AstroPay India – A Guide on How to Open an Account and Deposit

As we chart a new course for a new decade, you must find secure and safe ways of funding online casino accounts and forex trading platforms. In light of this, more Indians are turning to payment methods that don’t require their bank account details to enjoy the perks these internet platforms have to offer.

AstroPay card checks all the boxes and allows transactions on international websites using local payment methods. What’s more, you can fund your account with Indian Rupees.

Are you intrigued yet? Let’s take a closer look at what AstroPay is, what it has to offer, and how you can use it for forex trading and online gambling.

Why use AstroPay?

Before we get to the why, let’s have a quick look at what it is and how it works.

Think of AstroPay as a virtual prepaid card company. It is owned by the AstroPay LLP Group and was founded in 2009. It has its headquarters in the UK, but it offers payment services to individuals all over the world. As a result of its widespread service, it offers multiple currency options, including USD, GBP, EUR, BRL, RMB, TRY, ARS, INR, JPY, and more. With such diversity, you can tell that the company’s focus is on convenience, ease of use, and user satisfaction.

The main product they offer is a virtual prepaid card. Since it’s prepaid, users need to decide how much they will deposit in the card. And the term virtual means you don’t get a physical card, but you receive card details similar to those on physical cards.

As a payment method, AstroPay basically acts as a middle-man between your bank account and your forex of the online casino account. This means that you get an added layer of security and privacy. All the transactions you complete with your AstroPay card, including the card balance, are recorded on your AstroPay account. Therefore, you need to log into the account to manage the card. But if you are on the road, you can download the AstroPay card app on your Android or iOS device.

With that said, below are the reasons you should prefer AstroPay:

• No local taxes – the AstroPay card avoids tax charges.
• Doesn’t need credit approval – AstroPay doesn’t mind if you have a bad credit rating. If you can fund the virtual card, then you can use the service.
• No payment rejections – provided you enter the card details correctly, the payment will be accepted.
• Secure – when depositing money, you don’t have to share personal banking details with your casino.
• Instant – the deposit you make reflects immediately.
• No fees – no transaction charges for the customer and registration is free.
• Sensible – with a prepaid card, your spending cannot get out of control since you can only use the money available.
• Accepted in India – many online casinos in India accept AstroPay India as a deposit method.

But it’s not all good. Unfortunately, many online casinos do not accept AstroPay as a withdrawal method. Therefore, if you want to withdraw your winnings, you’ll need to use a different payment option.

How to Use an AstroPay Virtual Card

To use the AstroPay card, you’ll first go through a series of simple registration steps. Below is a detailed overview of what to do.

Step 1: Open an AstroPay Account

To open an account, you can use the desktop website or download the AstroPay app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store.

On the website, choose your country if it doesn’t pick up on your location automatically.

Click on ‘Login’ at the top right corner and click on ‘I am new here, create an account’ at the bottom of the form.

In the next form, enter your details, including your email and name, and create a password. Before the process is complete, you’ll be prompted to review the terms and conditions that apply. Although it is good practice that you read these instructions, it’s not mandatory.

Step 2: Buy an AstroPay Card

Now that you have an account, you can proceed to buy a card. The process is easy and straight forward.

Click on ‘Buy Card’ and complete the checkout process.

From the page that follows, choose the card amount. The amounts you choose are either $5, $15, $30, $50, $100 or $200 or their equivalent in INR. And since you cannot reload the card after purchase, it’s important that you choose the amount carefully.

Click on ‘Continue’ to progress. On the next step, you’ll choose the payment method for the card purchase that you prefer. The payment methods available depend on the services available in your country. In your case, you’ll have the option to use;

• Airtel
• JioMoney
• Neteller
• Freecharge
• Google Pay
• UPI
• INB
• PhonePe
• Cryptocurrency, including Ripple, Litecoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin.

We chose Neteller for this guide. Click on ‘Checkout’ to proceed to the last step.

Step 3: Select your AstroPay Casino or Forex Broker

Once you have bought an AstroPay virtual card, it’s time to choose an online casino or a forex company that you will join.

At this point, we should stress that even though there are many online casinos and forex brokers that accept AstroPay cards, not will suit your needs. Below are the top platforms in each industry that we recommend.

Step 4: Fund Your Online Casino and Forex Accounts

Now that you’ve settled on the platforms to use and have an AstroPay card, here’s how to fund the respective accounts.

Pure Casino

First, you need to log into your account.

Next, navigate to the deposits page usually labelled ‘Payments’ or ‘Deposits.’ From the menu that pops up, select AstroPay Card payment.

This option will take you to a page where you will enter the AstroPay virtual card details including:

• Card number
• Security code
• Expiration date
• Currency
• Deposit amount

You will have to specify the amount you need to deposit.

Once this is done, confirm your payment, and the money will be available immediately in your account.

 

XM

The first step is creating an XM account. For purposes of this guide, we created a real account. However, if this is your first-time forex trading, we urge you to start with a demo account. Use the money and the educational resources to learn the ropes before finally upgrading to a real account. Once you create an account, you’ll receive a code that you will use to log in.

To deposit funds into XM, click on ‘deposit’ and then navigate to AstroPay. When you click on the payment method, you’ll need to enter the AtstroPay card details, just like you would with a physical card, specify the amount to deposit and then check out.

Step 5: How to Withdraw Funds to AstroPay

Unfortunately, AstroPay doesn’t support withdrawals from the casino account. This is primarily because the AstroPay cards do not support reloads. Once the virtual card is loaded, you have to use it within a year.

However, for the few online casinos and forex brokers that support withdrawal, the process involves buying a new AstroPay card. The process is as follows;

• Click on ‘Withdrawal’ on the platform.
• For XM, choose the trading account to withdraw funds from and then specify the currency and the amount to withdraw. Click ‘Next.’
• A summary of the transaction will popup. Enter the verification code that’s sent to your email or SMS depending on the security protocol you setup. Click ‘Confirm Withdrawal.’
• This process will have AstroPay issue a new card. After confirmation of the withdrawal transaction, you’ll have two options to receive the new card details via the AstroPay app or on email.
• Choose whichever option suits you best and confirm the request.

The withdrawal should reflect in your new card in a couple of minutes.

Step 6: How to Withdraw from AstroPay to your Bank

For the withdrawal process, you can complete the process directly from the AstroPay app. You can send the remaining balance to your bank account provided you bought the card from an AstroPay partner site or directly from the company.

AstroPay Card Expenses

You’ll be pleased to note that creating an AstroPay account is free, and you don’t need annual maintenance. There are also no card fees of charges for deposits to casinos and forex brokers. However, you might experience fees imposed by the broker, online casino, and banking institution.

Conclusion

There is no doubt AstroPay offers a unique way of completing online payments and though the platform offers a new layer of safety and security to online payments, it has some restrictions, including the fact that the virtual cards are not reloadable. As such, not all casinos support withdrawal to AstroPay cards.

All in all, it is a great option for those looking for a new payment method and those who don’t want to use bank accounts for online transactions.

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