Best Bank Transfer Casinos in South Africa
If the Las Vegas strip was an online casino, its payment method of choice would be bank transfer.
Top South African Bank Transfer Casinos 2024
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Benefits and Drawbacks
Bank transfers catch a lot of slack, but there are merits to using this old-fashioned payment method. It’s very safe. Your bank will guarantee the completion of each transaction. Even if you’re the one who makes a mistake when filling out the details, they’ll usually cover you.
Bank transfers are also flexible, allowing you to move funds internationally. If you’re playing at a casino from a country which is home to some questionable companies, involving your bank heavily in the process will add an extra layer of protection.
The biggest drawback is something you’ll hear us harp on and on about in this casino bank transfer guide, because it’s such an important point. Bank transfers are slow. Like, painfully slow. There’s a vast difference between using a debit card and having funds in your account in a few seconds, and using a bank transfer where you deposit on Monday and can’t play until Wednesday.
This is such a significant drawback that it will stop a large portion of players from ever attempting a bank transfer for casino games. Plus, the fees associated with bank transfers at casinos are another negative, which will put a lot of you off.
Bank Transfer Casino Bonuses
You can usually claim bonuses when using bank transfers at casinos. But the slow nature of bank transfers may mean you have to wait a little longer to get your hands on those free casino chips.
Let’s take a typical welcome bonus where you’ll receive 100% extra on your first deposit. These chips will be tied to certain wagering requirements, meaning the casino can dish them out the moment you make a deposit. So, within the space of a minute or two, you can go from having an empty account to having all your funds available plus another 100% in bonus chips.
With bank transfers, casinos need to wait for the cash to clear before they can release your bonus. So, instead of it being instant, you could wait days.
Bank Transfer vs Instant Bank
Bank transfers have been around, in one form or another, for more than 150 years. You see, back in the day, it was done by telegraph and it was called wire transfers.
As you can imagine, different variants have popped up over the years, with one of them being the instant bank transfer. In a nutshell, this gives you everything you’d expect from a traditional bank transfer but with a much quicker turnaround time. You can still send your bank transfer to a casino, but you won’t have to wait around for several days.
It’s difficult to raise two different cases for using bank transfers at casinos versus instant banking, because it’s really the same thing, but faster. So, why not use the instant option?
Perhaps this comes down to why you might choose bank transfers in the first place. Does the multi-day process break up your casino gaming? Or give you time to consider whether you really want to play? If so, that’s completely valid and a good reason to stick with your system.
Our Guide for Using Bank Transfers in South African Casinos
Jokes aside, bank transfers at casinos are still a popular option, and for good reason. It’s a very secure way to pay and gives you the option to do things in person at a bank branch. Plus, as we touched upon, slowing things down a bit isn’t always a bad thing.
Some of you will have never used a traditional bank transfer. If you’re keen to give it a go, you can read how to deposit and withdraw below:
How To Deposit
The first steps to using bank transfers at casinos are similar to any other payment method. You need to create an account, log in, head to the cashier and then click ‘Deposit’.
Look for the bank transfer option and click on it. At this stage you’ll need to enter your bank details, which could require you to log in via an online portal. Naturally, you should be vigilant about only using reputable casinos for bank transfers.
Fill in the amount you wish to transfer and confirm to begin the process.
Alternatively, the casino may just provide you with their account details. You’ll then visit your bank, or go to your online banking page, and make a manual transfer using said details. Double and triple check you’ve got it all correct before confirming, just to be safe. But the banks are usually pretty good when it comes to the odd human error on a bank transfer, so your money won’t just disappear if something goes wrong.
How To Withdraw
The best bank transfer casinos will make it quick and easy to withdraw using a similar process to depositing.
Log in and visit the cashier section, then click on ‘Withdraw’. Find the ‘bank transfer’ option and enter the amount you want to take out, then confirm the transaction.
This is the bad bit for bank transfer casinos; you won’t get your money quickly. Bank transfer withdrawals usually take around five days or so to clear and process. And there’s a decent chance you’ll be charged a fee.
On the plus side, bank transfers at casinos usually have quite high maximum limits. Often, you can cash out five figures in one go without issue.
Payment Timeframes
The primary issue with bank transfers is the amount of time it takes for a payment to go through. The standard timeframe for a bank transfer is between one and two days. But, when you add on the extra time it takes for the casino to process its side of the payment, you’re looking at closer to a week - unless you're playing at fast payout casinos.
Many bank transfers at casinos use SWIFT, which stands for Society Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications. This is a network which shares financial information between banks and other parties, like an online casino. This process takes one-to-three days.
The bottom line is that, if speed is your priority, it doesn’t make sense to use bank transfers at casinos.
Fees and Costs
Fees associated with bank transfers at casinos can be significant. You’ll often pay either a flat fee or a percentage of the overall amount. For example, if you bank transfer R 500, you could be charged a flat fee of R 10 or a 5% fee which would equate to R 25. It’s definitely not the cheapest way to move money around, so make sure you plan things out in advance so you don’t end up making lots of small, unnecessary transfers. The fees will quickly add up.
Conclusion
Bank transfers at online and live casinos are an ever-present for a reason. It’s a tried and tested payment method which is very secure. In an age where there are so many online fraudsters after our details, taking some extra precautions certainly isn’t a bad thing.
There’s no escaping the fact that casino bank transfers are tediously slow. But, if that doesn’t bother you, it’s a solid option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bank transfers typically take between one and two working days. At a casino, there is extra time added for processing, bringing the total time to anywhere from five to ten days.
Although making bank transfers at casinos will raise some eyebrows, it’s a very safe method of moving funds around which is supported by banks and has been trusted for over 150 years in total.
A high percentage of online casinos in South Africa which offer bonuses will allow you to claim them when depositing via bank transfer. Check the T&Cs of the individual offer before you deposit.
Compared to other online payment methods – many of which are free and instant – bank transfers are expensive. You often pay a flat fee or a small percentage of the overall transfer.
Making a deposit using a bank transfer at an online casino is a fast process, similar to any other payment type. However, it takes days for the funds to move from your bank to the casino.