Mark Lewis
Editor
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Last Updated on 09/23/2022
Fact checked by: Mike Goodpaster
Table of Content
- Pros and cons of PayNearMe betting
- Making a payment with PayNearMe – a few more steps needed than with other payment types
- Withdrawal and deposits with PayNearMe: average time scales – deposits need work and withdrawals are rarely an option
- PayNearMe verification requirements – no verification needed to use this payment method
- The history of PayNearMe – where it all started
- PayNearMe compared to other providers – do PayNearMe sportsbooks cut the mustard?
- Three essential facts about using PayNearMe – the truth about using PayNearMe sportsbooks
- Conclusion – most suited to certain bettors
- PayNearMe betting sites FAQ
Pros and cons of PayNearMe betting
Pro and Con
- Commonplace at sportsbooks
- Instant payments
- Face to face interaction
- Not always available
- Withdrawals unlikely
- May be inconvenient
Making a payment with PayNearMe – a few more steps needed than with other payment types
It’s not difficult as such to fund your account at PayNearMe betting sites, but it could be time-consuming, depending on exactly where you are located. This is exactly how you’ll need to go about it:
- You’ll start by logging in to your sportsbook account
- Navigate to the Cashier section
- Select PayNearMe from the options available
- Next enter the amount you’d like to deposit and click OK
- This will generate a barcode which you can print, or send to your phone
- You’ll also see a blank box where you’ll enter a code later
Now you’ll need to head out to your closest Family Dollar, CVS or 7-Eleven convenience store. Pick up a PayNearMe card and present it to the cashier, together with your barcode. As soon as you have paid the amount you agreed to deposit, the cashier will register it against the card and give you a receipt.
When you get home, you can verify that the payment has been completed by entering the nine-digit number from the back of the PayNearMe card in the blank box we mentioned above. That’s all you have to do for now, the payment you have just processed should show up automatically in your PayNearMe betting site account within 15 minutes.
It might well be the case that you live right across the street from the nearest convenience store that processes PayNearMe payments, but on the other hand, if you are in a rural area, it might mean traveling a few miles to get to one. This is the largely inconvenient part of using PayNearMe betting sites.
Withdrawal and deposits with PayNearMe: average time scales – deposits need work and withdrawals are rarely an option
Depositing at PayNearMe sportsbooks
The biggest downside to using PayNearMe sportsbooks is that you cannot currently complete the entire transaction online. Having generated a payment request, you’ll need to visit a land-based retail outlet to ‘purchase’ the value of the deposit you want to make. The most prevalent US outlets offering PayNearMe facilities are 7-Eleven, CVS Pharmacy and Family Dollar.
Once you are back home and have confirmed the payment at your sportsbook, you’ll usually see it become available to use within a few minutes. It’s also worth knowing that most PayNearMe betting sites insist on a minimum deposit of $10 and under the terms of their retailer agreement with PayNearMe, the maximum daily amount they are permitted to accept is $500, so this is not a payment option suitable for any real high rollers out there.
Withdrawing from PayNearMe betting sites
PayNearMe has developed a new service called MoneyLine which enables PayNearMe betting sites to process withdrawals. However, MoneyLine was only launched at the tail end of 2021 and at the time of writing, even some of the best betting sites with PayNearMe deposit options do not so far process withdrawals using the payment method. Things might be different in a few months, so keep checking in with us at TheGruelingTruth.com for updates on that.
However, at this stage, do not rely on being able to extract your cash from your sportsbook using PayNearMe, you will need to have an alternative payment option in place to receive your payouts, or to use features like cash out when you are betting.
PayNearMe verification requirements – no verification needed to use this payment method
Using the PayNearMe service does not require you to complete any verification process whatsoever. You are simply purchasing an alternative to cash, which can subsequently be used to make online payments.
However, although the payment method itself does not require verification, PayNearMe betting sites are legally obliged, under the terms of their US state licensing, to identify every account holder who registers with their sites.
So, when you sign up with PayNearMe sportsbooks, you will still have to provide proof of your ID and permanent address as a minimum and be willing to upload images of original documents when requested to do so by a betting site.
The documents you provide must show the same name and address as the ones you have used to complete your sportsbook registration. There are a very few exceptions, but in most US states you will need to be 21 years or over to legally use an online gambling site, so you’ll also need to provide your Social Security Number.
Acceptable ID documents include:
- US passport
- Current driver’s license for your state of residence
- Military ID card
- State ID card
Sometimes you’ll have the option to submit your documents at a later stage, but we always recommend that you complete this part as soon as you can. Not doing so is likely to delay any withdrawals you request when you have a winning streak and that’s not what you want.
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The history of PayNearMe – where it all started
The brains behind PayNearMe, Danny Shader, originally launched it in 2009 as ‘Kwedit’. A product that resulted in something of an epic (and embarrassing) failure for Danny. The premise of Kwedit was to obtain goods or services and make a ‘promise’ to pay for them later at a local convenience store.
Needless to say, honesty did not prevail and only around 33% of Kwedit users kept their promise. This led to a rethink and a rebranding to PayNearMe, which still requires payments at a local store in the same way, but does not release goods or enable services until such time as the payment request has been honored.
PayNearMe and its predecessor were intended to fill a payment gap for the ‘unbanked’ of the US. A term used by financial institutions which refers to those who do not have a bank account or a credit card.
The most recent improvements to the PayNearMe service include using SMS so that users can have a payment request sent directly to their phones, rather than having to print them off and there is also a new feature called MoneyLine.
Since the end of 2021, PayNearMe betting sites have been able to implement MoneyLine and process withdrawals using PayNearMe, as well as deposits. However, the uptake by PayNearMe sportsbooks is very low so far, despite PayNearMe posting figures that suggest the number of users is growing at a rate of 30% per month.
PayNearMe compared to other providers – do PayNearMe sportsbooks cut the mustard?
Here at TheGruelingTruth.com we think it’s important to make direct comparisons. It’s something we do when we review gambling sites and when we collate our payment method guides. Doing this gives you an instant insight into the possibilities open for you without you having to do a ton of tedious research for yourself.
PayNearMe vs paysafecard
paysafecard is the only payment method that comes close to being a direct competitor for PayNearMe. It works in a slightly different way, but the underlying concept is the same. You purchase a paysafecard from any retail outlet that sells them. There are cards available from $10 up to $100, but there is an additional cost, depending on the value of the card, which varies between $1.49 and $3.49.
A paysafecard can be used for multiple transactions, so if you purchase a $50 card, you can use it to make five separate $10 deposits at a betting site. The benefits are that you don’t need a bank account to use paysafecard and you only have to access your sportsbook account once to complete a deposit. The downside is that you cannot make withdrawals to the disposable card. However, it is possible to upgrade to a ‘mypaysafecard’ account, but this option requires you to have a US bank account.
PayNearMe vs prepaid debit cards
Purchasing a prepaid debit card is another alternative for anyone who does not have a US bank account or credit card. There are a lot of different prepaid cards to choose from, including MasterCard and Visa but some have more flexibility in how you use them than others. By the same token, you won’t have any difficulty finding Visa betting sites or MasterCard betting sites, as almost every US licensed sportsbook accepts those brands.
However, you will incur fees. Most prepaid cards simply add an up-front cost when you purchase the card, but there are others which charge on a per-transaction basis.
Unfortunately, prepaid cards also have the same downside as the other payment options we have discussed and that is that you cannot withdraw to this type of card. Once again, this means that you need to use a different payment provider to access any winnings from your sportsbook.
As you can see, the options available for those of you who do not have a bank account or credit card are somewhat limited and can work out to be expensive if you are using them regularly. However, many gambling sites recognize that there is a percentage of US residents that rely on this type of payment method, so on the plus side, you will not find it difficult to track down some great PayNearMe betting sites.
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Three essential facts about using PayNearMe – the truth about using PayNearMe sportsbooks
Conclusion – most suited to certain bettors
If you are a US citizen who does not have a US bank account or a credit card, then PayNearMe betting sites are one option you can use. Alternatively, you might be wary of giving your bank details to a gambling site, and using PayNearMe sportsbooks means that you won’t have to.
At the end of the day, the online betting payment methods you choose have to work for you and you now have a full set of facts in front of you about PayNearMe betting sites and the positives and negatives involved in using them. If you now feel able to make an informed choice about betting sites that accept PayNearMe, then our job here is done.
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PayNearMe betting sites FAQ
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