Also called echecks and instant checks, they're a quick and easy way to get money from your bank account to a poker site - assuming you can find one that takes echecks. We've identified the best-rated US poker sites still accepting echeck deposits below, along with links to detailed reviews of each site.
E-Checks are a relatively new payment instrument that manages to combine the speed, convenience, safety and efficiency of electronic money transfer services with the familiar business processes associated with the traditional paper checks. An E-Check allows you to send the money directly from your checking account for any kind of payment that you’d make by sending a check by courier, as it is simply a representation of a paper check.
The beauty of casino online Canada eCheck is that payments and deposits are fast, convenient, and funds are added or drawn from personal bank accounts. The most popular real money online gambling sites for players in Canada: Lucky Nugget; Euro Palace; Platinum Play; Spin Palace Casino; Zodiac Casino; Royal Vegas; Yukon Gold; Betway; Jackpot City Casino. Instant eCheck Poker Sites eCheck poker sites are ideal for poker players looking for a fast electronic deposit method that does not involve credit cards, e-wallets or pre-paid cards. ECheck poker sites have gained even more success after the UIGEA legislation passed in the U.S.
E-Checks are tied to your checking account via a routing number and contain the same information as their paper counterparts. Furthermore, E-Checks can be used by all kinds of account holders, which makes them an excellent choice for people who want to fund an online gambling account.
The safety of each transaction is ensured by strong digital signatures and hardware tokens, so using an E-Check is safer than sending a traditional check, as the number of people that can access your transaction details is extremely limited. Using an E-Check does not require you to provide the gambling site with your credit card information, which means that the risk of identity theft is pretty much non-existent.
E-Check Gambling Sites
As is often the case in the online gambling world, players from Europe, Australia and Asia have more sites to choose from than the American gambling enthusiasts. Virtually all the high-profile international gambling networks support E-Check payments, which means that you shouldn’t have any problems with funding your account using this method regardless of the forms of gambling you enjoy. Consequently, opting to deposit via an E-Check doesn’t really limit your choice of gambling software, particularly when it comes to online poker and casino games.
Keep in mind that while using E-Checks to fund your online gambling expenses in Europe is still a little bit riskier than using a credit card or your e-wallet, there’s no denying the fact that players who rely on this option enjoy higher protection in countries that have already legalized and regulated online gambling, such as United Kingdom. This means that most European players don’t have to be all that picky about choosing an E-Check friendly site.
However, please note that this doesn’t mean that scammers don’t try to target gamblers from Europe or Asia. If you don’t know anything about the online gambling market and you can’t say which companies are worthy of your trust, you should probably stick with the operators that have already been checked by veteran gamblers, just like the companies listed on this site.
How do E-Checks Compare with Credit Card Payments?
E-Checks may be safer than traditional paper checks, but unfortunately that doesn’t really mean that they’re superior to credit card payments in this regard. For example, using a credit card allows you to dispute any unknown charges – if you or your card issuer notices anything suspicious, it is possible to simply stop the payment. When you use an E-Check on the other hand, the money might be nearly impossible to retrieve once it leaves your account. Consequently, most players decide to use E-Checks only if using their credit card proves to be problematic.
It’s also worth pointing out that some financial institutions have a nasty tendency to flag customers that engage in online gambling as “risky,” as they believe that gambling increases their risk of bankruptcy. Many players prefer to avoid being put in that kind of situation by setting up a separate checking account specifically for online gambling purposes.
Taking this course of action allows them to keep casino and poker deposits and withdrawals out of their normal accounts so that their primary bank has no access to any gambling-related transactions. Opening a new checking account isn’t really much of a hassle, so if you decide to make an E-Check deposit, you should definitely give it some consideration before you actually make your first payment.
E-Check Payments in the United States
The number of deposit options offered by US-facing sites tends to be rather limited, as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 made it impossible for many payment processors to transfer the money between online gambling businesses and their customers. However, there are some online casinos and other gambling sites that support E-Check payments. Most of the E-Check friendly casinos are powered by RTG software, but there are a few Microgaming sites that also allow you to take advantage of this method.
While most of the sites that offer E-Check deposits are legitimate online gambling businesses, you should keep in mind that retrieving the money that you deposited via an E-Check from a scam site might be next to impossible. Consequently I’d recommend being really careful about relying on this option and using it only to transfer your money to the largest and most trustworthy casinos, poker rooms, sportsbooks and bingo services. Please note that all the gambling sites that have been listed here have been thoroughly checked by our reviewers, which means that they are perfectly safe to play on.
It's rare to find US poker sites that accept eChecks but there is one right now. This site had a rocky start when it launched its online poker room (BetOnline is better-known for its sportsbook and casino operations, which you can participate in with your poker account, by the way) but has since improved a lot, and now belongs to my top-3 online poker sites for US players.
What Is an eCheck?
An 'eCheck' is an electronic version of a paper check.
Electronic checks are easier to process and more secure than standard checks due to features such as authentication, digital signature, encryption and public key cryptography.
They can handle all the same transactions that standard checks can and the same laws apply to them as the ones that apply to standard checks. Additionally, there are usually lower fees when using eChecks.
eChecks are simple, safe and convenient but rarely available at USA online poker sites. I recommend using them whenever possible.
eCheck Poker Deposits
You need to provide the same information as you would when sending out a normal check to deposit to eCheck poker sites.
The way you provide this information depends on the online poker site in question, but usually it's done via a web form, e-mail or phone. eCheck poker sites (see above) provide you with information on how the process works at their sites.
Instant Echeck
So what kind of information is required?
- Your full name.
- Your address.
- Your city, state and ZIP.
- Transaction date.
- Transaction amount.
- Bank name.
- Bank address.
- Bank city, state, ZIP.
- Routing number.
- Account number.
What is the process like?
- Go to your poker site's cashier.
- Click on the deposit methods and choose eCheck/instant check/immediate check (the name of the method varies).
- The poker site will then ask for information (listed above).
- Get your chequebook out (in order to enter routing number and account number), enter the rest of the details and submit them.
- After the first deposit, which usually takes from 2-5 business days, next deposits should provide you with the money instantly, making the name 'instant eCheck' appropriate.
- Once the poker site you've chosen to play at receives your instant check deposit, they provide your player account with the money and proceed to send a money request to your bank, in which case the money will be taken from your checking account.
eCheck Processing Times
The first deposit to eCheck poker sites should take anywhere from 2 to 5 business days, however, subsequent deposits are going to clear instantly, which is why they provide a fast way to deposit money to an online poker room, and are also called 'instant eChecks'.
It also means that there may be no float whatsoever on your cheque, so you'll need to have the necessary funds on your account when you submit an electronic check.
For those planning to deposit by a traditional check, electronic checks certainly provide a speed advantage as traditional checks take anywhere from 5 to 10 business days to clear.
eCheck Online Poker Fees
Instant eCheck poker sites rarely charge fees for online poker eCheck deposits. It's one of the reasons why they have gained so much popularity in the online poker world (in addition to being fast and secure) - although online poker rooms rarely charge fees for any kind of deposits except for credit cards.
Your local bank will charge a small fee. In most cases, however, the fee of using an electronic check is smaller than the fee of a traditional check or a credit card transaction, making it a better option financially.
Are Electronic Checks Safe?
You'll face the same security measures by using Instant eChecks for online poker as you would when using normal checks. While many hesitate when faced with an opportunity to transfer money via electronic means, it must be said that electronic checks are just as safe as traditional checks. In fact, most would say that it's safer to use eChecks for poker deposits than traditional checks.
Instant Echeck Merchant Approval Application
Still, it's worth remembering that no payment method is 100% safe. You should always look through your bank statement to make sure of that there have been no unauthorized transactions, for instance. In the case of an unauthorized transaction, contact your bank immediately because your losses may depend on how fast you reported the unauthorized transaction.
Instant Echeck Poker Sites
In addition to being a safe deposit method, using eCheques is good for the environment, as they save paper.