Wirecard was formed in Aschheim, Bavaria on the eastern fringes of Munich on May 6, 1999 with the expressed mission to facilitate Internet payments. In its early years the company operated in the consumer market as Click2Pay which was an eWallet service that permitted an account to be linked to a bank account and then tapped without divulging bank information to vendors, such as online casino operators.
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In 2006 the company introduced its Wirecard online payment service that acts as a virtual MasterCard. It works this way: once an account is opened with the German-based Wirecard Bank it is funded in myriad ways such as credit cards or wire transfers. With the account comes a prepaid virtual MasterCard that is simply an account number and a CVV. The card can be used online at any vendor – casinos included – that accepts MasterCard. No physical card is issued unless a customer specifically requests one. That card can then be used like any other bank-issued MasterCard, including to withdraw cash from automatic teller machines.
The switchover from eWallet to virtual credit card left collateral damage in its wake in the online evasion market. The biggest side effect was that United States players can no longer fund online casino bankrolls through Wirecard. Other countries have been impacted as well so players outside of Europe will need to scour national blackouts when attempting to use a Wirecard MasterCard at an online casino – or just plug in the numbers and see what happens.
In Europe, and especially at online casinos that support German as a language, Wirecard is a painless way to both fund a gambling bankroll and cash out at the virtual cashier’s cage. Begin by registering for a Wirecard account and obtaining a virtual MasterCard. Fund the account and begin hunting for a casino to play. Enter the card number and corresponding CVV and use the card to transfer money into the casino account which appears instantly. There are no fees on the casino end but you could incur a fee for funding the Wirecard account with a credit card.
Wirecards can also be used for withdrawals. The casino will deposit money directly into the Wirecard account and the money can be retrieved there with a bank transfer, a Wirecard debit card or a paper check. Wirecard is one way to go if you want to limit dissemination of personal information and play at online casinos anonymously.