All the Maestro friendly betting sites which were reviewed in our reviews section and given a four star or higher are listed on this page – all sites offer free bet bonuses which are again listed in the table.
You’ll also find all the deposit limits associated with Maestro deposits in a table below as well as how to use the payment method and how safe it is.
If you want to use your Maestro card to fund an online gambling account then all of the sites below will allow you to do so – we recommend Bet365 as their welcome offer is the industries most generous.
Maestro Need To Knows…
- Formerly known as Switch, Maestro is a debit card that is used by many banks.
- Unlike Switch, Maestro cards can be used in the UK and also abroad.
- Deposits made using Maestro are instant and funds should be available in your account immediately.
- One of the most common forms of payment available in the UK and around world.
- Accepted by every major bookmakers.
- Very secure payment method.
Best Maestro Betting Sites: Top 8
The following is a list of the best sites for betting with your Maestro card:
*Info accurate as of 05-12-2023 for the UK market.
Compare Maestro Betting Sites: Deposits & Withdrawals
| Bookmaker | Min | Deposit | Withdraw | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betvictor | £5 | Instant | 1-6 days | 0% |
| Coral | £10 | Instant | 2-5 days | 0% |
| William Hill | £10 | Instant | 3-5 days | 0% |
| Paddy Power | £10 | Instant | 2-3 days | 0% |
| 888Sport | £20 | Instant | 6-10 days | 0% |
| Betfred | £5 | Instant | 1-5 days | 0% |
| Ladbrokes | £5 | Instant | 3-5 days | 0% |
| Unibet | £10 | Instant | 2 days | 0% |
| Betfair | £5 | Instant | 3 days | 0% |
| Boylesports | £5 | Instant | 1-5 days | 0% |
| Betdaq | £10 | Instant | 1-5 days | 0% |
One of the most common forms of card payment in the UK is the Maestro debit card. Being a debit card it allows you to transfer money directly from your bank account to an online retailer. Since there are just as many debit cards in circulation, as there are credit cards, you’ll not be surprised to learn that payments by debit cards are one of the most popular for topping up accounts at your bookmaker.
The Maestro card has taken over where Switch has left off and is now accepted in thousands of places all over the world, it has become one of the standards for debit cards, and if you own a debit card via your bank chances are it could be a Maestro card. For online gambling, debit cards like this are safe and convenient to use, and money can be transferred instantly, allowing immediate deposits as long as sufficient funds are available in your bank account. Also, due to the connection between your Maestro card and your bank account, winnings can easily be withdrawn straight back into your bank account.
All of the bookmakers without exception accept Maestro cards, such is the popularity and distribution of this debit card system. Therefore if you own a debit card, you can be sure it will be accepted at your favourite bookies online.
How to Use a Maestro Card for Gambling
Using a Maestro card to top up or add funds to your gambling account couldn’t be easier, but first you’ll need to set up an account with your bookmaker of choice. You can do this by heading over to their website and creating an account. All the online bookies have registration forms that are dead easy to complete, so you should be up and running within minutes.
Next, you’ll need to deposit some funds in order to start placing bets. This is where your Maestro card comes in…
First of all, choose “deposit funds” or similar link from the bookmaker website and follow the link to making a payment with a debit card. The term “Maestro” may also appear to make things easy, so just follow that if you see it. At some point you’re going to need to enter your card details. Make sure you can see a padlock near the address of the website, and make sure the website address begins with https:// – this ensures the connection is secure so that your session cannot be eavesdropped by criminals. Making a payment in this way is very safe indeed, but you just need to double check you’re on your bookie’s official site before proceeding.
The details you’ll need from your card are:
- The card number
- Expiry date
- The security numbers on the back of your card (last three digits)
- The name printed on the card
In some cases your bookmaker may also ask for the start date of your card. Enter all of these details, and lastly enter how much you wish to deposit. Once you click enter (do this only once), the transaction will begin, and your bookmaker will automatically check with your bank for sufficient funds. Assuming all is okay, your account will then automatically be credited with the amount you wanted to deposit.
Pro’s & Con’s
Positives
- One of the most accessible and simple to use deposit methods you can use today.
- All top bookmakers accept payment via Maestro.
- Extremely quick to deposit and withdraw from your account.
- No fees charged by bookmakers when using a Maestro debit card.
Negatives
- Some banks offer Visa Debit cards, instead of Maestro cards (HSBC for example).
- Card details must be entered manually when depositing and if saved are potentially exposed if a security breach were to occur.
Maestro Card Security Online
Maestro is an extremely safe way to transfer money directly from your bank account to your online bookie. There are many safeguards in place to make sure your card details are not used by criminals trying to steal card details.
Firstly, when you are entering your card details, the site you’re on will be in SSL mode. This is something that happens automatically, and you don’t need to switch on. SSL mode uses encryption so that information you send can only be read by the computers of the website you’re sending it too. In other words, the information cannot be seen by anyone else other than you can your bookmakers. This greatly increases your security.
Secondly, all official bookmakers are required to have stringent data protection measures in place when dealing with payment details. This means any card details they hold on their computers must be encrypted, and only accessible to a certain level of staff. Even then, only certain details of the card may be visible, such as the last four digits. By maintaining this level of security bookies are able to keep your data extremely safe and your transactions very secure.
Maestro Card History
The Maestro Card first appeared as early as 1990, and is now distributed by many of the leading banks. The Maestro card began life as the Switch card, and apart from the name, they work in exactly the same way. At one point there were two types of Maestro card, one that was distributed in the UK by the high-street banks, and another version that was international. Now however, both types are aligned under the same banner, so if you have a UK Maestro card, you can be fairly certain it will work abroad, in the UK, and online.
The Maestro card is mainly responsible for the demise of the Solo card that was once available in the UK. However, now some banks are beginning to discontinue the Maestro card in favour of standard Visa Debit cards. Only a few banks have started this procedure, most notably HSBC, but you can still get Maestro cards from most of the other banks for the time being. It’s expected however that most of the other banks will follow suit over the next couple of years, and eventually the Maestro card will die out, to be replaced by Visa and MasterCard debit cards.
Fees Associated With Maestro Card Deposits
As a debit card, money is transferred directly to and from your bank. This service doesn’t usually incur a fee, but bookies sites still do charge a small amount for withdrawals to debit cards. You’ll be pleased to note that none of the sites which accept Maestro listed above charge you anything to deposit or withdraw!
Fees can be anywhere from 1% to 3%, depending on which bookie you use. For the most part however, you’ll find that using a Maestro debit card is one of the cheapest payment forms.
See Other Deposit Options:
Author: David Lenton
