What is Pay by Phone?
Unlike other online payment methods, pay by phone takes charge of your mobile bill via a combination of mobile phone technologies. The charge appears on your phone bill instead of directly from a card. This makes it far safer and easier than providing your card details or information.
Only certain bookmakers offer this service, but it is popular for several reasons. For one, you don’t have to have your debit card to hand, making it an ideal method when you are on the go or travelling.
Pay by phone, it is efficient and easy to do, with a quick SMS service confirmation of your payment. There are, of course, other ways of paying online. But each at some point, requires the use of your debit card information. Whether it is direct or through a third-party payment processor like PayPal or NETELLER.
How does it work – Making a Deposit and Withdrawing Funds
Pay by phone is simple to do. There is no need for special equipment or software. Connect your bookmaker account with your mobile operator via the banking page in your account’s settings. You can then input the amount you want to deposit, type in your phone number, confirm payment via an SMS message and you’re done. Sometimes you will receive a code to confirm your billing. The billing of the amount will be directly from your phone bill and ready to play within no time at all.
However, it gets tricky when it comes to withdrawals. You cannot withdraw via pay by mobile. You can still withdraw via your handheld device, but it must be to your card or chosen service (PayPal, Skrill, etc). Moreover, you can often use money-back specials and bonuses via pay by phone just as you would with standard methods.
Processing times – Deposits and Withdrawals
Depositing via pay by phone is almost instantaneous. However, you do have to follow a few security steps to confirm your deposit. This includes anything from replying “Yes” to an SMS, or typing in a confirmation code. Once this is complete (and it should take a few seconds only), you will be ready to play. You will always receive a confirmation via your phone before the billing of your money. And there are options to resend confirmation messages if you never received one.
Fees (taxes or commissions) Charged when using Pay by Phone?
There are no fees associated with using a pay by phone depositing method. However, pay close attention to any potential depositing limits. For instance, some bookmakers will need you to deposit a minimum of £10 – £20. Also, Pay by phone will have a lower daily maximum deposit when you begin using it, meaning you can’t take full advantage of some welcome bonuses. What’s more, you will not be taxed any differently when depositing via pay by phone.
The Best Betting Sites that Accept Pay by Phone
Pay by phone betting sites let you use your phone credit to deposit and wager on a wide range of sports and casino games. Among the best online sites include Boylesports, NetBet and Sportnation, three bookmakers which allow the Boku service. What makes these particular sites useful is their bonuses as well as their pay by phone service.
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For instance, Boylesports offers a £10 weekly bonus bet with pay by phone deposits, and both NetBet and Sportnation offer excellent bonus offers which are favourable to pay by phone methods of deposit. These three sites have spearheaded the pay by phone trend, allowing diversity and convenience in their depositing options.
Timeline – A brief history in gambling
Pay by phone has been about for quite a long time (since the early 2000s). But it only really became popular with the introduction of Boku, an all-in-one Pay by the Phone company. Boku began operating in 2009 and has grown to become one of the most used forms of mobile carrier billing.
Beginning in San Francisco, Boku is now available in many countries worldwide, including across USA, UK, Japan, France and Germany (among other countries). It has grown substantially by acquiring competitor companies in Europe, including Mobileview and Mopay, two companies that offered similar carrier charge options for mobile users.
Interesting facts and figures
Pay by phone is now available at many online bookies, and it has been operating elsewhere in other industries. Including car parking infrastructure. Regarding its gambling use, the carriers EE, O2, BT, Three and Vodafone have all implemented the option to pay by phone into their networks.
This is primarily done through Boku, a company with 180 companies in offices around the world. Other pay-by-phone companies are emerging on the market, making the service even more popular. In fact, Boku notes that some 13.5 million users deposit £3.6 billion through their service every year.
Pros and Cons of using Pay by Phone
Pros
- As we’ve discussed, phone bill betting is one of most players’ most secure methods of depositing.
- Principally, it is efficient and quick – allowing you to deposit money without getting your wallet out.
- However, more crucially, pay by phone is not compromised by malicious malware or data thefts because the billing is to your phone bill rather than a card.
Cons
- There are very few cons to using pay by phone, but the biggest issue is that you cannot withdraw money with this service.
- There are also sometimes limits as to how much you can deposit.
In summary – Why is it a good option for transfers when betting?
Ultimately, pay by phone offers you flexibility and freedom to deposit money without signing up for new services or entering card information. No one can fraudulently take payment from you without you knowing, as you’ll always receive a confirmation text message to proceed with the deposit.
You may have heard of data breaches and malware compromises with some services online. In contrast, this will not happen with Pay by Phone. Because your card data are not held, the power to confirm every payment is always in your hands.
FAQ
Is it safe and secure to use for Online Betting?
Yes. Pay by phone is among the safest methods of depositing money. You have ultimate control over your billing without supplying — and thus storing — your personal data elsewhere. As such, the risk of security concerns is at its lowers. Whether this amounts to malware attacks or data theft, when you deposit with pay by phone, your information is always safe because it is never exchanged.
Is there a restriction of use in some countries for gambling?
Pay by phone is not available in some countries and gambling itself is highly regulated — if not banned — in some. In the UK, however, pay by phone is entirely legal and secure. To find out about restrictions in your area, check your government’s gambling laws.
Are there Pay by Phone Bonuses available?
Yes, some bookies offer Pay by Phone bonuses, particularly for first-time depositors. However, ongoing promotions for regular players may also include pay by phone bonuses. To check, simply head over to your bookmaker’s promo page. Just remember that your pay by phone service may have maximum deposits which may lower potential bonus match schemes.
Is this payment method available for sports betting in the UK?
Yes. Pay by Phone is widely available with bookmakers in the UK. Look for the Boku logo and option on your favourite sports betting site to deposit money for betting.
Can I also use in betting shops?
Whereas most brick-and-mortar retailers and betting shops will not allow pay-by-phone betting, some do. This is set to expand further as Boku establishes a presence in many physical stores.
