Have you ever wondered why people use mobile & SMS payments in the UK? If the answer is “yes”, you are at the right place. In this article, we’ll share information that should answer all the questions you may have regarding SMS billing and SMS deposits.
Rise of Mobile Payments in the UK
Paying for services with our mobile phones has become routine in recent years. A study shows that a quarter of the adult population uses a mobile phone as a payment method. So it’s not surprising at all that the SMS casino deposit became a trend as well.
In the rest of the text, we’ll make an overview of how the SMS payment method actually works, what kinds of services and products you can pay for by phone.
How Does SMS Payment Work?
Basically, payment by mobile phone can work in three different ways. Which of the three is utilised during the transaction is something that’s completely upon the store or brand from which you are making a certain purchase. Here’s the breakdown of three different ways through which you can pay by phone.
- Payment link – The link or redirection to the website is a text message in which you can find the link that redirects you to the payment website. Once you enter your information in the empty fields, you’ll receive another confirmation SMS.
- Smart payment link – This variation of pay by SMS is one that you’ll see in situations when you are making a purchase at a store or brand where you already have an account. In other words, if a place where you are making a transaction already has your information in the system, they may require you to simply reply to the SMS. This is something that every SMS online casino utilises because it’s a quick and efficient way of paying.
- Direct text – Paying for parking, making a donation, and voting on a talent show. These are just some of the examples where we pay by SMS. In other words, direct text is a short code that you have to send on a certain number in order to pay. This type of SMS payment doesn’t involve your credit card directly because you are being charged on your monthly mobile phone bill or mobile phone number (depends what type of service you have with your operator).
Where to Use Mobile Paying
In the rest of the article, you’ll find the best services and products that fully utilise phone credit as a payment method. As a cherry on top, we’ll discuss SMS casino sites and types of games that can be played once payment has been made via mobile device.
Online Gaming & Pay by SMS Casino
Old-fashioned payment methods such as credit cards and bank transfers are a thing of the past. SMS billing casinos are becoming increasingly popular in the UK, and righteously so. First of all, online casino SMS payment is quick, secure, and the deposit bonus that follows is quite hefty in the majority of cases.
Second, online casinos that accept SMS casino deposits must operate under the jurisdiction of the UK Gambling Commission. This means that you as a customer are completely protected by the UK laws and regulations related to the gambling industry. Do you want more knowledge? Check out citeulike.org for a guide on the pay by sms casinos as well as information related to safety features of sms payments.
The third selling point for this type of mobile casino pay is that it’s an ideal solution for players that don’t want to spend much money and want to limit themselves. In most cases, the maximum deposit that can be made via SMS is around £30.
Let’s discuss each of these facts in more detail:
- When we say “quick”, we really mean it. Best SMS casino sites on the market process these types of payments within 60 seconds! And you know what that means, you’ll be able to play your favourite online casino games faster than ever. The security that we mentioned is also on a high level.
- Mainly because there is no need to enter any information related to your bank account or credit card. Your monthly phone bill or the deduction from the prepaid card balance is how you are paying. Something that is worth mentioning is that not all online casinos offer SMS casino bonuses. Make sure that you double-check that before making a deposit.
- Every pay-by-SMS casino is operating under the watchful eye of the UKGC. This means that every interaction SMS online casinos (online casino deposit included) have with you must be performed under strict regulations and rules. In other words, you are fully protected in the case that someone tries to scam you or refuses to pay your winnings. Also, once you make a mobile casino SMS deposit, it means you can play all of the slots and live casino games in the portfolio of a given brand.
- Lastly, the limits that more or less any SMS deposit casino implies. In the majority of cases, the maximum deposit can’t be bigger than 30 pounds. This is perfect for low rollers that want to stay in control of their gaming habits.
Parking Lots
SMS casinos are just starting to grow on the market. However, there’s one service that has been using SMS billing for more than a decade. Of course, we are talking about parking spots and parking lots. We would have to think a lot about the last situation when we weren’t able to pay for parking by SMS.
The whole process is pretty simple. Park your car, look for a phone number on which you have to send an SMS (it can be found on a board at the entrance of the parking lot or on a pay booth), and send a message containing your licence plate number. You can pay on an hourly basis or for a whole day.
Other Areas
Below is a list of services and products (aside from the SMS pay casino and parking lots) that can be paid for or bought with a simple SMS.
- Shopping for groceries – The best thing about this type of grocery shopping is time-saving. You don’t have to wait in endless lines or waste time in heavy traffic. Simply get what you need online and have it delivered to your address. It’s as simple as that.
- Gaming – Casino pay by SMS is not the only type of gaming activity that can be paid this way. Microtransactions in mobile games and web stores of some very popular gaming companies are accepting this way of paying just like any other.
- General online shopping – Clothes, toys, tools, ornaments, sports equipment, and pretty much anything you can think of. All of it can be paid for by SMS. The only thing that you have to do is to find the right online store and you can complete your purchase within minutes. Some of the stores even offer a deposit bonus or discounts for this type of payment.
Best Mobile Payment Apps in the UK
Below is a list of the top 5 applications used for paying in the UK. Each application on the list can be installed on all modern mobile devices. However, some are meant to be used only with a specific operating system:
- Google Pay – By far the safest and the most secure application when it comes to mobile paying. Accepted by more or less any store or brand, Google pay is “the app” for all your mobile payment needs.
- Apple Pay – This is the Google pay equivalent for iOS devices. It has basically the same functions and it’s accepted on the websites of all major brands and stores.
- Skrill – When it comes to SMS billing casino and betting websites, look no further than Skrill. A brand that has existed for more than 20 years established itself as the main payment option for casino players all over the world. You can request a physical card for it as well so you can pay with it just like you would with your credit card. On top of that, plenty of bookies and online casinos offer a nice deposit bonus when Skrill is used.
- PayPal – Chances that you never heard of PayPal are slim, almost non-existent. These pioneers in the world of mobile phone paying were one of the first companies that offered this option to the world. It’s really hard to find an online store that doesn’t accept PayPal these days.
- Walmart Pay – One of the biggest store chains in the world has its own mobile phone application that can be used for paying. Of course, it can be used only in Walmart stores, but it will make paying for the goods a real breeze.