If you are confused by the profusion of deposit and withdrawal methods offered by online gambling sites then let the Internet gaming directory offer you some guidance

Things to bear in mind before depositing

Security

Ensure that the security icon - the locked padlock or unbroken key symbol - is showing in the bottom of your browser window before sending your card details.

Check that the beginning of the retailer's Internet address changes from "http" to "https" when a purchase is made using a secure connection.

Tip: By double clicking on the padlock, you will receive confirmation that the padlock is still valid.

Check with your card issuer  to see what protection they offer against internet fraud, most offer refunds  should you be subject to online fraud, if they don’t find one who does.

Don't give out your password. Pick a unique password to protect your account -- preferably one that would be difficult for others to guess. If you forget it, don't worry -- most sites will give you a hint or the option of receiving the password at a private e-mail address.

Currency exchange rates

If it is necessary to deposit in a foreign currency and you have several deposit methods open to you use the one with the most competitive rate.

You can check the current money market exchange rates here

Fees

Check if either your card/net wallet issuer charges a transaction fee, once again if you have several deposit options open to you choose one that does not levy any fee.

Withdrawals

Before depositing check that the site will accept withdrawals back to the card etc that you deposited from, this is to comply with international money laundering laws although some sites do not enforce this rule. reviewing the sites banking page is advised.

Bonuses

Some gambling sites offer additional bonuses for using certain deposit methods, check the sites promotions page.

Deposit Methods

Debit cards:

Visa or Maestro (formerly Switch), Electron, Solo, Laser, Delta, Carte bleu, Master card debit, Visa check card ;

Perhaps the easiest method of depositing and  accepted at all online gaming sites, although some electron and solo cards may be rejected, as may US issued cards, see sites for details.

Credit cards:

MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, American express

Universally accepted but problems can arise with cards issued by MASTERCARD, they have a policy of not accepting withdrawals from gambling sites back to these cards, basically what this means is you deposit and win, then find you cannot withdraw your winnings back to your card. Again possible problems with US issued cards being accepted.

To circumvent this you either need another card or a net wallet to get your winnings out. In order to save you any hassle it’s probably wise not to use these cards unless you have no other choice, or open a net wallet account. One further negative with credits cards is that some sites or issuers charge a fee for their use.

E- wallets :

Moneybookers, PayPal, NETeller, ClickandBuy, ACTeCASH, Firepay, Citadel, Click2Pay, Webmoney, etc

E- wallets are money transfer services for internet transactions, and work like so, you transfer cash from your bank account / credit card in to your net wallet then spend or receive cash from others over the net, accounts are identified by email address so make sure the one you use is valid and secure. The main benefits of E-wallets is the ability to receive and deposit in foreign currencies and not disclosing your card details over the net, also payment can be requested by cheque.

The down side is that there is usually a fee to transfer cash either from or  to your bank account / credit card, also their foreign currency exchange rates tend to be uncompetitive.

However some net wallet providers are cheaper than others, Moneybookers seem the most competitive  but shop around and also check which net wallets a particular gambling site accepts.

Bank transfer / Wire / Cheque

Transfer cash from your bank account ,the downside here is that it can take several days to complete the transaction

Prepay:

UKash, Mastercard, 360money, GE Money, Neteller prepaid card, etc

Most card issuers are beginning to offer this service, what happens is that you deposit cash either online or over the counter at a shop, post office, or bank and the money is credited to a pre issued debit card  which is the same as those issued by banks except you don't need a bank account, some are universally accepted in shops and online, others online only. Another bonus is that some are accepted by ATMs, the cons with this method is that a fee is payable for deposits you make to the card and some don’t allow you to withdraw any winnings back to them, check witth the gambling sites banking page or CS to see if they allow cheque withdrawals which is essential if using UKash as this is just a voucher containing a code you enter online to make your deposit and offers no way of receiving back winnings unless you have another banking method available.