How pay by bank works
Open banking relies on the EU's second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and the UK's equivalent, which require banks to let licensed third parties initiate payments and read account data with the customer's consent. In the casino cashier you select Open Banking (Pay by Bank) or Trustly, choose your bank from a list, and are redirected to your banking app or website to approve the payment with your normal strong authentication, such as a fingerprint or BankID. The provider never sees or stores your password. The casino receives an instant confirmation and credits your balance, and the funds move over the domestic instant-payment scheme, such as Faster Payments in the UK or SEPA Instant in the eurozone.
Trustly and other providers
Trustly, founded in Sweden in 2008, is the largest casino-focused provider and is available across the UK, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Ireland and Canada in our data. It supports withdrawals as well as deposits, with payouts arriving in minutes to 24 hours and no fees, and it is bonus-eligible everywhere. Generic Open Banking (Pay by Bank) is offered by a range of PSD2-licensed providers and covers most of the same countries. Zimpler adds a mobile-first variant in Sweden, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands, and Interac e-Transfer plays the same role in Canada. Sofort, Giropay and iDEAL are older bank-redirect methods that are deposit-only.
Speed, fees and bonus eligibility
Open banking methods score at or near the top of our rankings on three criteria. Deposits are instant. Withdrawals settle in minutes to 24 hours, which puts them level with e-wallets and well ahead of cards at one to five days. Fees are zero on both sides, with no loading cost, no withdrawal charge and conversion at bank rate when you stay in your own currency. Bonus eligibility is complete, because the casino sees a verified bank payment rather than an e-wallet it associates with abuse. The only criterion where they score lower is privacy, rated medium, because the transaction appears on your bank statement with the provider's or casino's name.
Safety and what to watch
Open banking is among the safest ways to pay. Providers hold payment institution licences and are supervised by national regulators, authentication happens inside your own bank's app, and no card number or password is ever shared with the casino. Payments are pushed from your account, so there is nothing for a fraudster to charge later. The things to watch are practical: make sure the bank account is in your name to satisfy closed-loop rules, check that the redirect goes to your genuine banking app rather than a lookalike page, and remember that a bank with a gambling block may still refuse the payment. Finally, payments are not reversible by chargeback, so use open banking only at licensed casinos.
Key takeaways
- Pay by bank lets you approve a casino deposit in your own banking app with no card details shared.
- Trustly and PSD2 providers deposit instantly and pay withdrawals within minutes to 24 hours at no cost.
- Open banking methods are bonus-eligible everywhere, unlike many e-wallets.
- Use an account in your own name, verify the redirect is to your real bank, and play only at licensed sites.
Frequently asked questions
Is Trustly safe to use at online casinos?
Yes. Trustly is a licensed payment institution, you authenticate inside your own bank's app, and your login details are never shared with the casino. It is one of the most widely used methods at regulated European operators.
Which countries support pay by bank for casinos?
Most of Europe, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Spain, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic, plus Canada via Trustly and Interac e-Transfer. Availability depends on the casino and your bank.