NJ Online Poker Banking Breakdown: WSOP NJ / 888 Poker

WSOP NJ and 888 NJ offer New Jersey players a wealth of cashiering options, including ones specifically targeted towards those who have had their credit / debit transactions denied.

Although the duo does not reside on the same network, both are powered by 888 Holding’s proprietary software and provide an identical set of payment processing options.

We give you the lowdown on what cashiering methods work best, and which ones you’d best avoid.

Looking for information about Party / Borgata? Here’s our breakdown of banking at the Party Poker / Borgata network.

WSOP / 888 banking options: Quick grades

WSOP / 888 banking options: Detailed comparisons

Alongside those guides you’ll find corresponding grades for acceptance rates, costs and fees, general ease of use and an overall grade for the given method.

Options are presented by their overall grade, with the highest-graded methods listed first.

Bank transfer (ACH)

ACH at WSOP / 888: Overview

• Very high success rates.
• Convenient and secure method of transferring funds from a valid checking account.
• No transaction fees.
• Deposit between $10 and $5,000 in one transfer.
• Daily deposit limit of $30,000. Monthly limit of $100,000.
• Also available as a withdrawal method (minimum $10). Withdrawals typically process within 2-3 business days.
• In order to be eligible for ACH withdrawals, players may be asked to verify their bank account information.

ACH setup an easy task

Pending you’re among the masses who already have a valid checking account, setting up an ACH transaction should prove an easy, breezy affair.

1. From the WSOP / 888 cashier, go to the ‘Deposit’ tab. Type in the amount of your deposit, followed by your 9-digit routing number.
2. Follow that up with your account number twice.
3. Click the ‘Terms and Conditions’ checkbox , click ‘Submit’ and within moments your transaction should be approved.

Do note that there will likely be a short delay between the time the funds appear in your account and when the transaction appears on your bank statement.

ACH still best bet for WSOP / 888

ACH has been available as both a deposit and withdrawal option on WSOP / 888 since launch. Other methods have since been introduced, but none eclipse ACH in the areas of ease of use and dependability.

Perhaps the only drawback of using ACH, and it’s a minor one, is that in order to procure a withdrawal, you’ll probably be asked to provide proof of your bank account number.

To do this:

1. Either log-on to your bank’s website and download a PDF of your latest statement, or if that’s not an option, scan a paper statement, ensuring that the account number is easily readable.
2. Then, from the WSOP / 888 cashier, go to the ‘Verify ID’ tab, choose ‘Browse’ and upload your scanned or downloaded bank statement.
3. Click ‘Upload’ and typically within a day or so, the account will be verified.

Note, that in so long as you regularly use ACH to make deposits and withdrawals, you’ll only have to verify each new account once.

Also worth pointing out: If you made deposits using multiple checking accounts, any withdrawal up to the sum of those deposits will be paid automatically to the account from which they came.

For instance, if you used account #1 to make a $100 deposit, and account #2 to  load an additional $200, and then request a $500 bank transfer, the first $100 will be paid to account #1, the next $200 to account #2, and the remaining $200 to the account of your choice.

For more, please refer to 888’s withdrawal policy.

Recommended?

Yes. ACH remains a convenient, reliable and inexpensive means of handling online gambling transactions.

Grade

• Acceptance rate: A
• Cost: A
• Ease of use: A-
• Overall: A

Cash at the Caesars cashier

Overview of Caesars’ cage banking

• With the proper documentation in hand, 100% success rate.
• Handle WSOP / 888 cashiering functions at Caesars brick and mortar casino in Atlantic City.
• Deposits require players to provide a government issued photo ID and their unique WSOP.com or us888poker.com user ID.
• Also available as a withdrawal method.
• A state ID and unique processing number are prerequisites for withdrawals.
• Instant approval.
• No minimum withdrawal limit.

Value depends on proximity to Atlantic City

For those for live within striking distance of Atlantic City, or who find themselves frequenting the boardwalk city on a somewhat regular basis, there’s no beating the convenience of the cash at the cage cashiering option.

For the rest of us, it’s pretty much irrelevant.

Cash at the cage deposit and withdrawal requests require little effort on the part of the player. In order to make a deposit, all that’s required is cash and a government issued photo ID.

The withdrawal process is ever so slightly more involved, as in addition to a photo ID, you’ll need to present the Caesars Cage Clerk with a 10-digit processing number.

Be sure to jot this number down – it can be found by navigating to Withdraw -> Cash -> Proceed.

In some cases, you may also be tasked with providing information regarding the method you used to deposit, such as the last 4-digits of your credit card.

That’s about it. There’s no minimum withdrawal limit, and from what I could tell, no maximum either.

Recommended?

Yes, but only if you plan on visiting Caesars AC.

Grade

• Acceptance rate: A-
• Cost: A
• Ease of use: B+
• Overall: B+

PayNearMe

PayNearMe at 888 / WSOP NJ: Overview

• Close to a 100% success rate.
• Make cash deposits on to WSOP / 888 from a local 7-Eleven store.
• Reusable payslips that can be sent directly to a mobile device.
• Near instantaneous turnaround times.
• No transaction fees.
• Deposit between $10 and $500 daily.
• Monthly maximum deposit limit of $10,000.
• Not available as a withdrawal method.

Instructions for conducting a PayNearMe deposit

1. From the cashier, select the ‘Deposit’ tab, then choose the ‘Pay Near Me with Cash’ option (or ‘More Deposit Methods’ if PayNearMe doesn’t immediately appear in the main panel).
2. Click ‘Proceed,’ then click ‘Cash at 7-Eleven.’
3. Enter your email address to receive payment information and a confirmation. Click ‘Continue.’
4. You can elect to either print the instructions or have them sent to your mobile device.
5. If you choose ‘Mobile,’ you’ll be tasked with entering in your mobile phone number.
6. The payment instructions will be sent to your email address.
7. Either take your printed barcode or mobile device (you will receive a link to the barcode via SMS) to 7-Eleven.
8. Inform the cashier that you want to make a deposit of at least $10.00, then have the associate press the LOAD button and scan your barcode.
9. Pay the cashier and get your receipt.

No checking account, no problem

PayNearMe is recommended if some or all of the following conditions apply:

• You do not have a checking account or credit / debit card.
• You do have a checking account and/or credit / debit card, but attempts to deposit via ACH and MasterCard / Visa have been declined.
• You do not live within immediate proximity of Caesars brick and mortar casino in Atlantic City.
• You don’t need access to more than $500 a day.
• You live near a 7-Eleven.

Admittedly, that’s a lot of conditions, but if you match the aforementioned criteria, then the inclusion of PayNearMe as a payment processing option is nothing short of a godsend.

However, if you’ve had success depositing via ACH or debit cards, then PayNearMe won’t be of much use to you. The process is just too elaborate.

In my conversations with 888’s customer service reps, I learned that there are no fees attached to PayNearMe transactions. Yes, it’s a bit inconvenient to have to take a payslip and cash to a 7-Eleven, but the good news is that instances of the retail chain are sprinkled throughout the Garden State.

That, and they’re generally open 24-7.

Recommended?

Under select conditions, wholeheartedly. Otherwise, not really.

Grade

• Acceptance rate: A
• Cost: A
• Ease of use: B-
• Overall: B

Neteller

888 / WSOP Neteller Overview

• High acceptance rate.
• Neteller is an e-money service that allows customers to transfer funds to and from merchants in the online gambling space.
• No transaction fees charged by WSOP / 888, but the Net+ Prepaid card assigns its own charges.
• Deposit between $10 and $5,000 in one transaction.
• Daily deposit limits up to $90,000. Deposit as much as $300,000 monthly.
• Available as a withdrawal option ($20 minimum). Withdrawals reach player Neteller accounts within a few days.
• In order to withdraw funds from WSOP / 888 to Neteller, players must verify their account information as per WSOP / 888’s withdrawal policies.

Neteller signup steps

1. From the ‘Deposit’ tab of the cashier, select ‘Visa MasterCard by NETELLER.’
2. If you do not already have a Neteller account, click ‘Sign Up Here!’
3. From the Neteller screen, enter in your basic credentials. Click ‘Continue.’
4. Step 2 will require you to enter sensitive information including your SSN. When finished click ‘Continue.’
5. Finally, you will be sent a confirmation email containing your Account ID and Secure ID at your registered address.
6. Now, from the Neteller website, you can select ‘Money In’ to load your account via Visa, MasterCard or ACH. You will also receive a Net+ card in the mail within 5-10 business days.
7. Back at the WSOP / 888 cashier, input the amount to deposit, your Neteller Account ID and Secure ID and select ‘Submit.’ Transactions are typically processed within moments.

Neteller an average back-up payment processing option

Neteller is the only third party alternative available on WSOP / 888 that doesn’t task players with venturing away from their computers.

For that reason, and that alone, its value is higher on WSOP / 888 than it is on rival network PartyPoker NJ (which boasts three alternative options).

But taken on its own, Neteller is little more than a serviceable, albeit flawed, payment solution, only useful to players who have had their credit / debit card transactions declined.

As the only available cashiering option that charges players upfront depositing fees, Neteller is clearly not the best choice for players who value cost effectiveness over convenience.

These fees range from 2.5% for credit / debit cards (plus cash advance fees for credit) to 3.5% for ACH transfers, which is right around average for the industry.

In order to process a Neteller withdrawal on WSOP / 888, players will be tasked with verifying their account info. Luckily, the process is relatively straightforward. Simply traverse to the ‘Account Summary’ section of your Neteller account, click generate document, and upload the PDF to the ‘Verify ID’ section of the WSOP / 888 cashier.

Actually getting cash in hand, well that’s a bit more complicated.

Neteller requires the use of its Net+ Prepaid Discover card. Without it, your Neteller funds will not be accessible.

As with most prepaid cards, there are a plethora of fees associated with Net+. Everything from monthly maintenance fees to ATM withdrawal charges and card cancellations are paid for by the user. It adds up quickly.

In this light, it’s difficult to recommend Neteller, especially when players have the option to roll down the block to their local 7-Eleven with cash in hand or to the bank to open up a free checking account.

Recommended?

If you adhere to the credo that ‘time is money,’ then yes. Otherwise, either open up a bank account, use a debit card, or take advantage of PayNearMe. All are better options.

Grade

• Acceptance rate: A
• Cost: C
• Ease of use: C+
• Overall: B-

Online banking transfer

Bank xfer at 888 / WSOP Overview

• High success rate.
• Instantly fund accounts without ever leaving WSOP / 888’s secure cashier.
• Requires that players first enable Bill Pay at an eligible bank.
• No transaction fees. Outside fees may apply.
• Deposit between $10 and $1,500 per session.
• 7-day deposit limit: $3,500. 30-day deposit limit: $14,000
• Not available as a withdrawal method.
• Participating banks include Bank of America, BB&T, Chase, HSBC Bank USA, ING Direct, PNC, Regions, SunTrust, U.S. Bank, TD Bank, Capital One 360, New York Community Bank.

Step-by-step online banking transfer deposits

1. First, opt into Bill Pay at a participating bank.
2. From the WSOP / 888 cashier’s ‘Deposit’ tab, select ‘Online Banking Transfer.’
3. Choose the amount you’d like to deposit and click ‘Submit.’
4. Choose your Bill Pay enabled bank from the drop down list and click ‘Continue.’
5. Enter your bank’s log-in credentials. Select ‘Login.’
6. You may be asked to provide the answer to a security question at this time.
7. If the transaction is approved, a notice containing a 12-digit Confirmation ID will appear.

Online banking transfers offer only one advantage over ACH

Online banking transfers (OBT) are arguably more secure than any other digital transaction available on WSOP / 888. But given the high regulatory standards already in place at NJ’s poker sites, the added safety measures come across as more of a novelty than a necessity. And they certainly don’t make up for the method’s glaring drawbacks.

The good news is that players depositing with OBT will never have to leave WSOP / 888’s secure cashiering interface. That, and online banking transfers boast extremely high success rates – pending of course that your bank is included on the list of participants. 

On the flip side, compared to ACH transactions, conducting an online banking transfer requires several extra steps. This alone may deter players from utilizing the method.

Furthermore, players that deposit using OBT won’t be able to procure a withdrawal unless they either verify a different payment method, or request payment via mailed check or cash at the Caesars casino cage.

Then there’s the fact that Bill Pay often requires players to either maintain a monthly minimum checking balance or pay account fees.

And lest we forget, the method’s depositing limits are among the lowest of any cashiering vehicle offered by WSOP / 888.

Recommended?

It’s hard to justify enabling Bill Pay just so you can conduct online gambling transactions, but if you already use it to pay bills online, then online banking transfers are a viable alternative to ACH.

Grade

• Acceptance rate: B-
• Cost: B-
• Ease of use: B
• Overall: B-

MasterCard / Visa

CRedit cards at WSOP NJ / 888: Overview

• Success rates for MasterCard are moderate to high. Visa is hit or miss.
• Load funds using a MasterCard or Visa credit / debit card.
• No transaction fees applied by WSOP / 888.
• Single deposit limits range from $10 to $750.
• Deposit up to $7,500 in one day and $15,000 in 30.
• Not available for withdrawals.

MasterCard / Visa signup process

Depositing funds via MasterCard / Visa is a relatively simple and streamlined process:

1. From the cashier, click on the ‘Credit/Debit Card’ option, then select the amount to deposit (whole numbers only).
2. Next, select one of the four available options from the drop down menu.
3. Note that if you’ve previously entered card information, it will be stored as part of the drop down.
4. Enter in your 16-digit card number, 3-digit CVV code and card expiration month and year.
5. Finally, click ‘Submit’ and wait as the payment processing Gods decide your fate.

Card transactions too unreliable to recommend just yet

You know it’s a problem when after initiating a Visa transaction, the software flat out tells you that the transaction may be rejected.

Give MasterCard / Visa transactions credit for processing just as quickly as ACH, but the payment method loses points for inundating players with hidden fees and its dubious reliability.

At the present time, MasterCard boosts significantly higher approval rates than Visa. With the announcement that new merchant codes for online gambling will be introduced by Spring 2015, this may very well change, but how significant an impact the new codes will have is yet to be determined.

Compounding matters, credit card companies will often charge cash advance fees for online gambling transactions, rendering them the least cost efficient of all available cashiering methods.

If you’re dead set on using a MasterCard or Visa, use a debit card. If that is not an option, seriously consider a cash in hand cashiering method such as PayNearMe or Cash at the Cage.

Sometimes the price of convenience is too high.

Recommended?

Only if you’re using a MasterCard debit card. Even then, in order to withdraw funds you’ll either have to verify another payment method to or request a physical check.

Grade

• Acceptance rate: C-
• Credit card cost: C-; Debit card cost: A 
• Ease of use: A
• Overall: C+

Other options

Bank draft

Bank drafts are only available as a withdrawal method. Use this option if you have no plans to verify your checking or Neteller account. You can also consider it if you made a deposit using a credit /debit card.

Checks will generally arrive somewhere between one and two weeks after request, rendering them the slowest of the available withdrawal methods on WSOP / 888.

Bank drafts are also subject to a $50 minimum withdrawal.

Paypal

The world’s most highly regarded e-commerce solutions provider is not yet available as a cashiering option on WSOP / 888. But it looks like that may change.

Reportedly, Paypal is gearing up for a trial launch on NJ’s iGaming sites by year’s end, followed by a full roll-out in Spring 2015 .

Already used by over 50 million US residents, Paypal would simultaneously lend increased credibility to the industry, while providing a more accessible, brand recognizable third-party payment processing outlet to NJ players.