Online Poker Deposit Info

Last Friday night, I was sitting in on our weekly Texas Holdem game and wearing a shirt from one of the online casinos where I play. There were a couple of new players at the game, as there usually is. Naturally, the topic of online poker was brought up. The question that always seems to be brought up is, “How do I deposit? The poker rooms won’t take any of my credit cards.” I tell them about a few different methods: IGM, Firepay and my personal favorite, Neteller.

Are you also frustrated because you cannot use your credit card or Paypal account to fund your online poker account? Are you hesitant to use your bank account for fear of fraud?

A few years ago, a friend introduced me to Neteller. I’ve been using their services online since 1999 without a problem.

Follow this simple guide for simple directions on how to safely fund a Neteller account.

Step #1: Go to your bank. Open a NEW checking account. Do NOT put overdraft protection on it. ONLY deposit the money you plan on betting with in this account. This will safeguard you from anyone attempting to take funds from your bank account that is not authorized. After you transfer the money to Neteller, keep a ZERO balance in this bank account. If you have a zero balance and no overdraft protection on this bank account, your exposure to potential fraud is nil.

Step #2: Go to www.neteller.com and open an account. Link your NEW checking account with your Neteller account. Neteller will send two small deposits to your bank account. These small deposits typically take two business days to reach your bank account. Verify those deposits at Neteller (they will provide easy/simple instructions on how to do this) and you are now ready to fund your Neteller account.

Step #3: While in your Neteller account, click on the ‘Deposit’ tab. Then click on the ‘Electronic Funds Transfer’ (EFT) tab. You will then send Neteller the amount of money you originally deposited into your bank account for your online poker deposit. It typically takes two or three business days for the EFT to ‘clear’ into your Neteller account. When the funds have cleared, you will receive an email from Neteller notifying you that your funds are available.

Step #4: Pick a Poker Source promotion, have some fun, score some free chips and hopefully win some $$$

Alternate method to fund your Neteller account.

The EFT method outlined above takes several days to get setup. Many players are anxious (rightfully so!) to get into the action that online poker has to offer. There is an alternate method, but it requires that there is a Bank of America in your area. You can deposit cash directly into Neteller’s own BOA account.

If there is a Bank of America branch in your town, call Neteller at (888) 258-5859. They will give you their account number. Simply go to your branch, ask the teller for a ‘California Deposit slip’ and fill in Neteller’s account information. The teller will make the deposit and hand you a deposit slip. DO NOT LOSE THIS DEPOSIT SLIP! This is your proof of the deposit you just made. You must then fax this deposit slip, along with your name and Neteller account number to Neteller at (888) 678-2128. Once you make the fax, your Neteller account will normally be credited with a couple of hours (assuming it’s business hours).

I can empathize with anyone who is hesitant to deposit cash in this manner. I was certainly apprehensive the first time I did it! Rest assured, as long as you have the deposit slip, you will not have any problems. While I generally use the EFT deposit method outlined above, there have been instances when I needed funds available ASAP, so I used this alternate method.

See you at the tables!