US Funding Summary
 

Arg, I wrote a long post in the "new" forums and now it's gone.

Anyway, I wanted to try to assemble a thread that summarizes current US funding options, primarily regarding Stars & Tilt.

Please add to or correct this.

--- Cashouts :

Checks : generally the cleanest way to cash out, no fees, 7-20 days.

Visa debit card : you can cash out to payTru or ePassporte and use a visa debit card to make purchases or withdraw from an ATM. There are large fees associated with this but some people may like the convenience.

Wire Transfers : reportedly very slow at the moment

--- Deposits :

ePassporte : it takes 7-20 days to set up a connection to your bank, but once it's set up transfers are very fast. The fee is 5% . If you get a debit card there's an additional $30 plus other fees.

payTru visa debit : this is the new option Stars is pushing. You can cash in instantly and transfer to stars. Loading is a 4% fee. WARNING : loading from your credit card may also cause a cash advance fee on your credit card depending on your card. If you keep any balance or use it for withdrawals there are lots of other fees; Stars recommends using them only for loading.

MoneyGram : fast option for stars once you go to a MoneyGram location in person. $9.95 flat fee up to $2500 makes this a low-cost option for big loads.

Visa Gift Cards : apparently the "Gift2Go" (aka "IDT") visa gift card available at Walgreens works for loading. The fee is $6 for a $250 card which is 2.4% ; WARNING : purchasing with your credit card may count as a cash advance.

Other VISA/debit cards : some ordinary visa check or debit cards will also work, it's up to the visa issuer whether they refuse or not. Calling your issuer may help. Apparently people have good luck with this using cards from small local banks. Cards tied to a checking account are available for a 0% fee which makes this the very best option if you have it.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

From what I heard on another forum its donks down for Visa gift cards, is this not so?

Re: US Funding Summary
 

For deposits why wouldn't you just send a cashier's check?

Lost Wages

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
For deposits why wouldn't you just send a cashier's check?


[/ QUOTE ]
The bank teller might look at you funny when you ask for one. They might even *gasp* ask what it is for!!!!

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
For deposits why wouldn't you just send a cashier's check?


[/ QUOTE ]
The bank teller might look at you funny when you ask for one. They might even *gasp* ask what it is for!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, and if they do in fact give you a cashiers check, please come back here and start a thread to let us know. K thanks.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

I've deposited with a cashier's check to stars, and it was quick and easy.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
I've deposited with a cashier's check to stars, and it was quick and easy.

[/ QUOTE ]

i know that this is a stupid question, but if your cashier's check gets lost in the mail, you don't get screwed out of the money, do you?

also, what fees are involved? and are you in the US?

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
--- Cashouts :

Checks : generally the cleanest way to cash out, no fees, 7-20 days.


[/ QUOTE ]

I got a check from a prima skin and cashed it. It cleared in a few days, then a MONTH after it cleared it bounced. I asked the bank manager and they said checks can be reversed at anytime. I always thought once it cleared it cleared, but I was wrong.

ACH as far as I know is the cleanest, meaning once the money is in your account it is yours. A check can bounce a month or more after the money shows up in your account.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

FYI the payTru fees :

We will charge you the fees and charges set forth on the Schedule of Fees and Charges attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. All fees and charges will be deducted automatically from the Card balance at the time the fee or charge is incurred.

Approved Declined
Monthly Service Charge $2.95 N/A
WITHDRAWAL/PURCHASE/BALANCE INQUIRY/TRANSFER
ATM Domestic/International Withdrawals $2.50 $1.00
POS Domestic/International Purchase $1.00 $1.00
POS Domestic/International Balance Inquiry $1.00 N/A
LOADING TRANSACTIONS
Green Dot Load(only available at Green Dot Network Retailers) 2.5% N/A
Credit Card Load to PAYtru card 4% + .50 N/A
IVR TRANSACTIONS
Payphone surcharge if call originates from payphone $.75 N/A
Balance Inquiry Charge $1.00 N/A
Transfer to live customer service $0.00 N/A
ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSACTIONS
Chargeback Fee $25.00 N/A
Representment Fee $15.00 N/A
Lost/Stolen Replacement Card $15.00 N/A

Re: US Funding Summary
 

FYI mail from Stars about depositing by check :


We accept bank drafts (official bank checks), cashier's cheques or
money orders in any amount from $100.00 USD to $5,000.00 USD. Please
do not send personal cheques or cash as we cannot accept them. If
you are sending a post office money order, please make sure that it is
negotiable outside of the US.

Registered mail or courier should be used for forwarding. Regular mail
should not be used as it cannot be tracked. Please attach a
note/letter including your full name and PokerStars User ID along with
the bank draft/cashier's cheque/money order.

Make your item payable to: (email them yourself for info)

Once you have sent your payment, please send us an email providing the
date of the payment, the exact amount, any tracking or reference
number and your User ID.

Upon receipt of your payment, you will be notified by email and the
funds will be deposited into your PokerStars account.

We can also offer you the New Visa Debit card or ePassporte as deposit
options that can be done online, or MoneyGram which works like Western
Union but they have a flat fee of $9.95 for any amount from $50 up to
S2500.

These options are much faster than a cashier check.

If you require further deposit assistance, please email us at
[email protected] including a phone number and the best time to reach you
at. Our Deposit Assistance department will call you as soon as possible.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I've deposited with a cashier's check to stars, and it was quick and easy.

[/ QUOTE ]

i know that this is a stupid question, but if your cashier's check gets lost in the mail, you don't get screwed out of the money, do you?

also, what fees are involved? and are you in the US?

[/ QUOTE ]

If it gets lost I believe you just order a stop payment of something of that nature. Call the bank.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

If the cashiers check gets lost you will NOT lose all of your money lol. You call the number on the back or your cashiers check receipt and they will take care of the situation. No big deal.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
--- Cashouts :

Checks : generally the cleanest way to cash out, no fees, 7-20 days.


[/ QUOTE ]

I got a check from a prima skin and cashed it. It cleared in a few days, then a MONTH after it cleared it bounced. I asked the bank manager and they said checks can be reversed at anytime. I always thought once it cleared it cleared, but I was wrong.

ACH as far as I know is the cleanest, meaning once the money is in your account it is yours. A check can bounce a month or more after the money shows up in your account.

[/ QUOTE ]

if you got the money a few days after cashing you check, it probably wasn't cleared yet. Instead the bank paid you the money in advance, expecting the check to clear.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
MoneyGram : fast option for stars once you go to a MoneyGram location in person. $9.95 flat fee up to $2500 makes this a low-cost option for big loads.

[/ QUOTE ]
There's is a $2,500 maximum for each MoneyGram transfer. FYI, though, if you make a transfer greater than $2k you are required to fill out a form including your name, address, phone number, SS#, and driver's license #. They don't send the details directly to any government agency but it is kept on file at the MoneyGram location pretty much forever. Paranoid individuals may want to structure their MoneyGram transfers accordingly.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

What is the best way to fund a Bodog account, w/o any type of epassporte account or similar ewallet account?

Re: US Funding Summary
 

i'm think im gonna be opening a Well Fargo account so i can avoid all this paythru/epassporte hassle when depsoiting

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
i'm think im gonna be opening a Well Fargo account so i can avoid all this paythru/epassporte hassle when depsoiting

[/ QUOTE ]

Supposedly Whitney bank is good too.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
i'm think im gonna be opening a Well Fargo account so i can avoid all this paythru/epassporte hassle when depsoiting

[/ QUOTE ]

Supposedly Whitney bank is good too.

[/ QUOTE ]

never heard of that one..whenever Stars mails me checks here in CA they are always Well Fargo checks...so maybe thats why WF doesn't have a problem with u using yr debit/check card to gamble with

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
Other VISA/debit cards : some ordinary visa check or debit cards will also work, it's up to the visa issuer whether they refuse or not. Calling your issuer may help. Apparently people have good luck with this using cards from small local banks. Cards tied to a checking account are available for a 0% fee which makes this the very best option if you have it.

[/ QUOTE ]

FYI, I have a Visa debit card associated with my Fidelity brokerage account, which basically functions like a checking account. That card does NOT work at Stars or (if I recall) FTP.

About a month ago, I tried calling Fidelity to see if I could get deposits to Stars activated, or if not, have them confirm they are blocking the transaction. (I have a fairly substantial investment portfolio with Fidelity, and I wanted to them to explain to me why they block certain purchases using my own money.) After spending a couple of hours on the phone talking to multiple people, they absolutely insisted neither they nor the institution(s) they use for ACH block deposits to PokerStars, and that the deposits should go through. Fidelity claimed the problem was with the vendor (PokerStars).

PokerStars, meanwhile, insists that the problem is that the bank is in fact blocking the transaction, which is what I believe to be true. So the bottom line is that my Visa card through Fidelity blocks the deposits, but they won't admit it. [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

Re: US Funding Summary
 

Has anyone used moneygram.com eMoney Transfer Same Day Service using a credit card? Specifically have you tried it online vs. going to a moneygram location. I'm stuck with a giftcards.com virtual gift card that doesn't work at PS and I am thinking of trying to use it online at moneygram.com. It looks like a $200 deposit has $14 in fees.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
Cards tied to a checking account are available for a 0% fee which makes this the very best option if you have it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not necessarily. Whenever I try to load any online gambling account with my MasterCard debit card linked to Fifth Third Bank, it goes through, but I get hit with a 3% "International Transaction Fee" by Fifth Third. Maybe I should look into opening an account at a smaller bank.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
What is the best way to fund a Bodog account, w/o any type of epassporte account or similar ewallet account?

[/ QUOTE ]

none, since none of bodogs withdrawl methods are at all reliable.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]

PokerStars, meanwhile, insists that the problem is that the bank is in fact blocking the transaction, which is what I believe to be true. So the bottom line is that my Visa card through Fidelity blocks the deposits, but they won't admit it. [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, this is very common. I would say the vast majority of VISA issuers do this.

Re: US Funding Summary
 

giftcards.com denied my transaction request to moneygram.com. What a bunch of clowns. They also deny transfer to epassporte. I haven't tried using it at gifttogo.com. Any suggestions from folks on where/how I can get $200 from giftcards.com into a 3rd party and then into PS?
Thanks
(I read regularly and find the majority of my answers from previous posts - thus why I'm "new" to posting).

Re: US Funding Summary
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What is the best way to fund a Bodog account, w/o any type of epassporte account or similar ewallet account?

[/ QUOTE ]

none, since none of bodogs withdrawl methods are at all reliable.

[/ QUOTE ]

ORLY? That is why I have got 5 figures of cash out of Bodog in the last month with no problem.