Betting using 900Pay

Despite great improvements in online security, from anti-virus software to encrypted browsing, many users of the Internet are still distrustful of conducting financial transactions with gaming web sites. They believe their credit card or banking information is somehow more susceptible to fraudulent use than it is offline.

The bottom line, however, is that information shared with reputable sites online is as at least as safe as it is when used in restaurants or retail stores. Bookmakers and casino operators take great pains to safeguard customer data and use secure servers to protect all financial data. They could not remain in business otherwise.

Nevertheless, for players who refuse to reveal sensitive information electronically or even via the telephone, there are other options for funding gaming accounts, which may actually be less safe than revealing credit card details. One of these is 900Pay. It is essentially a method of transferring funds by having the amount charged to one’s phone bill through a trusted carrier.

As a patented online service, 900Pay is a fully automated online telephone billing transaction system. The service advertises itself as completely private and anonymous. Going into 2012, just 57 gaming web sites worldwide were accepting 900Pay as deposit option, including several dozen bingo rooms, a spattering of poker sites and a handful of lesser known virtual casinos, but no major sportsbooks.

To make a funds transfer online, the customer simply clicks on the 900Pay button in the cashier section of an affiliated gaming web site and follows the instructions that are presented for dialing the 900Pay service from a telephone. No pre-registration is required, nor is the use of a credit card.

Once the special “900” number has been dialed, the deposit amount can be entered through the telephone keypad. Pressing the number “6” will confirm the charges. Music plays while the transaction is going through the approval process, and then a chime sounds to confirm the conclusion of the call.

Thereafter, the customer can go back online to see the funds have been transferred to the gaming account. A receipt of deposit will be sent out separately via email. The transaction later shows up on the customer’s phone bill under the name “Navaho Networks,” which also operates eWalletXpress.

Before using 900Pay, potential customers are well advised to read up on the many complaints made against the service. These range from unrecognised charges and unexpected fees to a lack of response from customer service. Navaho Networks contends that such complaints are fraudulent, but the lack of major gaming sites among the merchants that accept the service may be indicative of a lack of trust for 900Psay within the industry. Caveat emptor—buyer beware