pretty popular, available across more than 300 online gambling sites, including giant operators like NetBet and PokerStars. It comes to new sites constantly, therefore, you can rest assured that you’ll have a huge choice of sites to explore and join the one you’d like to play at with this incredible, worldwide-available voucher.

You need no special introduction to PayPal because you know that it is an extremely popular eWallet. Always has been, always will be. Since its launch back in 1998, it has been revolutionizing online banking as we knew it. To this date, it is one of the most widely-used eWallets, even though many new names have been on the spotlight throughout the years. The beauty in it lies in the fact that it has gone through good and bad, and has persisted, functioning and processing billions each year.

Perfecting its services throughout the years, the eWallet was embraced by more than 200 countries globally. Contrary to Neosurf, with a list of accepted countries, PayPal is available to players from all across the globe. Sure, there’s a small list of limited countries, but that’s due to regulatory issues.

That being said, PayPal takes great care when it comes to its reputation. It is known to withdraw its services from countries with suspicious behaviours or reputations, and get back to those countries when things clear out. That’s why it is no longer an option for German players, but it is again an option for US players, after re-entering the US gambling market.

PayPal focuses on providing users with the best possible security measures and user protection. It makes sure to comply with each accepted country’s laws and regulatory rules, and for that, it has been crowned as the most reliable payment method multiple times. It makes sure it goes one step further than any other solution of its type, and offer users the best online banking experience.

For that reason, it has partnered with MasterCard, to provide its users with a multi-functional product like the PayPal MasterCard. It has launched a new product to make its services more accessible, PayPal Connect. And, last but not least, it has started allowing cryptocurrency transactions, giving users the chance to transact with Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin and Ethereum. With that, it has only cemented its position as the absolute leader in the eWallet game.

Getting Started with the Two Methods

Getting started with Neosurf is a rather easy task. The first thing you need to do is visit its official website. Once on it, look for the NAR locator tool. This is the tool that will help you find the best reseller, the one that's nearest to you if you want to purchase your voucher offline. If you want to do it online, you can look for online resellers there, as well.

Regardless of whether you want to do it online or offline, you should know that you won’t need to share any sensitive details with the reseller to get your voucher. Cash would do if you do it offline, even though online you’ll need to share check, credit card or bank transfer details in order to complete the purchase. But these details will never be shared with the casino you’ll use the voucher at.

There are four voucher options you can purchase. The online-only card is the MyNeosurf card, which you can only buy at an authorized online platform. The Minor Neosurf card is the one suited for low-rollers, as it comes with two small denominations of €10 and €20. The Classic is the one that can be used by any player, as it will allow for deposits of €15, €30, €50, €100 and up to €250. And finally, you have a card in collaboration with MasterCard, which can be reloaded, NeoCash MasterCard. You can reload it both offline and online, which is extremely convenient. Once you purchase the desired card, you’ll get a 10-digit code. You’ll need to keep that code safe as it will be your key to completing your transaction.

With PayPal, you’ll also need to visit its official website. Search for the Sign-Up button, and click on it. As part of the registration procedure, you’ll need to provide your social security number, name, surname, email and home address. You’ll also need to provide copies of ID documents, as part of the Know Your Customer rules. Remember that PayPal is compliant with all regulatory and finance rules.

After you identify yourself, you’ll need to fill your eWallet with money. You can do that using bank transfer, credit cards or any other PayPal product you may already have. Now, should you choose to go with the bank transfer option, you should know that you won’t need to pay any fees, as funding your eWallet with bank transfer is absolutely fee-free. A 2.5% fee applies if you do it with credit cards. Once you’ve successfully funded your wallet, you are ready to use it and deposit with it across online casinos.

Using Neosurf and PayPal Across Online Casinos

The first step towards transacting with either of the two methods is to choose an online casino that accepts them. As mentioned, Neosurf is accepted across more than 300 sites. PayPal, on the other hand, is accepted in most, if not all, online gambling sites, in over 360 of the best-rated online casinos and sportsbetting sites.

If you chose to use Neosurf, to fund your account with it, you would need to do the following:

1. Look for Neosurf’s logo in the casino’s Banking or Cashier page and click on it.
2. In the pop-up window, enter your 10-digit code and the amount you wish to deposit.
3. Confirm the transaction and the money will be instantly transferred to your casino account.

Keep in mind that, depending on the card type you’re using, you can deposit all of the money, like with the Minor card, or you can save some for later, like with the other cards.

When it comes to cashing out your winnings with it, only one Neosurf card would do, the reloadable one. Withdrawals are a possibility with it, but only if you have the card issued in collaboration with MasterCard, which can actually be topped off with money on the casino’s part. The other non-reloadable cards do not provide the casino with a return address where it could send you your winnings.

To make a deposit with PayPal, you would have to go through the following steps:

1. Find PayPal’s logo in the Banking or Cashier page at the casino.
2. Click on it and in the new window, log in to your eWallet account.
3. Provide the necessary authentication details and enter the amount you wish to deposit.
4. Confirm your transaction and in an instant, PayPal will transfer the money to your casino account.

As you can see, depositing with PayPal is extremely easy, and the same procedure is involved for withdrawals. But what’s great about it is that not only does it instantly process deposits, but it does so with withdrawals, too! You will see that, contrary to other eWallets which take up to three days to process your winnings, PayPal will do that instantly. That’s one of the best benefits you get with it, and that’s why players choose it over any other eWallet.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The benefits and downsides of the two methods are obvious from what you’ve read so far, but it would hurt no one to summarize them and analyze them here.

Neosurf is a great option for players who are willing to make fee-free and instant deposits without revealing any banking or personal info with the casino. It is quite convenient and easy to get started with since you can purchase it both offline and online. You get the chance to manage your money better with it since you cannot spend more than you have funded your voucher with at that point. It gives you time to rethink whether spending more would be a wise idea at the moment. But if you don't want to be limited, you still have the option to use the reloadable card.

On the downside, Neosurf is not available in too many countries. Sure, it has gone global, but not all players from all across the world can use it. Plus, it is rarely an option for withdrawals across online casinos, even though withdrawals with it are a possibility with the reloadable card. Therefore, you'd need to look for alternative solutions when looking to cash out your winnings.

PayPal, however, barely has a flaw. It is one of the most used eWallets globally, in the online gambling industry and beyond. People use it in their everyday lives, for all kinds of purchases and payments, and that’s why it is only natural for online casino players to use it for online gambling purposes, as well. It is one of the fastest solutions for withdrawals, and that’s its strongest suit. Not that the high-level security it implements doesn’t matter.

With its reputation as a global, safe and fast eWallet, the fact that it is the most popular solution across online casinos is not surprising. The only minor flaw that you can notice is the 2.5% fee if you’re funding it with credit cards. But if you use bank transfer, even this flaw is eliminated.

Therefore, make sure you consider the strengths and weaknesses of both solutions, and calculate which one would be better for you, both in terms of availability and in terms of which one would suit your online gambling needs more. Whichever your choice may be, you should remember that the two are widely available across online casinos, so you won’t have issues finding the right site to join and start using them.