EPS

EPS is an Austrian online bank-transfer standard supported by the country’s major banks. You select EPS at checkout, choose your bank and confirm the payment in your online banking, with funds transferred directly from your account; deposits are typically instant. It is an Austria-focused method, so availability depends on the operator serving Austrian players.

EPS is a fast, secure and easy betting deposit method for Austrians. All it requires is a bank account in Austria that’s set up to allow you to check your balance online. If you know how to log in to see your bank statement, you can use those same credentials to approve payments wherever eps is offered — bear in mind that Austria licenses only a single online gambling operator and is moving to payment blocking, blacklisting and IP blocks against unlicensed sites.

EPS Betting Sites

EPS (short for “eps-Überweisung”) is an established online payment procedure implemented by Austria’s leading banks and developed further by the bank-independent PSA, letting people pay online through their own internet banking. Our focus here is on betting, but that is just a small part of the overall EPS business. This payment provider is used by thousands of Austrian businesses to accept payment for goods. Around two million Austrian online-banking customers can use eps-Überweisung automatically, which makes it one of the country’s most widely available online payment methods.

How EPS Works

The idea behind EPS is genius in its simplicity. eps is implemented by Austria's leading banks themselves, so payments run through each bank's existing online banking interface. Whenever you want to make a purchase, the merchant sends a request to your bank and then all you have to do is approve the transaction by logging in to your online banking account.

Security is ensured by never giving the recipient any of your personal financial information. You tell the betting site how much you want to deposit and then you are redirected to a secure page hosted by your bank. Then, you’re asked to log in with your existing username and password for your bank to approve the payment. EPS and your bank will then send the money on your behalf without revealing your account number or credit card details.

One thing you should be aware of is that it is impossible to cancel payments made to EPS betting sites. Once you confirm the deposit amount, there is no changing your mind or filing for a chargeback. It may sound harsh, but betting sites actually have quite a problem with people who like to sign up, gamble a ton of money and then dispute the transaction with their credit card issuer if they don’t win. Just make sure you stick with reputable operators and only spend what you can afford to lose.

Fees and Limits

eps is free for the payer and limits vary from one site to the next.

Using eps Through an E-Wallet

Some gaming merchants accept eps payments by way of an e-wallet rather than offering direct eps payments; EPS remains one of the funding options Paysafe publishes for its Skrill and Neteller wallets. I suspect this is because Skrill already has an agreement with EPS and betting sites find it easier to just refer you to Skrill to complete your deposit.

Don’t be surprised if you’re asked to sign up for an account with Skrill before completing your deposit. Skrill is another popular deposit method that allows you to create an account, store funds online and withdraw your winnings. If you are asked to use Skrill, you will need to create an account at www.skrill.com (archived) and then use EPS to fund your Skrill account. Then, you can complete the deposit by Skrill. This method is just as safe, but it does add an extra step to the process.