The modern world is now full of technology, and almost every sphere of our everyday life is modernized and influenced by highly developed solutions. The change certainly did not omit the way we pay for entertainment and items we buy. What are the most common methods of online payment, and which one to choose, depending on your needs and preferences? Here is a comparison of the most popular options currently available.
Different methods of online payments
The category of online payments is quite vast, and it includes really different methods and ways of paying. This notion refers to both credit cards and cryptocurrency. That’s why it is not easy to select a single method and name it the best. Every Internet user has different needs and uses online money for various purposes.
Are all these different payment methods actually useful? They are, otherwise, no one would come up with yet another one, while this branch is constantly growing and developing. Some methods of online payment ensure anonymity, which for some people might be essential. Discreet payments might be necessary, for instance, when you want to play in an online casino with bonuses, bet, win and withdraw your winnings and all of this is not entirely legal or safe in the place of your residence. Using a safe platform like Casinos.co.za is one thing, but even if the platform is entirely secure, you might want or need to use anonymous payment methods.
Online payments are not all about privacy and anonymity. Sometimes, using this kind of payment method is simply convenient and easier than making banking transactions or operating with cash. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common online payment methods and a few examples of the popular options.
E-wallets
The digital wallet might not be a well-known term for the majority of Internet users, but when we give an example of such a payment method, it’s getting way clearer. One of the most popular e-wallets is PayPal, but the international industry moguls, such as Google or Apple, have their own versions of digital wallets (Google Pay and Apple Pay, respectively).
Using an e-wallet is easy, and everyone can have one. These are two main reasons for the constantly growing popularity of digital wallets. Just like their traditional precursors, the online versions allow users to gather and keep their money in one place. Digital wallets might also be used to make payments online or add credit cards. For many people, using an e-wallet is a great convenience in their everyday life, especially if they operate mostly online and make their payments with the use of digital money. As was already mentioned, PayPal is the most popular digital wallet as of now. It allows people to send money to their family and friends, pay for goods and entertainment online, and do whatever they wish with their funds.
Prepaid cards
There is no point in covering credit cards and debit cards as these days, everyone knows what they are and how to use them. There is one type of card payment, however, that still remains in the shadows. Prepaid cards are a good method of payment, even for people who care about anonymity. The way they work is quite simple, just like in the case of gift cards. In order to get one, you need to buy it with “real” money. The card you receive include the same amount of money you paid, so you can use it online for whatever you wish (assuming that a given platform handles such a method of payment). Among the most popular prepaid cards are the ones issued by American Express and Rewards Visa.
Cryptocurrencies
It’s hard to talk about online payment methods without even mentioning cryptocurrencies. In the last few years, almost everyone has formed their opinion about this subject. Cryptocurrency’s biggest advantage is complete anonymity. Whoever uses it can be sure that it protects their identity, as this digital currency is not regulated by any official financial institution. The most popular type of cryptocurrency is Bitcoin, and its name is quite often used as a synonym for the whole digital currency. Other popular types include Ethereum, Tether or Binance Coin.
Header image source: Unsplash.
Leave a Reply