Online Casinos With Citadel Instant Banking

Instant banking has become an indispensable part of our everyday lives, with people using it to pay their monthly utility bills or to make purchases from web-based merchants. Most online shoppers are well familiar with the interface of their banks’ online banking service and recognize it as a safe, trusted and hassle-free method to perform borderless payments on a daily basis.

It makes sense that online gambling companies have also recognized the potential of instant banking and have added it to their list of accepted banking options. One company that provides such services is Citadel Instant Banking, which has become commonly available across online casinos. Citadel provides a digital banking system that enables casino players to top up their accounts without having to share their sensitive information with the gambling operators themselves.

Citadel was launched back in 2000, works with hundreds associated banks, and has offices in major countries like the United Kingdom, Malta, and Canada. The method is accepted at a huge number of web-based casinos and can be used in more than a dozen countries worldwide but is considered especially popular among casino fans from Canada. This article examines how Citadel Instant Banking works for the purpose of making online casino payments, the fees and limits associated with it as well as the pros and cons it comes with, so if you are a Canadian player looking for a convenient casino payment solution, do give it a read.

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How Does Citadel Work?

how does citadel workPlayers who have utilized their banks’ online banking platform would experience no issues with figuring out how Citadel Instant Banking works. To put it bluntly, Citadel is a safe web-based payment processor that allows you to top up your casino balance directly from your own bank account. In fact, it offers three different options to virtual casino players and the first one is to use it in conjunction with your online banking account. Here you will need to hold an account with a bank that is associated with the Citadel service.

Some relevant banking institutions may work with Citadel but without supporting the payment processor’s web-based version. This leads us to option number two which involves using the so-called Payment Assistant. The latter is an easy-to-use application that you need to download and install on your device when initiating your first transaction. The Payment Assistant is very intuitive so you simply need to follow its instructions to conduct the money transfer from your personal online banking account.

Finally, there is the option of using what is known as the Rapid System which enables you to conduct the money transfer manually with your own online payment solution by entering a special reference number. The bottom line is players’ payments are always carried out via their own online banking accounts which enhances security and helps them make their casino transfers in an anonymous manner.

This is the main reason why payments conducted with Citadel are preferred by such a great number of online casino players. What further enhances the convenience of utilizing this method is the fact that it does not entail registering an account in order to use it. Players can enjoy a complete anonymity with Citadel Instant Banking because their data is never disclosed to the receiver of the payment. The payment service processor also does not keep any of the financial or personal data you input when initiating the transactions – all details are safe because you practically share them with your bank only.

Topping Up Your Casino Account with Citadel?

citadel casino depositYou would be surprised by how easy Citadel is to use even if you utilize it for the very first time at your favourite online casino. But before you get there, you need to make sure you have registered for an online banking account with one of the hundreds of banking institutions, associated with this innovative payment solution. If not, you need to set up one such account and the great thing is many of the relevant banks would allow you to do so online. In most cases, you need to fill in the requested information, follow the instructions on the screen, and enter the activation code they send to you before you select your online banking account’s PIN (or user ID) and password.

Another option if your bank is unsupported by Citadel’s web-based version would be to download the banking solution’s Payment Assistant. The procedure is very hassle-free and needs to be performed only once, upon your first transaction.

It would be even easier for you, if you are already using online banking with a bank supported by Citadel. If this is the case, you only need to log into your online casino account and visit its cashier page where you must choose Citadel from the list of supported banking methods. Usually a drop-down menu would appear on the screen where you need to scroll through the banks associated with Citadel and select the one you hold an account with.

The moment you do this, you practically leave the casino’s page and are automatically transferred to the log-in panel of your bank’s online banking platform. The next step involves accessing your internet banking account with your password and user ID. Then you confirm the money transfer and you are done.

The sum you want to add to your online casino balance will be readily available at your disposal within a few seconds since payments with Citadel are conducted in real time and therefore, are extremely time-efficient. Of course, this can be very beneficial to players especially to those who are into gambling on the go since they can reload their accounts in a matter of seconds should they happen to run out of funds to play with.

Cashing Out Your Casino Winnings with Citadel?

citadel cash outCitadel is mostly available for deposits but some online casinos would support it for withdrawals of winnings as well – it all depends on the gambling provider you hold an account with. Because of this, it is recommended to first make sure you can perform both deposits and withdrawals with Citadel before choosing it as a deposit method.

Some online casinos would list Citadel among their supported withdrawal options but would pay out the winnings of players who have deposited with this method by using checks or wire transfers. The best course of action if you wish to spare yourself the headaches would be to get in touch with your preferred casino’s customer support team and inquire on whether or not Citadel Instant Banking is available for withdrawals.

Provided that Citadel can be used for withdrawals at your online casino of choice, you will undergo the same procedure as that you went through when depositing. You specify the amount you intend to cash out, follow the instructions, and confirm the transfer. Do have in mind, however, that withdrawals carried out with this payment solution are not instant, so you may have to wait a while until the money reaches your bank account. Another thing to consider are the fees online casino players are sometimes charged with when cashing out with Citadel, so this is yet another aspect you need to inquire about before initiating a Citadel withdrawal. Otherwise your entire experience may be spoilt by surprising extra fees you knew nothing about.

Citadel Availability, Fees, Currencies and Limits

citadel availabilityAs was previously explained, Citadel Instant Banking was introduced nearly twenty years ago as a web-based banking method, which is why it is already commonly spread among online merchants and virtual gambling operators alike. Hundreds of online casinos work with this method so you will not struggle for long to find an operator that supports it.

Citadel Instant Banking can be used in 23 different countries worldwide on condition the user is 18 years old or older and holds an account at a relevant bank. Citadel supports more than 300 banking institutions on a global scale and is available in countries like Canada, Denmark, Australia, Italy, Belgium, Germany, France, Japan, the UK, the US, Sweden, Poland, Spain, and Portugal. Please make sure you check the method’s official website to see the entire list of supported countries and territories.

In some countries, the payment solution would require the online merchants (or casinos in our case) to hold settlement bank accounts in the respective jurisdiction in order to use Citadel’s services. These include Greece, South Africa, Peru, Ireland, Mexico, Romania, and Turkey.

Another commonly asked question many casino players would like to know the answer to is are there any limits to the amount they can transfer to their preferred online casinos. This question is a bit tricky to answer since each Citadel customer is given a specific limit when they first initiate an online deposit with this payment solution.

Since Citadel works with more than 300 financial institutions worldwide, the limits per transaction would depend on the bank you hold an account with as well as on the online casino you are transferring the money to. Each gambling operator has its policies, so it is understandable that the minimum and maximum deposit limits with Citadel would vary wildly at different online casinos.

Within the first week of using the method, players would have their deposits limited to the amount of $1,500 per transaction but this limit would later on be increased automatically, depending on the user’s history of successful transactions with Citadel. It should be noted that it is possible to use any bank account in your name to deposit with Citadel but players cannot divide the payment between several bank accounts. The entire deposited sum should be deducted from one and the same bank account. Whenever you receive money from your favourite online casino, the payment will be listed as an incoming transaction from Citadel Commerce on your bank statement.

Receiving the money usually takes between 1 and 3 working days but you need to consider the processing times of the online casinos as well. In many cases, your withdrawal will remain pending for a period ranging between 24 and 48 hours and only then will the money be released from your casino balance.

Many online casino players insist on finding a payment method that supports transactions in their country’s local currency since this helps them avoid paying additional fees for currency conversion. The great thing about Citadel is that it carries out transactions in the local currencies of all countries it works in, including CAD, AUD, EUR, GBP, USD, DKK, SEK, HUF, JPY, and PLN. Of course, if you live in Poland, for example, but your preferred online casino does not support your local PLN, your deposit will still go through with Citadel but the deposited amount will be converted into a currency supported by the gambling operator. On such occasions, you might have to pay a little extra for the conversion service but the fee’s size would most likely be determined by the bank whose services you are using.

As far as transaction fees are concerned, many casino players choose Citadel because of its cost-efficiency. The payment processor itself does not charge players any fees for utilizing its services for deposits and neither do most online casinos. Withdrawals, if possible, may cause you to incur extra fees but this has to do more with the banking institution you hold an account with rather than with your gambling operator. For this reason, the smartest thing to do would be to get in touch with a representative of your bank and ask them about any potential fees you might be facing.

Can I Use Citadel on the Go?

citadel mobile paymentMobile gambling has been on the rise in the past couple of years, with a growing number of online casinos optimizing their platforms for smartphones and tablets so that players can fit an entire casino floor in the palms of their hands. With so many exciting casino games you can carry wherever you go in your pocket, you would want to also be able to load funds into your account or withdraw the profits you have generated when playing on the move.

Citadel makes this possible since it supports payments from desktop computers and Mac laptops and from hand-held devices like the smartphones and tablets that utilize the iOS and Android. There is no need to download and install any applications on your smartphone in order to use the payment service on the go. In fact, the procedure is almost the same since you must access the casino’s cashier from your mobile device, click on Citadel’s logo, and go through the same steps as those when depositing on your desktop computer. To our knowledge, there is no dedicated app you can download at the current moment but this only increases the convenience of using Citadel as a casino payment method because you will not have to waste any storage space on your smartphone or tablet.

Citadel Instant Banking Safety

citadel securitySome players approach online money transactions with a grain of salt because they worry about the safety of their payments. This should not be an issue for those who have chosen Citadel as a casino deposit method because this payment solution has adopted the best risk-management technologies as those your bank utilizes and sticks to the same high standards of security.

To begin with, the banking credentials you share when initiating a casino deposit with Citadel are not retained in the payment company’s systems. Citadel simply plays the role of a mediator between the casino player and their financial institution. Therefore, the information you provide is shared only with your own bank and no third-parties are involved in the transaction.

An additional safety cushion is added by the sophisticated encryptions Citadel uses to protect your sensitive information from hackers and fraudsters – all payments you initiate with this platform are encoded for your protection. Needless to say, the payment processor complies with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which is applicable to all online businesses and merchants that gather and process data shared by citizens of the European Union.

If a player has a good reason to suspect a security breach has taken place when they were using Citadel’s services, they can have the issue investigated by contacting the payment processor’s customer support via email. An additional layer of protection is provided by the online casinos themselves since they, too, use the most sophisticated SSL encryption technologies to encode their customers’ sensitive data.

Benefits of Using Citadel at Online Casinos

citadel benefitsIt is not hard to see why Citadel’s popularity with the online gambling community is growing at such a rapid pace. The method has much to offer to online casino players, starting with the higher level of convenience it comes with. You can start using it instantly as long as you hold an account at one of the many banks it is associated with. There is no need for you to go through a cumbersome registration process and then verify the account as is the case with some digital wallets like Neteller and Skrill.

The method is not only incredibly convenient to use but is also rather time-efficient and straightforward. Practically, anyone who has ever paid an online merchant through their bank’s internet banking service will be able to deposit with Citadel without any setbacks. Another benefit that we simply cannot overlook is the transaction speed.

Deposits conducted with Citadel take place in real time and are completed within seconds which makes it all the more convenient to online casino players. You are granted immediate access to your casino funds and can start placing bets right away without having your enthusiasm cooled off by slow money transfers.

Another advantage is Citadel’s mobile friendliness. The method works without a hitch on most widespread smartphones and tablets which renders it a great alternative for players who spend much time on the go and need to deposit while they are away from their homes and desktop computers, respectively. You can use Citadel on all devices running on iOS and Android without the need of installing additional applications – the payments can be conveniently initiated in your mobile device’s browser.

Apart from time-efficiency, Citadel comes with the added benefit of being rather easy on one’s purse. Citadel itself does not charge customers for using its services which cannot be said about some of the other payment solutions supported by online gambling operators. Both deposits and withdrawals (if available) are conducted at no cost to the player. Despite that, it would be smart of you to check with your bank to see whether there are fees on their behalf.

Also, the method works with a laudable number of currencies which makes it less likely for players to incur extra charges for the conversion process. Language should not be a barrier for those who boost their casino balance via Citadel since the payment processor’s website is available in about 15 different languages, including English, German, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Spanish, French, Latvian, and Norwegian.

Participating in virtual gambling activities is by no means something to be ashamed of, provided that you do it responsibly and for entertainment purposes only. However, many online casino players are looking to preserve their anonymity when topping their balance with real money. This is where Citadel truly shines. We mentioned in brief this payment platform acts as the middle-man between the player and their banking institution. This enables you to gamble completely anonymously since the information concerning your payments is not disclosed to any third parties but stays secure between you and your bank.

This brings us to the final and the biggest advantage of selecting Citadel as a casino deposit method. Payments conducted with this method offer a high level of safety and are protected by the best security technologies in the world. All the information concerning the transactions is jumbled up with sophisticated encryptions, which reduces the risks of frauds, misappropriation and intrusions to the absolute minimum. In fact, depositing at an online casino with Citadel is no more dangerous than paying your electricity bill online or purchasing a new pair of sneakers from a web-based merchant.

Downsides of Using Citadel as a Casino Payment Method

citadel downsidesLike many other things in life, Citadel is a double-edged sword and as such, cuts both ways, which is to say it has both positives and negatives. On the bright side, the advantages Citadel can offer to casino players are more than the downsides. The biggest downside of using the method stems from the fact it might be unavailable for withdrawals at some online casinos while being supported for deposits. This may cause a slight inconvenience to players since they will have to look for alternative banking solutions to be able to cash out whatever they have won.

Usually, casinos that do support the method for deposits only would offer withdrawals via standard bank transfers and cheques. Of course, there is always the option of cashing out to an e-wallet but this would sort of render depositing with Citadel useless since you can easily top up your account as well as withdraw with the e-wallets.

Another thing to complain about here is that the method is not as global as some other banking solutions like Neteller, Skrill, Visa, MasterCard or Paysafecard are. These payment options are available globally in hundreds of countries and territories around the world. The same cannot be said about the services of Citadel because they are available only in 23 countries, albeit some of the most popular ones. Also, some players might complain from having to hold an online banking account with one of the supported banks the method is associated with if they wish to use the web-based platform of Citadel.

The third and final disadvantage has to do with fees. As we explained earlier, Citadel does not charge players extra fees for using its services but the same unfortunately cannot be said about its associated banking institutions. As you know, each bank has its own policy regarding charges and therefore, the fees associated with using the Citadel platform might vary from one financial institution to another. You can avoid the unpleasant surprises by calling the local branch of your bank and asking an employee whether there are fees for making online payments carried out via the Citadel platform.

Conclusion

All in all, Citadel is a reliable online banking solution that has a plethora of benefits to offer to both online shoppers and online casino players. The method is widely accepted by many of the most reputable gambling operators in the industry, which is to say you will experience no issues in finding a quality online casino if you insist on using Citadel for your gambling transactions.

Citadel is an incredibly convenient and above all, secure payment solution that allows you to protect your privacy and gamble from the comfort of your surroundings completely anonymously. The method is especially fitting for gambling fans residing in Canada as it enables them to conduct their transactions in their local currency, CAD.