How Pay by Mobile Casinos Work and Why You Should Use Them

Millions of gamblers worldwide use online casinos daily to enjoy the convenience and thrill of gambling at home or on the go. In an effort to attract as many players as possible, these casinos do all they can to make gambling convenient, including partnering with various payment providers to make deposits and withdrawals seamless.

A popular option for Canadian gamblers is paying by mobile. This method provides quick and easy deposits so that players can keep playing without any delay. 

If you’ve wanted to discover Pay By Mobile casinos but first want to understand how they work and why you should choose them, keep reading as we delve into the nitty-gritty of this popular payment method.

How Pay by Mobile Casinos Work

Pay by Mobile (also called Pay by Phone) casinos operate just like any other online casino. The distinction that sets these casinos apart is that they provide Pay by Mobile as a method of making deposits into your player account. 

This deposit method makes payments easier by bypassing the need to enter bank card details or log into an e-wallet app. Instead, your chosen amount will be charged directly to your phone bill.

This payment method is compatible with devices ranging from smartphones to tablets to PCs. The only condition is that the device requires a working SIM card linked to an active number. Considering Canada is one of few countries where SIM card registration isn’t mandatory, obtaining this should be easy for most players.

From here, deposits using pay by mobile can be done in two primary ways:

Using Pre-Paid Phone Credit

The first option uses existing credit loaded onto your phone (pre-paid credit) to deposit into your player account. This reduces the amount of credit on your SIM card and allocates the same amount as usable funds in your player account.

The one downside to using pre-paid credit to fund your account is that your transaction will fail if you select an amount higher than what is available on your SIM card. Therefore, it is imperative to check your balance before making a deposit from a pre-paid account.

Monthly Account Credit

The second and more popular option is to add the cost of your deposit to your monthly account. This can usually only be done if you have a monthly plan with a mobile provider.

In this instance, the amount you deposit into your player account is seen as a mobile usage charge and added to your monthly bill accordingly. As usual, this will need to be settled at the end of the month—either by you making payment or by having a reoccurring payment agreement. Failure to pay means your carrier could suspend your service and even pursue legal action.

Pay by Mobile Process

Irrespective of which of the two options above you prefer, the process of paying by mobile is the same. It involves three simple steps that allow you to quickly start playing the game of your choice. 

1. First, select a casino that offers Pay by Mobile as a deposit method and navigate to the deposit section of your player account. This option usually appears alongside other trusted methods, such as Visa and Mastercard.

2. Next, enter the amount you wish to deposit. Depending on the casino and your phone carrier, there may be a daily, weekly, or monthly limit on the deposit amount. With this amount, you will need to enter the mobile phone number from which you would like the deposit to be drawn. 

3. Finally, you will need to confirm the deposit using your mobile phone. This is usually done through an SMS message but may also appear through an app notification, depending on your carrier and the service providing the ability to pay by phone. Once this is done, the money is immediately deposited, and you can begin playing. 

Why You Should Use Pay by Phone

There are several great reasons to deposit funds into your account using Pay by Mobile:

Convenience

The first reason is the incredible convenience of depositing using your phone. Because there are few steps required to complete a deposit, funds can be added to your player account in just a few taps.

As mobile gambling increases in popularity, this convenience is heightened as deposits and gameplay can happen on a single device. Depending on the provider used to process the Pay by Mobile option, deposits can sometimes be made without switching from your favourite mobile casino app.

Security

Although paying by phone requires you to provide your contact number to an online casino, it is still a significantly safer option than any other deposit method. This is because this method doesn’t require banking information (such as your card number), e-wallet details, or access to your mobile wallet to process your deposit.

Considering almost all licensed casinos obtain your contact number as part of their KYC (know your customer) policy, depositing using this method gives the casino no details about you that they don’t already have. 

Budget Control

Another benefit of paying by mobile is that it lets you track your spending. If you’re a prepaid mobile user, this is done by only allowing you to deposit into your player account what you’ve already purchased for your phone. Any amount over what is available will cause the transaction to fail.

If you’re a contract customer who can add any amount to your mobile bill, Pay by Mobile has a built-in budgeting tool that lets you track how much extra you’ll need to pay at the end of the billing period. This helps you see if you should cut back on spending or if you can afford to deposit more.

Things to Know

Although Pay by Mobile is an excellent deposit method for several reasons, there are a few things every gambler should know before using this payment service. 

First, many Pay by Phone methods operate under low deposit limits. Therefore, this service may not be your best option if you want to deposit a significant amount into your player account.

Next, while some Pay by Mobile providers offer the service for free, others charge a small fee to process your deposit. As a result, the amount that appears in your player account could be slightly less than you expected.

Finally, Pay by Mobile cannot be used as a withdrawal method. While it can offer convenience and security when making deposits, an alternative payment processor will need to be used to withdraw your winnings if you manage to strike it lucky.