The first online banking service was launched in the mid-1990s by an American credit union. Since then, the number of internet payment methods has exploded, especially with the proliferation of smartphones. Today, there are countless means of paying online, from electronic wallets to virtual debit cards and cryptocurrencies. Among them, there are a few that use prepaid vouchers for money transfers, like Neosurf and Paysafecard. And they might be among the safest and fastest of them all. Here’s why.
What are prepaid online payment systems?
Most people use their credit or debit cards to pay online for products and services. This comes with a series of advantages ranging from accessibility and ease of use to generally cheaper rates, often zero for the person making the payment. But there is also a certain risk involved, ranging from the banking information of the payer ending up in the hands of third parties (because of breaches and similar unexpected events) and the payer simply missing the warning about recurring payments and ending up paying monthly, sometimes even without knowing.
Prepaid payment systems prevent all that. For one, when using money transfer methods like Paysafecard or Neosurf you don’t have to share banking details with the merchant – all you share is a code. Then, you will completely avoid recurring payments if you don’t top up your account with more money than you truly intend to spend.
What you do is simply purchase a PIN code for a fixed amount, spend it, and forget about it with no worries about your card details ending up on an obscure darknet forum.
Where can you use Paysafecard and Neosurf?
Any merchant or online service provider can decide to accept voucher-based money transfers – and quite a few of them do. You can, for example, top up your Steam account using Paysafecard instantly, and there are countless online casinos that accept Neosurf as a deposit method listed at Australiaonlinecasinosites.com.
These payment methods are also widely available in online games for in-app purchases. Neosurf is taken by games like League of Legends, Goodgame Empire, or Legends of Runeterra, while Paysafecard can be used in Guild Wars, Second Life, and countless others.
The vouchers and PINs can be purchased in a variety of countries. Neosurf has a more limited reach in real life – it is only available in certain European countries like France (of course), Poland, and the UK. Paysafecard is more widely available.
Both services are also available online, though, to residents of many other countries.
Using Paysafe and Neosurf is simple
The most appealing thing about these voucher-based payment methods is that they are very simple to buy and use.
Both Paysafecard and Neosurf can be purchased in a wide variety of places – online, of course, but also in many other locations, from gas stations to grocery stores, in the countries where they are available.
People simply make a deposit and they get a PIN number or a voucher in exchange. Then they submit the PIN on the merchant’s website, and the payment is made instantly, without any further fuss or questions.
Where do you purchase these prepaid services, you might ask? Well, both Paysafecard and Neosurf have countless points of sale in many countries, mainly in Europe, South America, North America, and Asia. Depending on which service you choose, you may stumble upon POS terminals that will generate PIN numbers for you instantly or prepaid vouchers that are sold for pre-set amounts that you can buy, scratch off as you’d do with a scratch card, and use.
Both Paysafecard and Neosurf are also available online. You can simply register an account on their website, top it up using your payment method of choice, grab a PIN number, and use it to pay without fuss, and with peace of mind, at a variety of merchants online.
Payments focused on privacy
Both Neosurf and Paysafecard use advanced security measures to protect users’ personal and financial information. They also have a strict policy of not storing any personal or financial information on their servers, further increasing the safety of the payment process. Additionally, Neosurf and Paysafecard offer a convenient and secure way to make online payments, making them a popular choice among users.
What’s best about them is that, unlike in the case of online card payments, you don’t have to share any banking information with the merchants. All you share is the PIN number or the voucher code representing the amount you want to spend. The payment is processed instantly in most cases, with no further questions asked.
What’s the downside of using Paysafecard and Neosurf?
While they are safe and convenient, both Paysafecard and Neosurf have their own shortcomings, like all other payment methods available online.
For one, the number of merchants that accept these methods is pretty large but still very limited compared to the number of those who accept traditional payment methods like VISA or Mastercard, or certain electronic wallets for that matter.
Then, there’s the question of currency – not every currency can be used to purchase vouchers online or in real life. Major currencies like US dollars and euros, for example, are covered, but there may be an issue topping up your account with others. Or, in some cases, it may cost you extra for your bank to convert into a currency accepted by Paysafecard or Neosurf.
Finally, there’s an important shortcoming: compared to traditional online payment methods, such as debit cards, the possibilities of the users for dispute resolution can be limited.
Final words
Prepaid online payment methods like Neosurf and Paysafecard are easy, accessible, convenient, and safe. You can use them to pay online quickly and easily, with a variety of merchants. But they are not the right choice for each of your online payment needs. They are perfect if you want to top up your Steam account or want to make a quick deposit to an online casino but they have limitations that can make them inadequate in some cases.
