Over the last few years, the number of casinos that now accept Union Pay has grown rapidly. While online gambling is illegal in China, that hasn’t stopped offshore and international casinos from accepting the payment method. Available globally, Union Pay International (CUP) could be the ideal option for you; all you need to do is find a reputable internet casino that accepts the payment provider.
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Union Pay first debuted in 2002. It is China’s state-backed credit (and debit) card company. It is used regularly in China for offline transactions but also has a substantial online presence, where it can be used outside of its homeland. The addition of QR codes in 2017 saw Union Pay expand to the mobile sphere.
The payment method is linked to over 165 participating banks. It links to your bank account, using either a QR code and mobile (OTP) confirmation or your bank card’s details and CVV to confirm transactions. While it is unlikely that Westerners have a Chinese bank, Union Pay can be linked to an ApplePay account. Moreover, Chinese expats are an easy target for Union Pay, enabling them to gamble online without being in their homeland.
It is worth noting that physical Union Pay cards still require you to enter your card details into a casino’s cashier page. That is considerably less secure than many of the e-wallet, cryptocurrency, and prepaid options out there. Despite being an “outdated” form of payment at casinos, many millions of people still use Union Pay to do just that, instead relying on the casino’s security and encryption tools to keep their bank details safe.
How does one acquire a Union Pay card, and how easy is the payment method to use to deposit at casinos, though? Join us as we explain everything you need to know below.
You must have a Union Pay card to use the payment method at casinos. Here is what you need to get one:
Receive your UnionPay card
You must receive a Union Pay card from a participating bank or apply for one via Union Pay’s website. Either way, you’ll still need a bank account affiliated with Union Pay or Apple Pay.
Download the UnionPay app
Download the app (if you want to access QR code and mobile payments) and link it to your bank.
Make a casino deposit
Head over to your chosen casino, and deposit with Union Pay to begin playing.
Naturally, you’ll need to ensure that your chosen casino accepts Union Pay. Fortunately, most of the major casinos do. After finding one, you can choose to deposit in one of two different ways. We’ll explain those to you below and look at the other key things you need to know about using Union Pay at online casinos.
When you make card-based deposits (such as with Union Pay), the minimum and maximum deposit and withdrawal limits can vary wildly from casino to casino. Therefore, we strongly urge you to check these before you decide to commit to any Union Pay casino site.
Union Pay is most frequently used in its heartland of China. However, the payment method can be used internationally, with ApplePay, or if you happen to have a Chinese bank account. Union Pay is also in partnership with Discover, RuPay, JCB and BC Card. Many offshore and international casinos accept Union Pay as a payment option. The payment method can be used in English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.
The payment method can process payments in several currencies. It is not uncommon to see Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and US dollar payments processed. Swiss francs, euros, British pound sterling, Hong Kong and Singaporean dollars, Japanese yen, and Korean won currencies are accepted, too. Naturally, the most used currency is the Chinese yuan.
Some online casinos may choose to provide you with a special bonus when you deposit with Union Pay. However, most tend to offer conventional welcome bonuses and deposit deals, whichever payment method you use.
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As a bank card option, Union Pay deposits are usually valid for any deposit-based bonus a casino offers. The same isn’t necessarily true for most e-wallet options. Again, it is worth browsing around to see if you can get a dedicated bank transfer/card-based deposit bonus with Union Pay or one of its partners, but don’t hold your breath. Your best shot of finding such bonuses is to head to our recommended Union Pay casino list to select one of those top sites to play at.
Why might you choose to deposit and withdraw with Union Pay over a more convenient payment option? Allow us to walk you through Union Pay’s pros and cons below:
Naturally, if you are based in China and are looking for an ideal payment method to gamble at online casinos, then Union Pay fits the bill. Moreover, if online casinos (and this is rare) don’t accept VISA or MasterCard, they will almost certainly accept Union Pay, or one of its partners, such as Discover or JCB. The fact that Union Pay doesn’t charge you fees is helpful, too, although, as mentioned, some casinos will pass those charges on to you.
The payment method is widely accepted at almost all international online casinos that cater to Asians, and its QR and OTP-based mobile app are handy for many players, especially those who want to use ApplePay to link to their Union Pay card.
Not everything is rosy, though. Union Pay is still predominantly a card-based deposit option, and therefore, susceptible to the same risks as conventional VISA and MasterCard transactions. Moreover, Union Pay, doesn’t quite have the same level of customer protection (if something goes wrong) that VISA and MasterCard do. There are both pros and cons to consider here.
Pros
Cons