Mobile gambling is booming in South Africa. So many casinos include Pay by Phone and similar solutions to their banking systems to let users pay directly via their devices.
Our team of experts focused on Pay by Phone casinos accessible to South African users. We examined the benefits and drawbacks of using the payment method for top-ups and cashouts there. Our specialists also tested how convenient these platforms are in terms of signup, customer service, bonuses, etc.
This rating is based on the real experience of our gambling experts. You can pick any Pay by Phone bill casino for South Africa from the below list to sign up and enjoy its worthy bonuses and top-class games.
Must-Know Pay by Phone Specifics
Pay by Phone is a payment method accessible to anyone with a mobile gadget and an activated SIM card. Contract users or those who employ a prepaid system on their phones can easily transfer cash for their real casino sessions.
The option works similarly in South Africa and other regions of the world. A player can replenish their account by paying via their mobile phone bill. If they liquidate their phone debts accumulated during the actual month, their casino deposits will also be on the bill, and the user will need to settle them, too. If players top up their mobile phone balance beforehand, they can replenish their casino account with the available amount from their phone.
Pay by Phone lies on the basis of several popular banking solutions in Africa and across the globe:
- Boku (supported only in the EU and Great Britain).
- mPesa by Vodafone (available in Kenya and other African countries. In South Africa, it is not supported anymore).
- Airtime (a few portals offer this Pay by Phone variant for South African users).
The system is absolutely secure. It provides instant transactions in a player’s chosen currency. The number of allowed transactions is unlimited. Yet, using a Pay by Phone bill for a casino in South Africa is not ideal. The banking method has certain downsides, which you, by all means, should bear in mind before opting for the system.
First, Pay by Phone supports very low deposit limits. Most operators will let you transfer from 200 ZAR to 600 ZAR at best. If you pay with Airtime in South Africa, for example, you can expect a more affordable limit range. Thus, Airtime allows users to deposit from 5 ZAR to 1,000 ZAR while the number of transactions remains unlimited here as well. The service will let you transfer up to 10,000 ZAR a month. This might still be insufficient for many gamblers.
However, the main weakness of Pay by Phone is that it is technically impossible to use the system for casino withdrawals. Similarly, you can seamlessly bet with Airtime and win cash on South African online casino sites, but you won’t be able to cash out your winnings via this option either.
Yet, if you need a fast replenishment for a mobile session at your chosen Pay by Phone bill casino in South Africa, these methods will come in handy. No info about your bank cards or accounts will be necessary to transfer money to your casino balance.
Pay by Phone Commissions
Pay by Phone is one of the least profitable payment solutions from a fee perspective. Each transaction conducted via this system may include the following charges:
- An SMS charge.
- A commission of up to 10% for the payment itself.
Again, if you choose to gamble with Airtime in South Africa, you can expect to transfer money from your phone for free. The service does not charge any fees on casino deposits made via it.
In other respects, Pay by Phone offers a reliable payment mechanism. Our team has revealed no hidden fees within it.
Pay by Phone: Worldwide
Pay by Phone is an internationally accepted system of casino payments. What a user needs is a switched-on mobile gadget and a valid SIM card. So gamblers from all over the world can profit from the banking solution. The service supports all possible currencies. Yet, you might be able to top up your Pay by Phone casino balance with the predefined currency by your mobile operator only.
Technical Support
Since the entire system is based on your mobile payments, you can solve all issues with your mobile operator. Today, many of them allow users to install their native apps with advanced tracking options. There, you can observe your money transfers and ask for help if a problem with a payment occurs. Alternatively, users can opt for common short numbers established for customer support.
We have tried the system on several phones subscribed to various cellular operators available in South Africa. Our experiment has shown that the service works seamlessly, and all mobile operators react quickly to every request. Their support services tend to work 24/7.
Pay by Phone Deposit Method
It is safe and convenient to use your Pay by Phone bill to replenish your casino balance in South Africa. Since deposits and real games are available only after registration, the starting process with the service will look like this:
- Register with a top reliable Pay by Phone casino.
In our experience, signing up with online casinos that offer the phone registration method is more convenient. If you opt for it, you must provide minimum information to the casino team.
You should also choose the exact currency you use on your mobile device for top-ups.
- Sign in to your newly created account.
- Open the ‘Deposit’ menu in the Cashier.
- Pick ‘Pay by Phone’ among the available banking options.
- Indicate the sum to transfer.
- Provide the deposit form with your cell number and other data. Tap ‘OK’ to confirm the operation.
At this stage, the team will send you an SMS with the confirmation link. It’ll hit your phone in no time.
- Proceed with the link to confirm the deposit transaction.
As soon as the payment is made, you’ll receive one more SMS informing you about your funds being transferred to your Pay by Phone casino.
Now, you can play your favorite slots and request bonus offers from the team. You can participate in tournaments and loyalty programs.
Pay by Phone for Deposit Bonuses
You might need to request a welcome bonus or a similar match promo from your mobile casino and pay with phone credit for it. Practice shows that using Pay by Phone for this purpose is possible but not on all gambling sites in South Africa. So, if you wish to make deposits to qualify for bonus offers, you should check if the option is supported on your chosen platform.
If your site allows you to claim promos and deposit with your phone bill, you should examine the bonus terms carefully. First of all, you need to know how much is enough to qualify for the promo. You need to top up at least the minimum deposit supported.
Our experiments with South African casinos have displayed that the minimum amounts accepted tend to be actually small. So, Pay by Phone – although its payment options are very limited – can easily cope with the task. Yet, if you wish to deposit a sum closer to the upper cap to earn a high-roller bonus to your bankroll, you might think about another payment solution.
Pay by Phone Withdrawals
Alas, Pay by Phone is all about deposits. The service cannot comply with the KYC policies of most gambling platforms. Moreover, the system’s capacities are insufficient for larger withdrawals. So, you cannot utilize Pay by Phone to withdraw cash prizes from your casino balance.
However, it’s not a problem for most users. In our practice with Pay by Phone casinos, users quickly find alternative solutions for withdrawals, although getting some fresh cash from the casino to their cell phone balance could be beneficial. The top popular withdrawal options in South Africa look like these:
- E-wallets like Skrill, Jeton, or ecoPayz.
- Debit and credit cards.
- Bank transfer.
These solutions offer different payout times. Thus, withdrawals via e-wallets can be instant. You only need to go through the pending process at the casino to receive the requested payout. Cashouts via bank cards and the bank transfer solution are the slowest. You might need to wait for up to 5 business days to get your wins. Commissions will also be involved in all transactions made via these methods.
Pros & Cons
Should you join a Pay by Phone bill casino in South Africa? Let’s list the key advantages and disadvantages of the banking solution to simplify your choice:
- A secure & reliable option.
- Works very quickly.
- No bank info required.
- The ability to pay the bill at the end of the month.
- Unavailable for withdrawals.
- Very limited deposit options.
- Commissions are too high in comparison with other solutions.
The solution is a rare choice among real game players in South Africa. Most users prefer other methods with more advantageous options for top-ups and cashouts.
Key Takeaways
Our team has explored plenty of Pay by Phone platforms and has come to the conclusion that the payment method is far from the optimal solution for South African gamblers. Users with no access to card transactions or e-wallets may only benefit from the service. Pay by Phone casinos will only suit players with truly small budgets.
