QIWI vs. PayPal at Online Casinos

Introduction

Some countries around the world were much quicker to adopt and adapt to the modern ways of payment processing. Others not so much, for various reasons ranging from scepticism regarding the reliability of services, a strong emphasis on the scammers out there, all the way to legal bans and regulations.

No matter the cause…

… for such restrictions, the progress that contemporary online services were making across the globe could not be stopped. With the change of the way of living, people were looking to increase convenience and cut down on costs. At the same time, businesses discovered a new model of running operations completely online, enabling them to reduce costs on rent, maintenance, and even human resources.

This completely new model of online transactions was viewed with a dose of reluctance at first, but managed to penetrate markets and gain wide audience promptly thanks to its convenient nature. After all, having the option of sending money, paying for goods and services, and handling everyday utility costs, bills and the likes from the comfort of your own home is nothing if not advantageous.

Both existing and new businesses…

… took up this practice and developed different models to better suit the needs of their customers. Some focused on developing an online solution matching their existing financial services such as physical cards, while others took to inventing completely digital options. Combinations of the two were also offered over time, with the finance industry ultimately booming with a variety of options for all tastes and preferences.

Still…

… business took off differently for different players in that industry, and while some businesses were able to make a name for themselves, others faded away due to less competitive services. E-wallets particularly came to the forefront of the payment processing and funds management field. Their capabilities allowed users to handle funds as in a regular bank account, stored completely online. Other than that, the features still included payment processing, scheduled payments, transaction history and the likes.

And with some businesses focusing on their national market while others took to covering international grounds, it set the perfect climate for further advancement. Two of the most prominent instances of these types of e-wallet services include the brands Visa QIWI and PayPal. The former started out as a local payment solution for Russian residents, while the latter took to the massive US market and soon became a global phenomenon.

Making the right choice…

… in terms of banking method for your own online casino gambling experience is hard work, and even more so considering the variety of options available nowadays. For those dwelling between these two options, making your pick could turn out to be a rather difficult endeavour. For that purpose, we have compiled an overview of all the key features of both e-wallets, in order to draw a clearer line of contrast between them and ultimately select the best option for your needs.

About Visa QIWI

The QIWI e-wallet…

… set up shop and was officially established back in 2008, when entering the Russian market as a force to be reckoned with. After all, the company aimed and enabled users to perform many of their everyday payments via their service and facilitated the entire process significantly. At that point, QIWI was an e-wallet exclusively, allowing users to perform online payments, as well as transact using mobile and tablet devices.

Once they opted for a wider range of services with the first Visa QIWI card in 2009, it was evident that the company started striving towards higher grounds. By 2012, the e-wallet brand and the payment card giant signed a partnership which would mark a new era in payment processing for the specific area they catered.

Speaking of which…

… the company was initially intended for Russian territory solely, which explains the presence of land-based terminals across the country. Later on, residents of other countries previously belonging to the Soviet Union were able to gain access to the online services offered by QIWI, only to have their coverage reach up to 20+ countries in recent years. Nowadays, Canada, USA, UK, Thailand, Turkey, India, Israel, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine and Romania are just part of the eligible territories.

About PayPal

On the other hand…

… PayPal first appeared in the financial sphere back in 1998 under a different name – Confinity. For that day and age, this company and its revolutionary and most innovative solution were quite unimaginable to the everyday folks. All the more so since people were quite used to using plastic credit and debit cards for all their payment needs.

The e-wallet solution that PayPal presented at the time is practically the breakthrough in this line of work, and served as a model of many similar ones over the years. Nowadays, the brand boasts over two decades of experience and more importantly, reputation for maintaining an impeccable track record in all aspects of the trade throughout the years.

Naturally…

… the service has developed and improved, as well as expanded over the years, both in terms of service variety and territorial coverage. With over 200 million active accounts across practically half of the globe, this company has been maintaining the standard in what a satisfactory online payment processing service should be like.

Visa QIWI vs. PayPal

Having in mind the brief histories of both companies, as well as player testimonials, user and expert reviews among other things, choosing one over the other is bound to seem all the more difficult. Nevertheless, as evident from the start, these two services are not governed on the same principles, even though their models are alike.

In this line of thought…

… there are some features which take precedence over others. While it is important for players and users alike to have the service available in their language, getting their national currency to avoid exchange fees is all the more important, especially if familiar language options are placed at their disposal.

User Accounts

On the basis of each e-wallet, it is important for all their users to be aware of the options they have when it comes to holding an account. After all, a personal account for the needs of a home-based workshop may well need to turn to a business account for an established business. Especially for these, but also for remaining users as well, it is good to know if there are other types of accounts available to switch to or add.

Visa QIWI

The users at this payment method are eligible to a single account option, available for access via desktop and mobile devices. What is more, due to the company being based out in Russia, its primary currency is Rubles and all transactions in a different currency will necessarily undergo a currency exchange. While this may come as slightly discouraging, especially for those that are looking to get as dedicated an experience as they can, its other advantages seem to make up enough for this shortcoming.

PayPal

PayPal users however, are eligible to hold a personal and business account, as both options are provided by the service. Nevertheless, online casino players generally opt for the former unless they have some other intentions with the account aside from real money casino gameplay.

Either way, the service is available on all devices as well, with an instant website platform and downloadable client both. They do have a range of currency options – over 20 actually, but still impose an exchange fee in case you are trying to move funds around in a currency different from the one chosen for your e-wallet account, or one that isn’t supported by the service at all.

Payments, Deposits & Withdrawals

The way to make payments and request payouts via these e-wallets is definitely a key consideration to any one pleasant online gambling experience. Make sure you are okay with the options provided for funding the e-wallet accounts, their availability as withdrawal methods, as well as the fees and charges attached to each of these operations in order to save yourself the trouble of switching to the other e-wallet later on.

Visa QIWI

The Visa QIWI e-wallet…

… functions as any standard account of that type – account holders are provided a list of options they can choose from for funding purposes. Make sure to consider the minimum and maximum limits for transactions and see if they fit your real money gambling needs. When it comes to using the Visa QIWI e-wallet for online casino deposits, as soon as you get money in your account, all you have to do is find this option in your casino banking page and log in from there. The login is quite specific, since it requires players’ phone number instead of a standard username and sends them a one-time-use password on the selfsame number.

While deposits are well within your reach…

… when it comes to Visa QIWI, withdrawals are a much less common transaction performed by this service. Still, there are casinos that accept it, and allow account holders to then transfer these winnings to any of the banking options available for funding as well – cards, bank accounts, other e-wallet services and the likes.

PayPal

PayPal’s use for payments in general is widely and diversely spread out. However, for some of the players, there is less than for others, and this is mainly due to the legal status of online gambling in the country of their residence. In other words, PayPal does not facilitate real money transactions for gambling purposes unless they are compliant with the regulative in the country.

Otherwise…

… eligible users are able to perform deposits and withdrawals as freely and as easily as ever, thanks to the multiple options for funding and cashout purposes – bank accounts, wire transfers, money services, cards, other e-wallets, prepaid cards and the likes.

Physical Card Availability

Despite…

… the whole move from the standard to the modern, the popularity of plastic cards has managed to persist through the years nonetheless. Therefore, many e-wallet services have taken to boost their integrity and increase user convenience by issuing their own prepaid plastic cards through any of the top card processing companies – Visa, MasterCard, Diners and the likes. Check out QIWI and PayPal’s positions on the matter for a more comprehensive understanding of what you would get from either one of these services.

Visa QIWI

Aside from the e-wallet service…

… since partnering with the credit and debit card company, QIWI has additionally opted to offer online banking and a plastic card solution. These function much like the regular ones issued from your standard banking facilities do; the company even took to establish a retail bank segment in order to fully set up these services. Nowadays, users are able to process transactions using these plastic card solutions aside from their regular e-wallet account, much the same way as they would with any other card.

The card does incur some costs for ATM withdrawals in particular (2%), but if you’re lucky enough to be living in Russia, you can perform all funding and cashout transactions free of charge, straight from the dedicated terminals. Just make sure to keep to the maximum allowed amount of 100,000RUB.

PayPal Prepaid MasterCard

In collaboration with the equally established credit card company MasterCard, PayPal has additionally opted to provide their users with a physical card option. This solution is available free of charge, and has an expiration date of three years since order. Just make sure you don’t have a problem with the monthly 4.95 USD maintenance fee, as well as the charge for ATM withdrawals, much like its competitor.

For ATM withdrawals in the US, charges are 1.USD + 2.5% FX, while those cashouts processed anywhere else incur a charge of 1% + 2.5% FX. The max limit for these cashouts is up to 940USD in 24 hours, while POS transactions can go up to 5,000USD a day.

Security

The question of security is pivotal to any one institution that deals with funds and such financial matters. When it comes to online casino players, this is all the more important since they tend to look for operators licensed by reputable jurisdictions and compliant to the industry standards. Therefore, they expect no less from their chosen payment processing method, and these two deliver top-notch security measures on all key points, as illustrated below.

Visa QIWI

QIWI has a unique way…

… of handling accounts which shows its dedication to minimizing the amount of personal information that users have to share online. The fact that they connect the account with the user’s phone number is the first indicator on keeping to such practices. Moreover, the service is licensed and registered as a legal payment processor, which speaks to their legal compliance.

What is more…

… since 2012, QIWI has partnered with one of the most reputable card processing companies – Visa, adding further to their integrity. Visa is known for maintaining a compliant status to the regulative in any one country where it is available, and their strategic partnership with QIWI is no exception.

PayPal

PayPal’s proven track record…

… basically originates from their strict and rigorous security and inspection policies. Their payment processing service provided through the e-wallet is solely available to tested and fair platforms that can legally operate in their target territories. This goes for online casinos as well, since they are also checked for eligibility to operate under the laws of their target countries.

The fact that each transaction via PayPal is additionally tested and proven fair also adds weight to these claims. And with the dual-factor verification option available for new and current e-wallet account holders, there is all the more control of the security of the funds placed into the hands of the individuals themselves.

User Benefits

Oftentimes, banking methods as well as other online services will offer their clients some form of reward for their trust. The practice is fairly common among online casinos, which offer all kinds of bonuses and promotions /top-casino-bonuses/, as well as Loyalty Reward programs to enhance the player experience even further.

Visa QIWI

So far…

… such a loyalty or rewards program hasn’t been offered by the Visa QIWI e-wallet service, nor through their banking or plastic card products. Nevertheless, the extent of benefits that users enjoy through their regular features is enough to keep players and other users flocking in to register and perform their payments via their secure channels.

PayPal

PayPal has more or less the same stance in this regard, with a decade more in the industry to boost their credibility. No bonuses or gift options are available to users of this e-wallet service either, but this has not diminished their popularity among the user pool in any way.

Conclusion

Ultimately…

… the choice of payment method for online casino enthusiasts comes down to personal preference, and the requirements they have. Some are looking for a more dedicated service that is oriented to catering the specific needs of users from their region. Others, however, choose to go with a more widespread method that will be available at international online casino sites, global e-merchants and other platforms. Whichever of these two you choose, there is little to no chance to go wrong – just consider your particular needs and start enjoying unlimited play at the top online casino sites.

Related banking method reviews:

• PayPal Casinos
• Visa QIWI Casinos

Written by: Shelly Schiff