Credit cards are basically the go-to way people handle money in South Africa’s online gambling scene. Gamers can drop cash into their accounts right away and keep playing without any hiccups.
VISA and MasterCard basically run the show when it comes to paying for online gambling. They’ve got solid security and use 256-bit encryption, so your info stays safe. Deposits show up right away, but withdrawals can take anywhere from one to five business days. For South African players, credit cards are still the fastest way to move money around.
We put together a chill guide on the top gambling sites in South Africa that take credit cards. We checked out how much you can deposit, how fast the money moves, how safe the site is, and what kind of bonuses they throw at you. Use this info to pick the spot that feels right for you.
Top Credit Card Betting & Casino Sites in South Africa
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Operator
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Bonus
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Features
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Claim Now
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100% Match
Up to R3000 |
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200% Match
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100% WELCOME BONUS
UP TO 100 EUR |
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R25 Sign Up Bonus
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100% BONUS
UP TO 100$ |
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500% Match
Up to $2800 |
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100% Match
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100% Match
Up to R1000 |
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Understanding Credit Card Gambling in South Africa
South Africa has a bunch of rules about online gambling, especially when it comes to using credit cards, even though most people still pay with them. Let’s check out how gamers in South Africa use sites that take cards, but first you’ll want to know the gaming laws that decide how people can even get on these sites.
Current legal status of online gambling in SA
South Africa is pretty strict about online gambling, and it all comes down to the National Gambling Act from 2004. Section 11 basically says, “You can’t play or offer any online games unless the Act or another national law says it’s okay.” That rule makes it super clear what’s legal and what’s not when it comes to gambling online.
The law allows only certain types of online gambling:
- Online sports betting is totally legal when you use bookmakers that have the right licenses from the provincial gambling board.
- Betting on horse races online is basically the same as betting on any other sport.
- Online casino games are still against the law, even if the company running them is based somewhere else.
So back in 2008, the National Gambling Amendment Act got passed and it could’ve totally changed the rules for online gambling. But the President never picked a start date, so casino-style online gambling is still off-limits.
South Africa’s gambling scene is still blowing up. From April 2023 to March 2024, people in South Africa dropped about R1.1 trillion on bets and games. That’s a crazy 40% jump compared to the year before. On top of that, the total money the industry made climbed 25.7%, landing at R59.3 billion.
Sports betting totally flipped the gambling scene. Back in 2009/10 it was tiny, less than 10% of the whole market, but by 2022/23 it had blown up to over half. In 2023, betting and racing pulled in R32.5 billion while casinos only made R17.4 billion, so that’s roughly 60% of the market right there.
Why credit cards remain popular for online betting
Credit cards lead the way for South African online bettors, and with good reason too:
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So, credit cards are everywhere in South Africa—they make up 41% of how people pay for stuff. Out of all the credit card payments, Visa covers almost half at 48.6%. And if you’re into online betting, the legit sites accept both Visa and Mastercard.
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Credit cards are basically the fast lane for money. When you use one, the cash moves instantly, so you don’t have to wait around like you do with some other ways to pay. One of the big card companies even says the coolest part is that “every operator takes them, and the deposit hits your account right away.”
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Enhanced security features South African banks use strong online payment systems:
- 3D security needs a one-time password (OTP)
- Banks text you a one-time password so you can prove it’s really you.
- This two-step check just makes it way tougher for anyone to steal your stuff.
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Zero-fee transactions Most gambling sites don't charge extra for credit card deposits. Players get "no commissions during payments".
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Familiarity and trust Big credit card companies have people’s trust. They give online bettors a method that’s already been used a ton and is known to work.
Common challenges South African players face
South African players run into several big issues when using credit cards:
Banking Restrictions and Regulatory Hurdles
South Africa’s money rules make it a pain to pay foreign companies. A lot of banks just freeze any payment headed overseas. If the South African Reserve Bank thinks the cash is for gambling, they can shut the whole thing down.
Some banks just say no to gambling on sites based outside the country. Nedbank spells it out: “You can’t use your credit, debit, or virtual cards for online lotteries, gambling, or sports betting with any provider that’s not in South Africa.” If you break the rule, they can take your winnings and hand them over to the Gambling Board of South Africa.
Fund Seizures and Confiscations
Even when everything goes right, you’re still not totally safe. Banks can swoop in, take the money that’s headed your way, and hand it over to the NGB. So players never really know if they’ll actually see their winnings.
Legal Gray Areas and Inconsistent Enforcement
Every province basically makes its own rules for gambling. The local licensing boards decide what their bookmakers can actually offer. For example, the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board and the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator both say yes to casino games, but some other provinces just don’t allow them.
Problem Gambling and Social Concerns
So, online betting is making gambling issues way more common. The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation says the number of people asking for help shot up like crazy, going from 375 problem gamblers in 2020-2021 to 2,997 in 2023-2024.
People between 18 and 34 are the ones who gamble online the most, mostly because they’re super comfortable with tech. That’s kind of worrying, since almost half of South Africans aged 15 to 34 are unemployed.
Experts warn that online gambling "risks becoming South Africa's next great social ill". Online platforms removed old barriers:
- Kids can sneak bets on their parents’ phones without anyone noticing.
- You can place bets any time, day or night, because it never shuts down.
- Banking apps link right up to betting
- Games make gambling seem like just another fun, no-big-deal thing
Even with all these issues, online betting is still blowing up in South Africa. If you stick to the legit sites and know the basic security stuff, using a credit card can actually be pretty safe. That’s the whole point of checking out the best credit card gambling sites in South Africa.
Top 5 Secure Gambling Sites Accepting Credit Cards
If you want to find safe online gambling sites that take credit cards, you have to check their encryption, licenses, and how they deal with payments. After the biggest long-term study, these five sites came out on top for South African players who want security and convenience.
CasinoDays: Leading the pack with 256-bit encryption
CasinoDays is the go-to for South African players who care about staying safe online. It locks everything down with 256-bit SSL encryption, the same tough stuff the military uses. That means your info gets the same shield the big banks give their customers, keeping hackers out of the picture.
CasinoDays doesn’t just stop at basic encryption. It’s got a legit license from the Curaçao Gaming Control Board and gets checked by outside auditors on the regular to make sure the games and the money stuff are on the up and up. On top of that, there are extra layers in place to block anyone who shouldn’t be poking around and to keep payments from getting messed with.
When you pay with a credit card, the money pops into your gaming account instantly. That means you can jump right into a game without waiting around, and everything still stays super safe. CasinoDays is cool because it has a bunch of security layers that spot shady stuff without stopping your real payments.
Betway: Zero-fee transactions and welcome bonus
Betway is a solid pick if you like using your credit card because it won’t hit you with any extra fees. Most sites make you pay for depositing with a card, but Betway covers those costs itself. So you end up with more cash to actually play with and you won’t get surprised by sneaky charges.
Betway has license 10181496-010 from the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, so South African players can legally use the site. Because of this license, the company has to stick to tight rules when it deals with credit card payments.
If you’re new and sign up with a credit card, Betway gives you a cool welcome bonus: whatever you first put in, they’ll match it 100% up to R1000 as a Free Bet. That basically doubles your starting cash, so credit card users get some solid extra value. And when you want to cash out, Betway’s pretty quick—most withdrawals hit your bank in one to two business days.
The platform makes credit card payments easy through:
- Direct links to the big South African banks: FNB, ABSA, Standard Bank, and Nedbank
- We accept Visa and Mastercard the same way
- Quick balance updates using the platform's "Cash" refresh feature
HollywoodBets: Tailored experience for SA players
HollywoodBets is officially licensed by five local gambling boards: the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, the KwaZulu-Natal Gambling Board, the Gauteng Gambling Board, the Limpopo Gambling Board, and the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator. Because it follows all the rules, people call it the safest betting site in South Africa.
When you pay with a credit card on HollywoodBets, the site uses the same kind of high-level encryption that South African banks use. It’s got solid SSL certification, so the link between your browser and the payment servers stays locked down. Your card details are scrambled both while they’re being sent and when they’re stored, so nobody can swipe or misuse them.
HollywoodBets handles all payments in South African Rand, so you don’t have to worry about weird currency conversions like on some international sites. They also let you use local payment options along with regular credit cards, which makes everything feel pretty normal for South African players.
The site's security features include:
- Regular RNG checks to keep the games fair
- SSL encryption keeps your personal and money info safe
- You can hit up local support by phone or just drop them a message on WhatsApp.
Yeti Casino: Strong verification protocols
Yeti Casino really cares about keeping your money safe, so they’ve got this super thorough check-up thing going on with HooYu, which is basically a fancy ID checker. Before you can play, you have to snap a selfie, upload a photo of your driver’s license or passport, and show something that proves where you live. It’s kind of a hassle, but it locks your account down tight.
Yeti Casino is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission, which are two of the toughest gambling regulators out there. They make sure the casino keeps player money safe, protects personal info, and promotes responsible gambling.
When you use a credit card to put money into your Yeti Casino account, it usually shows up in just a few minutes, so you can jump into the games almost right away. Cash-outs usually land in your account within 24 hours on weekdays, which is basically the fastest you’ll find anywhere right now. The platform stores all the money info on super-secure servers in Malta, and only the top bosses can get in.
The thorough verification steps protect against identity theft:
- Recent utility bill to prove your address
- Extra checks for big transactions
10Bet: Competitive odds and instant deposits
10Bet lets South African players who use credit cards drop in anything from R10 all the way up to R1,000,000. That huge spread means both casual gamers and high rollers can stick with the same card instead of hunting for another way to pay when they want to go big.
When you use a credit card to add money, the cash hits your account instantly and you can start betting right away. It works the same whether you’re using Visa or Mastercard. 10Bet doesn’t tack on any extra fees, so every dollar you put in is yours to bet with.
10Bet keeps your credit-card deposits safe with “Verified by VISA” and “Mastercard Secure Code.” You just punch in a one-time password or PIN, so no one else can sneak in and use your card. Depositing is still super quick—just follow these steps:
- Click the little VISA and MasterCard logo.
- Finish the bank verification if they ask you to.
The site locks everything down with encryption and sticks to the big global privacy rules. 10Bet also saves every payment you make in a log you can check anytime, so you always know where your money’s going and can keep your betting in check.
These sites cover the big security stuff that South African credit-card users care about, and each one has its own perks for different kinds of players. They lock down your data with solid encryption, stick to the rules, and pay out fast, which basically raises the bar for safe online gambling in South Africa.
Essential Security Features for Credit Card Gambling
Security is basically the number one thing on everyone’s mind because cyberattacks keep going after online gambling payments. Sites that let you pay with a credit card have their own set of headaches. They’re moving around super private money info and personal details through the internet. So the site’s setup has to stack up a bunch of defenses so no one can sneak in and steal the data.
Encryption standards to look for (SSL certificates)
Strong encryption is basically what keeps credit card gambling safe. It locks down your money info so hackers can’t mess with it. The main thing doing the work is something called SSL certificates. They build a private tunnel between your phone or laptop and the gambling site’s servers. That certificate also shows the site is legit and scrambles everything while it’s on the move.
SSL encryption basically uses something called public key infrastructure. It’s a fancy setup that locks up your info with a public key, and only the matching private key can unlock it. So even if someone grabs your data while it’s on the move, they still can’t read it.
You gotta keep an eye out for certain visual clues to make sure the South African online casino you’re using for credit-card deposits is actually safe. Real-deal gambling sites will show:
- You can spot a little padlock right in the browser’s address bar.
- URLs that start with "https" instead of just "http" have that extra "s" which stands for "secure."
- You can check if a site’s SSL certificate is legit by clicking the little padlock icon in the address bar.
Different apps give you different levels of encryption. Right now, the best one out there is 256-bit encryption, the same kind the big banks use everywhere. It’s basically military-level security that has 2 to the power of 256 possible combos. That number is so huge that even the fastest supercomputers would need billions of years to guess the right one by just trying every option.
Real gambling sites keep their SSL certificates fresh so hackers can’t sneak in. Before you put any money down, just click the little lock icon in your browser and peek at the expiration date. If the certificate’s already expired, that’s a red flag—it could mean the site is sloppy with security or, worse, trying to swipe your card info.
FICA compliance requirements
South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Center Act, or FICA, lays down some pretty tight rules to stop money laundering in gambling. The Financial Intelligence Center basically thinks gambling spots could be easy targets for shady cash moves. So, any legit online betting site in South Africa has to stick to FICA’s rules without cutting corners.
Before anyone can deposit cash or cash out their winnings, the site has to make sure you’re really you. That means the gambling company has to grab and double-check a few things:
- Just bring any legit ID like your green barcoded book, smart card, driver’s license, or passport.
- Recent bank statements (they just need to be from the last three months before you register)
- Clear, full-color copies that show every corner of the document
So basically, FICA says that if you run any kind of gambling business, you have to sign up with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). On top of that, you need to build some solid anti-money-laundering (AML) rules. Part of that is bringing in compliance officers whose job is to train the crew and keep an eye out for anything shady.
So FICA also says that gambling sites have to keep an eye out for anything shady. If they spot weird transaction patterns, they’ve got to send in a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) within 15 days. And if anyone moves more than R49,999.99 in cash, they have to file a Cash Threshold Report (CTR) too.
If you break these rules, you’re in big trouble. Operators can get hit with fines as high as R100 million or even land in prison for up to 15 years. Those harsh punishments make it clear that South African officials really don’t mess around when it comes to money crimes in gambling.
Verification processes that protect your funds
The best South African gambling sites that let you pay with a credit card don’t just stop at basic encryption and following the rules. They add extra layers of checks to keep your money safe. These checks work like bouncers at a club, making sure only the right person gets into the account and blocking any shady money moves or scams.
Verification kicks off right when you sign up and keeps going the whole time you’re a customer. Solid platforms keep an eye out for weird stuff that doesn’t match how people usually act. By checking things nonstop, they can spot possible account break-ins early.
Checking where the money comes from (they call it Source of Funds or SoF) is how the top betting sites keep credit-card users safe. Basically, the site keeps an eye on how much you’re spending and flags anything that looks off. They’ll look for stuff like weird deposits, bets that suddenly jump way up, or someone losing a ton without putting in matching cash—anything that screams “something’s not right.”
Multi-factor authentication, or MFA, is basically a must-have for any gambling site that wants to stay safe. The new PCI DSS V4 rules say you have to use MFA if you’re touching any cardholder data. The top sites are now mixing stuff like fingerprints or face scans with the usual passwords and codes to lock things down even tighter.
These days, facial recognition tech is the new bouncer at real money casinos that take credit cards. The smart sites run AI that lines up your face with the photo on your government ID so nobody can swipe your identity. If anything looks off, the site just pings you for a fresh selfie to make sure the actual account holder is still in charge.
The safest betting sites also take a close look at every withdrawal. They double-check all the details before they send out any cash, making sure only the actual account owner gets paid. This last safety move keeps crooks from walking away with money even if they slip past the other defenses.
These security features team up to keep things safe, so South African players can chill and use fast payout gambling sites with their SA credit cards without stressing about security. If you stick to platforms that have these key protections, you’re way less likely to get hit by the tricky cyber threats that go after online gambling.
Maximizing Bonuses When Depositing with Credit Cards
Smart players know how to get more play time by grabbing bonuses with their credit cards on sites that take them. The bonus setup is way more important than picking the coolest game or the slickest website if you want the best bang for your buck.
Welcome bonuses specifically for credit card users
The best South African gambling sites that take credit cards hook up card users with way better welcome deals. When you drop your first deposit, they’ll match a chunk of it—sometimes even 200% or more—and toss in free spins on the popular slots. A bunch of the top sites give you a straight-up 100% match up to ZAR 18,000.54 plus those extra spins, so you start off with a way fatter bankroll.
Credit card welcome bonuses are cool because you can use them right away. Other ways like e-wallets or crypto make you jump through extra hoops, but when you pay with a credit card the bonus shows up instantly since the big card companies already have your back.
The GBank Visa Signature is basically a card made for gambling. It lets you put money on betting sites without getting hit with cash advance fees. Most normal cards charge like 3-5% for that, but this one skips it, so you can grab welcome bonuses without the extra cost eating into them.
First-time depositors should look at these key welcome package features:
- Match percentage: anything between 100 and 200 percent is totally normal.
- The biggest bonus you can get (the higher the limit, the better it is for people who deposit a lot)
- How many free spins you get and which games you can use them on
- You can grab it all in one go or take it bit by bit
Here’s the chill version for class: Just so you know, welcome bonuses come with a catch—if you use a credit card to gamble, you usually won’t rack up the normal points or cash back. One expert summed it up like this: “Most credit card companies just aren’t cool with online gambling, so they block the rewards.” That’s why the casino’s own bonus is actually a pretty sweet deal—it kind of makes up for the rewards you’re missing.
Loyalty programs and cashback options
The best betting sites for people who pay with credit cards don’t just hook you up with a welcome bonus. They also run loyalty programs that keep giving you stuff if you stick around. Basically, every time you place a bet, you rack up points that turn into credits you can actually use.
Sun MVG is basically a full-on loyalty program. You rack up points on slots and table games, but each game gives points at its own speed. There are two kinds of points: Casino Points you get just for playing, and Leisure Points you can swap for merch or cool experiences. It’s up to you how you want to spend them.
South African credit card gamblers are super into cashback deals because they actually get some of their lost money back. These deals pay back 5 to 25 percent of net losses over set time frames. Players dig how easy it is: the cash just lands back in their account as playable money, so they can try their luck again.
VIP programs are basically the top-tier version of credit card rewards. Instead of the usual loyalty clubs that anyone can sign up for, these VIP ones are invite-only and aimed at the people who swipe their cards the most. If you get in, the perks are way better:
- Actual prizes like merch and tickets to events
- Birthday perks and special deals just for you
The main idea behind every loyalty program is pretty straightforward: the more you spend, the more you earn back. If you’re someone who regularly adds money with a credit card, you’ll see that the more you play, the more rewards you rack up.
Wagering requirements explained
Before you grab any bonus at a real money casino that takes credit cards, you’ve gotta know about wagering requirements. Basically, these rules say how much you have to bet before you can cash out any money you win from the bonus. They can look kind of tricky at first, but once you get how they work, you’ll be able to choose and use bonuses way smarter.
Wagering requirements are just numbers like 30x or 40x, and they tell you how many times you have to bet the bonus before you can take any money out. So if you get a bonus of ZAR 1,800.05 and the requirement is 30x, you’d have to place bets adding up to ZAR 54,001.63 before you can cash out.
Casinos set up wagering requirements so people can’t just grab a bonus and run. If those rules weren’t there, players could snag the bonus, place a couple tiny bets, and cash out right away. The playthrough rules stop that from happening.
Different bonus types have different wagering rules:
- Deposit matches usually make you bet the bonus 10 to 40 times over, and sometimes even more than 60 times.
- No-deposit bonuses usually come with bigger wagering requirements, like 40x or more, because you’re not putting any of your own money on the line.
- Free spin winnings usually have to be wagered 20 to 50 times before you can cash them out.
Time limits are a big deal too. Most sites give you a whole month to finish the requirements, but a few only give you a week. Players who think ahead usually time their deposits for when they know they’ll actually have time to play.
Different games help you clear the wagering requirement at different speeds. Most slot machines give you full credit, so every rand you bet counts as a full rand. But table games like blackjack and roulette usually give way less, sometimes only 10% or even lower. So if you drop a 10 rand chip on roulette, only 1 rand actually goes toward the requirement. That’s a pretty big deal if you’re trying to plan your play.
Different sites have different rules for how you have to bet. Some only make you bet the bonus money, while others make you bet both the money you put in and the bonus. That changes things a lot. If you deposit 100 rand and get a 100 rand bonus, a 40-times rule means you either have to bet 4,000 rand (just the bonus) or 8,000 rand (your deposit plus the bonus).
Smart players go for bonuses that have lower wagering requirements instead of just chasing the biggest dollar amount. A small bonus that only needs to be wagered ten times usually ends up being worth more than a giant bonus that has to be wagered fifty times. People who’ve been gambling for a while often ignore the flashiest, biggest bonuses and pick the ones that actually make sense.
Practical Tips for Safe Credit Card Gambling
Using credit cards for gambling is only safe when you keep tight control over your risks. If you set clear limits and stay on top of what you’re doing, you can still have fun on sites that take credit cards without getting into trouble.
Setting up spending limits
Your first move to keep gambling from getting out of hand is to set hard spending limits. Pretty much every legit safe betting site in South Africa lets you cap how much you can deposit per day, week, or month. These limits you set yourself stop you from making snap choices that could blow past the cash you meant to spend.
Here are some ways to protect yourself better:
- Just leave your credit cards at home when you go gambling so you won’t get tempted to spend more than you planned.
- Turn on the gambling block in your banking app. Barclays, Monzo, Santander, and a bunch of other banks let you do it.
- Give yourself a two-to-three-day cool-down before you bump up your limits.
Just remember, a credit card is basically a loan, so don’t risk cash you need for rent or groceries on any kind of bet.
Monitoring transaction history
Looking at your transaction history is a chill way to see how you usually gamble. When you use your card for gambling stuff, you get hit with a cash advance fee—usually 5% of whatever you take out—and the interest rate is way higher than normal. These charges start earning interest immediately, no grace period at all.
Most apps tag credit card deposits as “cash-like,” so they can slap on extra fees. Just check your statements so you know when gambling charges start bumping up your credit use. Try to keep that number under 30% if you want your credit score to stay chill.
Choosing between Visa and MasterCard options
The best gambling sites in South Africa that take credit cards work with both Visa and MasterCard, but there are a few small things to keep in mind. Pretty much every SA platform accepts both, yet Visa gets accepted just a little more often.
MasterCard usually counts your payments as regular purchases instead of cash advances, so you probably won’t get hit with extra fees. Both card networks have solid security setups—Verified by VISA and Mastercard Secure Code—and they both send you a one-time password to finish the transaction.
Both choices give you about the same level of safety and take roughly the same time to process. Deposits hit your account right away, and withdrawals normally land in 5 to 7 days after they’re processed.
Our verdict
Most South African gamblers reach for their credit cards when they pay online, but the rules around it can be kind of messy. The best betting sites keep your cash safe with 256-bit encryption and a few extra security checks.
CasinoDays and Betway are solid picks because they really care about keeping your info safe and they hook you up with decent bonuses. Both sites let you drop in cash with your credit card instantly, and they follow all the FICA stuff without any hassle.
Big welcome bonuses look cool at first, but you’ll actually get more out of the deal if you check the wagering rules instead of just the dollar amount. Our numbers show that bonuses asking for 20-30x playthroughs give you better value than the giant ones that make you hit 50x or more.
Smart gambling is really just about building some solid habits. First off, set a deposit limit so you don’t go overboard, keep an eye on how much you’re spending, and make sure you know every fee before you pay it. People who actually set strict limits end up sticking to their budgets way better—like 73% better.
To get the best out of using a credit card for gambling, you just need to balance simple payments with good security. If you go with Visa or Mastercard, stick to sites that protect your cash, offer fair bonuses, and explain how payments work.