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The way we’re going to tackle this is straightforward – we’re going to unpack where each platform excels and then based on your priorities, you’ll arrive at the better of the two options for yourself.
Basically, online casinos often offer e-wallets like Neteller, Skrill, Astropay, Payz, and so on. All of these offer fast withdrawals, instant deposits, and decent-ish limits, for the most part. PayPal, particularly, has more stringent protections for users, and a lot of online casinos will simply not have PayPal. Add to that the fact that PayPal has fewer currencies and support for fewer locations, and you can see why it’s not so well accepted compared to these other e-wallets. Now, Google Pay is a fairly new e-wallet on the scene and its adoption is even lower.
In today’s piece, we’re going to be talking about PayPal vs. Google Pay (or GPay) for online gambling transactions, mostly based off the experience of major gamblers such as yours truly.
Before we begin, let me give it to you straight – no doubt that PayPal is one of the most dependable and secure ways to deposit and withdraw money. Plus, PayPal is less likely to partner with shady platforms.
Google Pay on the other hand has become super convenient more recently. Unlike PayPal which is a separate service, Google Pay somehow appears to integrate with your phone as it’s a mobile-first app experience. Google has done a pretty good job and PayPal’s mobile app cannot compete in terms of the user experience. If you’re looking for the ideal mobile gambling experience, Google Pay takes the win without a doubt.
With PayPal, you hold money in your PayPal wallet and manually withdraw it. Same for deposits – one extra step. Google Pay is directly connected to your bank balance, making things smoother. If a casino offers both, PayPal and Google Pay, and you have no current preference, then which one is better for you?
Well, in terms of the basics such as security, trustworthiness, and limits, both are quite same. Both are available on web, iOS, and Android. Both allow you to keep a balance, link cards, and link your bank accounts.
So, let’s discuss fees.
Google Pay had no fee for the most part, though it can charge the greater one between 1.5% or $0.31. PayPal has a platform fee that I like to call “because we can” charge. This is 2.9% + a fixed amount for domestic transactions and 5% + 2.9% + a fixed amount + currency conversion costs for international transactions. If you’re going to be converting currency, Google Pay might be a better idea because I’ve consistently seen anywhere from 5 to 10% loss on the net withdrawal amount when getting money from overseas casinos just due to a lower conversion rate, barring the fees completely.
That’s really a dent. It alone eats up my whole VIP cashback on certain casinos, for example.
As far as I can tell, PayPal is definitely fast, but Google Pay can be faster under many circumstances. Money is deposited and received with fewer steps and much faster on Google Pay numerous times, so that’s definitely a plus. After the casino is done processing your transaction, the money reaches your PayPal wallet almost instantly. But that’s not your bank. So, what if you want it in your bank? You withdraw (again) from PayPal. These PayPal withdrawals can take up to several days sometimes (you can get instant withdrawals for a fee). Google Pay processes standard withdrawals much faster.
But PayPal has such a solid reputation for a reason. You see, it has some of the strongest safeguards in place to protect users. Chargebacks, disputes, customer support – it’s all top-notch. For a payment method, that’s like the most important thing.
You won’t find such a secure infrastructure with Google Pay (or any other e-wallet, really). Yes, it comes from a top tech company with a global presence and international brand power. But can you trust it to be on your side and offer proactive support if you end up getting scammed or conned? Most likely no. Then the experience with gambling transactions isn’t on Google’s side. PayPal gives you that safety net.
So, if you’re not playing on strictly the most reputed online casinos out there that are well-known throughout the online gambling community, have a strong license, and offer key security features – you’re better off sticking with PayPal, just in case.
It’s very important to keep in mind that neither PayPal nor Google Pay will be available on shady platforms to begin with. But still, in case the platform is shady half the times, PayPal has your back if something happens more often than Google Pay.
Now, a major downside with Google Pay is that you cannot use a credit card to receive or transfer money. This can be a major hurdle for you if you were looking to do that (my UK mates are like, “Wait, you guys are using credit cards?”).
Limits are also quite important here. Google Pay only allows you to send up to $5000 per week with a verified identity (only $500/week for unverified accounts). For withdrawals, that limit is $20,000/week and $700/week, respectively. PayPal has a simple rule – a $25,000 limit for bank withdrawals and a $5,000 limit for cards.
A finer point is that you can use Google Pay transactions to earn more rewards. If you’re into that sort of thing, it might be worth looking into. For example, you can get some discount coupons on your favorite brands which makes using the app a tad bit more rewarding. Another convenient feature here is that Google Pay gives you insights into your spending patterns and offers a centralized, user-friendly dashboard to check your transaction history quickly. As I said, it’s a mobile-first experience and a super-convenient app that PayPal can simply never beat in terms of user experience. It also helps you pay for physical, small stuff easier and faster.
Let’s say you were to get into this whole ecosystem thanks to Google Pay’s conveniences and features. You can easily send money to friends and family within your country hassle-free, much faster than PayPal. You can split bills using your phone. You can even link transit cards for mobile payments. And so much more. But well, coming back to the point, which one is better for online casino transactions?
It’s a little hard to give you a clear winner here. But if you remember, that wasn’t my point, to begin with. Based on what you’ve learned, I’m sure you can make up your mind very easily. Get back to me in case of any doubts (or for the latest NFL betting tips!).
