Who Can Use It?
The source lists Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium as supported countries. It also reports that more than 20 million people across these countries use SOFORT for online purchases. In Belgium, the service is called Pay now by Klarna; elsewhere on the list, it is called SOFORT.
How the Payment Works
At an online checkout, look for SOFORT or Pay now. Selecting the option takes you to the Pay now or SOFORT site, where you are asked for your bank’s sort code. You then sign in to your bank and receive a Transaction Authorization Number (TAN), which you enter to authorize the payment.
For a casino deposit, to open the cashier and check whether SOFORT is offered. After choosing it, provide your bank’s sort code and sign in. A TAN is sent to your mobile device; enter it along with the deposit amount. The funds appear in the account immediately.
Casinos do not support SOFORT withdrawals. To cash out winnings, you will need a different option, such as one listed among online casinos payment methods.
Security Features
The source describes SOFORT as using SSL encryption and a TAN as an additional security step. It says merchants and casinos cannot see account details through the service and therefore do not store those details. These are claims, not a new security assessment.
The review also describes a TAN entry window of between five and ten minutes. If the code is not entered in time, it says a replacement TAN must be requested. The source presents this time limit as making it harder for someone to guess the code.
Other SOFORT Details
SOFORT customer support can be contacted by email if a payment problem occurs, and your bank may also be able to help. The address shown in the original review is [email protected].
SOFORT itself does not charge fees, while noting that a bank may apply its own charges. Check your institution’s terms before making a payment. Its further suggestion that SOFORT fees would probably be lower than those of other payment sources is an unverified claim from that review. It says Envoy Services Limited or Worldpay AP Limited may appear as the payee on a bank statement, describing both as SOFORT payment gateway partners.
Advantages
The original review identifies these potential benefits of using SOFORT for online gambling:
- Deposits are described as transferring in real time.
- The review says it is widely accepted at casinos that accept UK players.
- No advance account registration is required.
- The source describes several security measures for protecting the account.
Disadvantages
The review also points to these limitations of SOFORT:
- Use is restricted to players in certain European countries.
- Withdrawals are not supported. Before cashing out, you must register another payment option, such as a credit or debit card.
- The stated currencies are EUR and CHF. CHF is limited to players from Switzerland.
- The stated transaction range is a minimum of 1 EUR or 5 CHF and a maximum of 2000 EUR or 2500 CHF for each transaction.
Conclusion
For people in the countries where SOFORT is offered, the original review presents it as a convenient way to deposit for online gambling. It also says the provider plans to expand, though that does not establish where or when service may become available. Check that a separate withdrawal option is supported before placing wagers.
