You might have come across Discover Card as one of the payment options at your sportsbook. Well, it shouldn’t be a surprise, Discover betting sites are becoming more and more popular with sports betting enthusiasts.
In this guide we’re going to tell you all about this hidden gem. We’ll explain how you go about getting a Discover Card, how to use it at Discover sportsbooks and most importantly, how to track down the best betting sites with Discover on their list of payment options.
Making a payment with Discover – nothing at all to worry about
For this part of our review, we’ll assume that you already have a Discover Card tucked away in your wallet and that you are registered with one of the many betting sites that accept Discover. If you don’t already have a Discover card, don’t worry, we’ll be running through the process of obtaining one a little further on in this review.
The only other things to consider are that the Discover Card you are about to use is registered to exactly the same name and address as the one that is shown on your sportsbook account. Any discrepancies may result in your payment being declined, or in the need for additional verification.
It also goes without saying that you will need to have sufficient funds to cover the payment and that making a deposit will not cause you to exceed the credit limit applicable to your Discover Card.
The actual procedure for making a payment at Discover betting sites is really straightforward:
Log into your sportsbook account and go to the ‘Payments’ or ‘Cashier’ area
Select the option to ‘Make a Deposit’ or similar
Select Discover, or Discover Card from the list of payment options
First time users will enter their Discover Card details at this point
Enter the amount you want to add to your account
Check the details entered are correct and click on the ‘Deposit’ button
That really is all there is to making a deposit at Discover sportsbooks and you will also find that requesting a withdrawal from Discover betting sites is an equally painless procedure.
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Withdrawal and deposits with Discover: average time scales – timescales can vary between Discover sportsbooks
Deposits
Aside from the first time you use your card at Discover sportsbooks, most deposits will arrive in your betting site account seconds after you have hit the Deposit button. On a few very rare occasions it can take up to an hour to be visible, but the emphasis here is that it would be highly unusual for that to happen.
Withdrawals
This is where the answer becomes slightly tricky. Although in theory cash can be withdrawn to your Discover Card pretty much instantly, that’s not how it works in practice. Discover sportsbooks, like any others, will have their own set of procedures to complete before a withdrawal is processed.
The timescale can vary between one and five working days. There are some Discover betting sites that specialize in fast withdrawals, so if this is an important factor for you then it’s worth spending a bit of time to find Discover sportsbooks that specifically offer a fast withdrawal service. Reading our operator reviews will help you with that, as it’s a subject we always cover in detail.
Discover verification requirements – all you need to know
You can’t start Discover betting sites until you receive the card itself. So, if you are intending to rely on this payment method to fund your sportsbook account, you’ll need to leave sufficient time to apply for a card, receive it in the mail and verify receipt online. This can take up to two weeks, so if you’re in a hurry, it’s best to have an alternative payment method to use in the interim.
As a company, Discover provides all of the information you’ll need to make a successful card application and there’s quite a bit to learn!
Read the guidelines first
As we mentioned earlier, the acceptance rate for a Discover Card is 99%. It’s considerably higher than for most rival card issuers because Discover has a whole range of different cards suited to different circumstances.
On their website you’ll find precise details of what you need to do before you make your application, help with the application itself and information about more specific matters such as how long approval is likely to take and how your credit limit will be determined.
We know that nobody really enjoys reading this kind of thing, so we’ve detailed the important parts below, just to give you an idea.
Before you apply
Acceptance for a Discover card relies heavily on credit scores. It’s possible you may already know yours, but most people don’t have a clue. However, it’s really easy to check your credit score online and then you can see exactly which Discover Card you have the best chance of being accepted for.
You’ll also need to have some documentation ready which you’ll need to verify your ID and your address. For the former, either a military ID, a state ID card, passport or valid driver’s license are all acceptable. To verify your address, a bank statement and utility bills will be needed.
The application process
The process is very similar to any other financial application you may have made. You’ll need to provide all of your personal details, including your social security number, employer details and proof of income. Your application is also much more likely to get fast approval if you have a US bank account in your name. Completing the online form will take around ten minutes and at the end you’ll be invited to upload your documents for Discover to verify.
Getting approved
Once your application is complete, Discover will check your credit rating with three major credit bureaus. In most cases, this only takes a few minutes and you will see a message on your screen confirming acceptance, denial or further review required. Depending on the preferences you select during the application process, further communication will be by email or post.
If you are accepted, you can expect to receive your Discover Card, details of your credit limit and the T&Cs applicable to your card in around 7-10 days. Applications flagged for further review may take a little longer and require further input from you, depending on the reasons.
The Discover Card was first launched in 1985, to provide a credit facility for customers of Sears, which at that time was the largest US retailer. The card was financed by Sears following its acquisition of the Dean Witter Reynolds brokerage company.
Following a highly successful trial period, the card was launched officially. Not everything about the launch was plain sailing though. The fact that Discover did not charge fees to retailers, or an annual fee to cardholders as its rivals did, caused ripples in the financial world and especially with rival credit card companies and other large retailers.
Competitor cards continued their attempts to block the use of Discover over the ensuing years, which culminated in a lengthy legal battle in 2004. The outcome was in favor of Discover and saw Visa and MasterCard deprived of their rights to exclusivity with major US banking institutions and retail outlets alike.
Fast forward to the present and the Discover Card is now the third most popular credit card in the world. More than 50,000,000 people have a Discover card in their wallet and the number of betting sites that accept Discover has increased exponentially.
By offering a range of Discover Cards to suit many different financial situations, including students, retirees and those who are self-employed, Discover proudly advertises a 99% acceptance rate and offers higher credit limits than most other credit card providers.
Discover compared to other providers – the advantages of using Discover betting sites
As you have seen, the launch of Discover as a payment option has been a huge success, despite taking many years to reach that point. But how good is this payment method and, most importantly, how does it compare to other trusted payment methods?
Discover bookies vs Visa and MasterCard bookies
There is no disputing the fact that
Visa betting sites
and bookies that accept MasterCard include around 90% of all legal US sportsbooks. However, both Visa and
MasterCard bookies
usually accept debit and credit cards, which means the statistics are slightly skewed, because there is no Discover debit card option for comparison.
In terms of using a MasterCard or Visa credit card for gambling, assuming your bank permits those sorts of transactions, you will almost always have to pay fees representing a percentage of the amount you are depositing or withdrawing.
That is because both of those card providers levy retail fees on your sportsbook. However, Discover card transactions are often completed free of charge, because there is no cost to be borne by Discover betting sites.
Betting sites that accept Discover vs other card options
If you have ever taken the time to look at all of the payment methods available at a sportsbook, you are certain to have encountered the likes of
VIP Preferred betting sites
or other prepaid card options like Play+. Both have unique advantages and some disadvantages.
First off, any prepaid card requires loading with cash before you can make use of it. You can do this in several ways, either by transferring funds from your bank account, or by using a credit card, like Discover. So, in effect, you are adding an additional step before you can complete a transaction with a VIP Preferred bookie or indulge in any
Play+ sports betting.
Although this might seem an unnecessary, time-consuming process, if your bank or credit card provider frequently blocks payments to gambling sites, then the value of using these, or similar, prepaid options comes to the fore.
Discover sportsbooks vs ewallet payments
There is nothing whatsoever wrong with using a reputable ewallet provider like PayPal, Skrill or Neteller. They are all convenient payment methods, are only found at legitimate sports betting sites and most sportsbooks offer at least one of those options.
However, the downside of using e-wallets to fund your sportsbook account, is the fact that deposits made using them will often exclude you from claiming sportsbook bonuses and promotions. This is not always the case and it’s down to you to check the T&Cs for your operator, but generally speaking, Discover betting sites do not exercise similar conditions where bonuses are concerned.
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Three essential facts about using Discover – good reasons for using Discover sportsbooks
You have a 99% chance of acceptance for a Discover Card
One of the very positive aspects of Discover is the fact that 99% of people who apply for a card are accepted, a much higher percentage than for rival credit cards issued by Visa and MasterCard.
The main reason for this is the fact that there is more than one version of the Discover Card, there are eight in total, each with a different remit in terms of percentage interest and the credit rating range for acceptance.
The Discover Card does not charge annual fees or transaction fees
Many
betting site deposit options
will incur some sort of additional cost. This might be in terms of an annual fee charged for the privilege of being a cardholder, like American Express, or the percentage cost of purchasing prepaid options such as PayNearMe.
In fact, there are few options for funding your gambling site account that will not incur additional costs of one sort or another. But this is one area in which Discover sportsbooks break the mold. You will not pay any annual fees for having a Discover Card and Discover bookies rarely charge any fees for completing transactions using this payment method.
Discover sportsbooks have legitimate US licensing
As is the case with most reputable payment methods, you’ll only be able to use your Discover Card to fund an account at a Discover bookie that holds a current license to provide sports betting services in at least one US state.
Discover has no wish to be associated with unlicensed or offshore gambling sites, so you can rest assured that where Discover is offered as a payment option, that it is a safe and secure site where you can concentrate on enjoying betting on sports.
Conclusion – overall, a positive experience
We hope that reading our guide to Discover betting sites has given you a valuable insight into the positive features of this payment method and has shown you the benefits of using the best betting sites with Discover.
Our experience of reviewing the Discover Card and Discover sportsbooks has been a very positive one and we think you’ll agree that this does have some very distinct advantages when compared to some other payment options.
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Discover Card is a credit card, so there are certain prerequisites for being issued with one. We have explored all of the procedures for making an application and also found out lots of interesting facts about using Discover betting sites. Head over to TheGruelingTruth.com and read our full Discover review, where all will be revealed.
💰 Can I get fast withdrawals at Discover betting sites?
You’ll find that no matter which payment method you use, there will be an optimum time for transactions to complete and then there will be the actual time a sportsbook takes to complete them. Sometimes they don’t always match up. If you check out our sportsbook reviews, this is something we always look at closely, and our reviews are the place to look for your answer.
🌞 Can you recommend some good Discover bookies?
Here at TheGruelingTruth.com, we know a lot about the factors that make the difference between a mediocre sportsbook or a fantastic one and there’s much more to it than the payment methods a bookie accepts. Take a good look through our Discover sportsbooks reviews, where you’ll find everything you want to know about licensed bookmakers across the US and the payment methods on offer.
⛔ Why can’t I withdraw to my Discover Card?
There are a number of different reasons for being unable to complete a withdrawal at Discover betting sites. If you head over to TheGruelingTruth.com, you’ll be able to read our in-depth guide on the Discover payment method and will most likely find the answer to your question.
🏅 Is Discover better than Visa or MasterCard?
All payment methods have their good points and sometimes, there are negative ones too. The answer can also come down to a matter of familiarity with a brand, or simply personal preference. Whatever the reason for your question, it’s worth reading up about a variety of different payment methods before you make a choice. All you have to do is head over to TheGruelingTruth.com, where you’ll find reviews on almost every payment option available to US residents.
Whatever the sport. Whatever the moment. It's Never Ordinary at bet365. That's why if you sign up now you'll get the choice of two great New Customer Offers, the First Bet Safety Net up to $1000 or Bet $5 and Get $200 in Bonus Bets. Deposit required. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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