If you like gaming, you’ll likely need to make payments at some point. In the 21st century, there’s no shortage of things to buy when it comes to gaming as a hobby. You might want to buy the latest consoles, download the latest gaming titles, place wagers on various casino games, and much more.
If you’re going to have the full gaming experience and make the most of it, you need to have the proper payment options at your disposal. The good news is that most of these are easily accessible and thus can go on to enhance your experience.
● Echecks
Checks, for decades, were one of the most popular ways to make payments from one bank account to another. But with the rise of online banking and the like, they seem to have fallen out of favour. The good news is that they are making a comeback of sorts as echecks are fast becoming popular. Echecks, which stand for electronic checks, are a way to transfer funds from one bank account to another through clearinghouses.
They’re essentially blending the old and the new, and this creates avenues for gamers to make easy payments without disclosing sensitive details like their card numbers. If you want to play games on casino sites, for example, you can do so securely with your echeck. The same applies to peer-to-peer marketplaces, places, online merchants, and much more. Setting up an E-check may take a bit of time, but once it is done, it offers a lot in terms of convenience, privacy, and security.
● Debit/Credit Cards
In this day and age, virtually everyone has a debit or credit card or both. They have become perhaps the most popular way to make payments online and in person, and if you’re going to make the most of the gaming experience, you want to have at least a few of these. Credit and debit cards can be saved to your various gamer profiles to allow for easy purchases whenever you need to.
Of course, various security issues to be aware of before doing this, such as your card details falling into the wrong hands. But if you can set these up securely, things will be much easier. You can even get a virtual, prepaid debit card specifically for your gaming needs, so funds will not be commingled and things won’t get confusing.
● Digital wallets
In the last decade, especially, there has been a rise in the use of digital wallets, which essentially allow users to spend funds connected to credit cards, debit cards, bank accounts, or directly from the wallet itself. Think of things like PayPal and how virtually every platform accepts it in some form or another.
Digital wallets offer a ton of flexibility in terms of how you spend money, and the services you can access through them only seem to expand. Before setting up an account with a new digital wallet provider, make sure the platforms you want to spend your money on actually accept them, to save yourself the trouble.
● Cryptocurrency
Even if you are not a hard-core crypto head, it is worth exploring the world of digital assets if you are a gamer. First, the number of platforms accepting cryptocurrency alongside, or even instead of, fiat currency is only growing year on year. This essentially means that you may lose out on these experiences if you continue to neglect cryptocurrency.
It’s also worth noting that many new cryptos are created specifically in tandem with gaming projects. For example, platforms like Decentraland have their own native tokens that can be used to unlock niche experiences and enhance your time. There are even things like play-to-earn games that use tokens. So, you might want to explore this use case.
● Installment Payment Options
A common complaint amongst gamers is that certain high-in-demand products and services cost a lot of money, and depending on your life circumstances, you might not be able to pay up front. This is why, in specific cases, you might want to have an installment payment option. Platforms like Afterpay and Klarna allow users to pay in anything from three to even a dozen installments.
This means not missing out on the hottest new game because you do not have all the money at once. Of course, you’re always advised to use these platforms responsibly, as they can affect your credit score if repayments are not met on time.
● One-Click Payments
One of the most frustrating parts about making payments online is the tedious process of punching in names and numbers, confirming identity on multiple platforms, and much more. Luckily, this is mainly addressed through the use of one-click payment platforms like Apple Pay and Google Pay. By simply tapping a few buttons and then confirming using facial recognition or fingerprint, you can have your payment go through. Anyone who has waited anxiously for a high-in-demand product to drop knows that a few seconds of delay can make the difference between getting and not getting what you want. In those cases, you won’t want the one-click payment option on your side.
Conclusion
As a gamer, having the right payment methods at your disposal can supercharge your experience and grant access to the ones you have never considered. In this article, we’ve listed some of the best payment options. Every gamer should have access to them, and they should definitely be on your list. From one-click payments to cryptocurrency to E-checks, and everything in between, each will serve you at specific points in your gaming journey.
