PayPal is the most trusted payment system in the world! Each and every day, millions of transactions are carried out using PayPal’s state of the art platform which provides real-time fraud monitoring to keep your financial and personal information safe. This level of security makes PayPal an ideal companion for betting on sports. It has over 188 million customers and is accepted in over 202 countries. Key features include;
- You can use PayPal for both payments and withdrawals
- No charges if funded by debit card
- Simple and fast payment method
- State of the art encryption on every transaction
- Can be used on mobile, tablet or desktop
Over the last few years there has been a huge explosion in the amount of companies offering payment services that enable you to fund your online betting accounts. In this article we will explore what makes PayPal different and why we have no hesitation in recommending PayPal as our payment method of choice.
*** £30 Free Bet Today when you use PayPal at betway ***
Many of us have started to use alternative payment methods when ordering goods or services online. It seems every week, when you read a newspaper there are more and more stories of companies being hacked and the personal information of millions of people are available to unscrupulous types. Using PayPal or a similar system can greatly reduce your chances of being a victim
Our Pick of the Best Sports Betting Sites that Accept PayPal
In an ideal world you would be able to use all payment methods on all sites, sadly that is not the case and for whatever reason not every site accepts PayPal. However, don’t worry as we have identified the top three online sports betting sites that do accept this great payment method.
| . | 888sport *Excellent | Daily DealsTriple the Odds PromotionFree Bet Hunt | £10 Free | Claim Now! | ||
| . | Betway *Excellent | Bore Draw Money BackAmazing Acca BoostUnique Horse Finder | £30 Free | Get Bonus! | ||
| . | Ladbrokes * Very Good | Edit My AccaBest Odds Plus5 Team Acca | £50 Free | Get Bonus! |
Our overall top choice is 888sport, as you can read in our review, 888sport has arguably the best welcome bonus of any online sports bookmaker. Instead of a free bet, 888sport will treble the odds of your first bet. Whilst that is generous enough, 888sport also offer enhanced odds for selected high profile matches that are even higher than treble the odds.
Making a Deposit with PayPal in 3 Simple Steps
Quite often I want to try out new services and products but end up giving up because the process takes too long and frankly it can seem like too much hassle. The great news is that signing up and using PayPal is really easy!
Step 1Once you have set up a PayPal account and have linked a payment method to it, it is now time to deposit some funds at the online sports site. If you are not a member of a sports site, click one of our recommended sites, you will be up and running in minutes. Log on, then select PayPal in the payment method which you will find in the ‘cashier’ section.
Step 2The online sports site will re-direct you to the log in screen for PayPal. Enter your log in details and enter the amount you wish to deposit. Confirm these details and the deposit is done. See, I told you it was easy! All the information you enter is fully encrypted and secure.
Step 3As if by magic, you will now be taken back to the sports betting site that you were using and you should see the balance on your account has been adjusted to show the deposit. In the vast majority of cases this is instant, although sometimes there is a slight delay. That’s it, job done, now you can concentrate on picking some winners!
Once you have an active account, it can be used for so much more than depositing at online betting sites. With PayPal you can send money to friends and family free of charge and I often use PayPal to pay for tradespeople such as plumbers and electricians or anyone I don’t know enough to trust with my bank or card details.
Transaction Fees and Other Information
When I first started placing bets at online bookies, not many of even the well-known betting sites would accept any other form of payment methods apart from credit cards. Not only was this inconvenient, my bank would treat my deposit as a cash advance and trust me, that wasn’t cheap!
Thankfully, things have become so much easier, betting sites are competing for your custom and they understand that you may go to a competitor if your preferred payment method is not accepted. They are also aware that we are not willing to pay a charge to deposit money, so in the vast majority of cases, it will be free to top up and pay at an online bookmakers using PayPal.
The key thing to understand is that the method of funding your account could incur charges. If you top up your PayPal account using a debit card or bank transfer, then no charges apply. If, however you use a credit card then a charge of 3.4% & 20p will apply.
Remember it is PayPal that will charge you for using a credit card and not the online sports betting site. So the golden rule is: Whenever possible always use a debit card or bank transfer to fund your PayPal account if you wish to avoid charges.
| How the PayPal account is funded | Amount of deposit | Fees Charged |
|---|---|---|
| Debit Card | £25 | £0 |
| Bank Transfer | £25 | £0 |
| Credit Card | £25 | £1.05 |
| Debit Card | £100 | £0 |
| Bank Transfer | £100 | £0 |
| Credit Card | £100 | £3.60 |
As you can see from the table above, the charge for using a credit card is shown.
Unfortunately, I have been subjected to online fraud on more than one occasion and I know the impact of being a victim of this type of crime. You have the inconvenience of getting a new card, having to change all your payment details and the many hours of dealing with banks, I would suggest that a £3.60 charge for a £100 deposit is a small price to pay to protect yourself against this. If you can fund PayPal using a debit card or bank transfer, then even better!
Is it Possible to Fund PayPal using my Mobile?
Not only is it possible, it’s easy! If you are wanting to top up your PayPal account so you can use the funds at a later time, then you can download the PayPal app that is available for Apple’s iOS and Android.
The app even lets you see retailers that are near you that accept PayPal and lets you manage your account (you can change your pin, check your balance and send money) whilst you are on the move.
You need at least iOS 8.1 for Apple users, for Android users the requirement can change from device to device, please check the Google Play app store for more details.
Are there any Deposit and Withdrawal Limits with PayPal?
Yes, there are two sides to this. The first is PayPal, until you have verified your account, there will be limits on how much you can spend or send. This is a security measure to protect your account, it is an easy process to become verified and you will then be able to send an unlimited amount of money.
Become verified using a bank account – Log into your PayPal account and add a bank account. PayPal will make 2 small deposits to your bank account. You will need to add the value of these deposits into the PayPal website. Once this is done you will receive a call from an external authentication company to validate your information. Once this is done, that’s it, you are now verified.
Become verified using a credit card – Log into you PayPal account and add a credit card. PayPal will add 2 small charges to your card (don’t worry, they will refund the amounts). On the PayPal website, enter the amounts and the code that you will see on your credit card statement. Once this is done, you are verified.
The second part is regarding the sports betting site you are using, let’s have a look at the limits on PayPal at the 3 sites we recommend on this page.
| Name of Online Bookmaker | Deposit Limit | Withdrawal Limit | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betway | £50,000 | £10,000 | £0 |
| Ladbrokes | No Limit | No Limit | £0 |
| 888sport | £1,500 | £30,000 | £0 |
As mentioned before, none of the online bookies make a charge for using PayPal but you will see that there is quite a difference in the limits to both deposits and withdrawals at the 3 sites. If you are a casual bettor then any of the sites will be ideal for you, however if you are lucky enough to be a high roller then Ladbrokes is the logical choice for you!
Is PayPal Really Safe at Online Betting Sites?
Absolutely! What I love about using PayPal is that the person or business I am sending money to never knows any of my card details. It’s this physical detachment that makes using PayPal safer than giving your details to many companies, in the unlikely event that you do have a dispute then you can use the resolution centre within PayPal and create a case for PayPal to look at. This in no way interferes with the normal complaint process with your bank or card provider.
Are there any PayPal Alternatives?
There are lots and lots of alternatives to PayPal but unfortunately not all will be accepted at online sports betting sites. What you will also find is that due to acquisitions, some of the biggest names in the payment solutions business are owned by the same company. This probably won’t make much of a difference to consumers but I feel that competition is usually a good thing to drive down charges and improve service.
Visa / MasterCard – Once upon a time it was easy to tell the difference between a credit card and a debit card due to the name, however both Visa and MasterCard both have debit cards with Visa and MasterCard branding. The tell-tale sign is when you use your card do the funds come out of your bank account or do you get a monthly bill? If you receive a separate bill, you have a credit card. This can make a difference in charging;
Debit cards – The money comes straight out of your bank account and there is no credit involved – You will not face any additional charges.
Credit cards – You are not using your own money and will receive a bill – You are likely to incur charges.
Maestro – This is a debit card and unless you go overdrawn, you will not face additional charges.
paysafecard – This is a pre-pay card and you can buy these from retailers in the UK such as WH Smith, Nisa, Co-op, Spar and other retailers. The downside to this method is you cannot withdraw to it, you will need to find an alternative to withdraw to.
Skrill – If you are a football fan, you probably have heard of Skrill! They are an e-wallet and although the charges tend to be slightly less than what PayPal charges, as a payment method it is not as widely accepted as PayPal.
Neteller – Another e-wallet in the same vein as Skrill (Neteller’s owners Optimal Payments bought Skrill for €1.1 Billion in 2016), this is a fine method to use at online bookies but as is the case with Skrill, you may find that a lot of online betting sites promotions are not available for customers who use these payment providers for deposits. So please check the terms and conditions of a site before you deposit.
Using PayPal at Sports Betting Sites – Our Verdict
Reading our review of PayPal, I have no doubt you will realise that we do like PayPal! Each and every day I hear more and more stories of even global companies being hacked and the personal and financial details of millions being released. Any steps that an individual can take to minimise that risk has to be sensible and worthwhile. It may take a short time to set up an account but that time is nothing compared to the time it can take to rectify things if the worst does happen. This is reason enough in my eyes to recommend PayPal.
I would of course suggest you fund your PayPal using a debit card or bank transfer to ensure that no charges are incurred by you but as stated in the review, I do not feel the charges are excessive when you consider the peace of mind that using this payment method can bring.