Who Can Use It?
The review 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 online checkout, choose SOFORT or Pay now. You will be taken to the Pay now or SOFORT website and prompted to enter your bank’s sort code. Sign in to your bank to obtain a Transaction Authorization Number (TAN), then enter it to approve the payment.
For a casino deposit, open the cashier and check whether SOFORT is offered. After selecting 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 review says the funds appear in the account immediately.
Casinos do not support SOFORT withdrawals. To cash out winnings, you will need another option, such as one listed among online casino payment methods.
Security Features
The review 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 review 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 review is [email protected].
SOFORT itself does not charge fees, though a bank may apply its own. Check your institution’s terms before paying. The review’s further suggestion that SOFORT fees would probably be lower than those of other payment sources is unverified. 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 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 review 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 per-transaction limits are a minimum of 1 EUR or 5 CHF, and a maximum of 2000 EUR or 2500 CHF.
Conclusion
For people in countries where SOFORT is offered, the 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.
