Who is Eligible?
This payment service is available to those in Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium. Currently, more than 20 million people in those countries now use SOFORT to manage their online purchases. In Belgium, it is known as Pay now by Klarna, but in all other countries, it is referred to as SOFORT.
How Does it Work?
When shopping at an online merchant, you will notice the SOFORT or Pay now an option at checkout. Making that selection will redirect you to the Pay now or SOFORT website, where you will be prompted to enter your bank’s sort code. You can then log in to your bank account and will receive a Transaction Authorization Number (TAN) that you must then enter to complete the transaction.
The process is very similar when making online casino deposits. First, head to the cashier’s section to see if SOFORT is one of their payment options. Choose it, and you will receive the same prompting to enter your bank’s sort code and then log in. Receive a TAN via your mobile device, then enter the amount of your deposit. Funds will be available in your account immediately.
Unfortunately, withdrawals using SOFORT are not possible at online casinos. So you will need to choose another payment method if you are to cash out your winnings.
Security Features
What people like most about using SOFORT is its security. The company uses SSL encryption and requires a TAN for added security. Casinos (or any online merchant) are never able to access your bank account information, so you do not have to worry about them storing your data.
There is also a time-out feature of between five and ten minutes for entering a TAN. If you do not enter your information within that timeframe, you will have to request a new TAN. Having these time constraints makes it more difficult for criminals to try to guess what your TAN is.
SOFORT Considerations
Sofort does have customer service agents available by email. Should you ever encounter a problem with your payment, you can reach one of these agents at [email protected]. Your bank’s customer service department may be able to assist you with SOFORT issues as well.
There are never any fees associated with using SOFORT. However, some banks may impose their own fees. Accordingly, you should always check with your financial institution to see what, if any, fees you might incur when you gamble online. If there are fees with SOFORT, they will probably be less than with any other payment source because the company charges very low fees to its merchants. Your bank statement will list either Envoy Services Limited or Worldpay AP Limited as the payee. These are companies that SOFORT has partnered with to provide you with a gateway to payment, and they are perfectly legitimate.
Advantages
When using SOFORT for online gambling, you’ll notice some advantages such as:
- Real-time deposit transfers.
- Being widely accepted at casinos that accept UK players.
- No need to register for an account first.
- Multiple security measures are in place to safeguard your account.
Disadvantages
A few disadvantages to using SOFORT include:
- Available only to players in select European countries.
- Not a viable withdrawal method. You will need to register another payment form, such as a credit or debit card, before you can cash out your winnings.
- EUR or CHF are the only currencies available at the moment. CHF may only be used by players from Switzerland.
- There is a minimum of 1 EUR or 5 CHF and a maximum of 2000 EUR or 2500 CHF for each transaction.
Conclusion
Players in one of the countries where SOFORT is offered will find it a very safe, convenient payment method to use when gambling online. The company is looking to expand its operations, so those who are not yet able to access SOFORT may be able to do so in the near future. Just be sure you have a valid withdrawal method, and you will be ready to start making wagers.
