Google Pay and Apple Pay are some of the most popular payment methods at online casinos. How do they compare?

Rise of Mobile Payments in Online Casinos

When mobile phones started gaining prominence at the turn of the millennium, it soon became apparent that they could be used for more than communication. Today, these gadgets have become an integral part of modern living. Online casinos have embraced mobile telephony to enable their customers to play while on the go and also to fund their casino accounts.

Through partnerships with tech companies that offer financial services, mobile online casinos have embraced eWallets as a payment option. The leading eWallets in online casino payments are Google Pay and Apple Pay. These modes of payment are fast, secure, and convenient. Indeed, the use of mobile payments has spurred the growth of the online casino industry because transacting through eWallets bypasses the tedious banking process.

How Google Pay and Apple Pay Work

Both Apple Pay and Google Pay are financial services apps from two of the largest tech companies, namely Apple and Google. Android mobile phone owners use Google Pay while iPhone owners use Apple Pay. Both these wallets are widely used for contactless payments in stores and other outlets.

The two eWallets work similarly. It begins with the owner depositing funds into the wallet by linking it to a debit or credit card. Transactions in outlets across the globe are then enabled through near-field communication (NFC). Both cards are highly secure due to the encryption technology they use during transactions.

The Apple Pay App is pre-installed on Apple devices such as the iPhone, and you access it through Touch ID or Face ID. Google Pay is pre-installed in most Android devices. It can also be installed through the Google Play Store. You access Google Pay through a PIN, but you can also configure it to use biometric verification.

Pros & Cons of Each for Casino Deposits

There are numerous benefits of using either Apple Pay casinos or Google Pay casinos, both for online casinos and the owners of the eWallets.

Firstly, Google Pay provides a secure and fast online casino deposit option. Also, a lot of people already own an Android phone with Google Pay.  Many casinos will readily accept their customers to fund their casino accounts through this method. Funds deposited this way are reflected in the account instantly. Adding a card to the wallet is through an easy-to-use scanning process. For a player wishing to protect their data, the option of using biometrics provides an added layer of security. Lastly, there are no fees charged when using Google Pay.

Apple Pay is also widely available and acceptable in many outlets, including online casinos. Their devices might be a bit pricey compared to Android phones. Like Google Pay, Apple Pay is also very secure because it requires Face ID or Touch ID recognition to activate. Users are not charged any fees for using these wallets.

The problem with Apple Pay is that although online casinos generally accept it for deposits, some do not allow withdrawals using the wallet. Both eWallets might also be linked to cards that charge fees for transactions.

Availability at Canadian Online Casinos

Both Google Pay and Apple Pay are accepted in many Canadian outlets. Recent data shows that about a third of Canadians (29%) use digital wallets and mobile payments. Apple Pay accounts for about 47% of mobile transactions for Canadian consumers. In comparison, Google Pay accounts for about a third of the market (31%).

However, when it comes to online casinos in Canada, the statistics will depend on several factors. Many online casinos in Canada do not accept withdrawals using Apple Pay or Google Pay while accepting deposits from either of the Apps. This poses a problem for players who wish to withdraw their winnings quickly.

Other Canadian casinos will have a preference for one deposit method over another. For instance, a Canadian targeting international players will prefer offering them payment using Google Pay, whereas a casino targeting Canadian players might offer them the option of making deposits on Apple Pay.

Verdict: With a commanding 47% market share in Canada compared to Google Pay’s 31%, Apple Pay win in this category due to its more widely accepted mobile wallet at casinos specifically targeting Canadian players.

Transaction Speed, Limits, and Fees

One of the selling points of both Google Pay and Apple Pay is that transactions are instantaneous. Right after you scan and add your debit or credit card to these wallets, it takes a few minutes for the money to be available for transactions.

The limits on how much you can transact on your Apple Pay or Google Pay wallet can be set in two ways. In the first case, the limit is the same as that set in the card it is linked to. Another way the limit can be set is by following the transaction limit set by the casino accepting this mode of payment.

If both Apple Pay and Google Pay do not charge fees to the users of their Wallets, how do they make money, and what are the implications for online casino players? Well, Apple Pay charges the bank whose card is linked to their wallet for customer transactions. The bank, in turn, charges it to the customer's account. With numerous transactions, the fees can pile up significantly.

Google Pay, on the other hand, charges a fee to the vendor or outlet where the wallet is used. This applies to your favourite online casino. Most top-quality online casinos will absorb those fees rather than pass them on to their clients. However, clients not shielded by the casino can expect the fees to rise significantly if they make frequent transactions.

Verdict: While both offer instant deposits, Google Pay wins on cost efficiency because it typically charges the casino rather than the bank. In result, Apple Pay users pay indirect costs being passed on to the player.

Security & Privacy Comparison

Both Google Pay and Apple Pay are secure platforms for financial transactions. They also both rely on NFC technology to carry out contactless transactions. Google Pay uses a PIN to access its functions. However, it can also be set to use biometrics instead of the PIN.

The use of PIN technology is older than that of biometrics. Apple Pay uses Face ID or Touch ID to secure the use of the wallet. This makes it virtually impossible for a person to access it without the owner’s presence. Apple Pay, therefore, has a superior security rating to Google Pay.

One of the key considerations for some casino players is guarding their personal data even as they indulge in gambling. Some casino payment methods require the player to disclose personal information before getting paid.

However, a player using Google Pay or Apple Pay does not need to disclose this information because the player decides which card they want linked to the wallet. Most casino players avoid linking their main bank account to the wallet. On privacy, the two payment methods compare favourably.

Verdict: Apple Pay leads by requiring Face ID or Touch ID for every transaction, offering a higher hardware-based security standard than Google’s PIN-optional system.

Google Pay vs. Apple Pay: Comparison Table

Feature	Google Pay	Apple Pay
Primary Device	Android Smartphones	iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches
Deposit Speed	Instant	Instant
Withdrawal Availability	Often limited; many casinos only allow deposits.	Often limited; some casinos require alternative methods for payouts.
Security Method	PIN or Biometric (Fingerprint/Face).	Face ID or Touch ID (superior biometric rating).
User Fees	$0 (No fees for users).	$0 (No fees for users).
Privacy	High (Virtual card tokens used).	High (No card details shared with casino).

Verdict - Which is Better for Canadian Players?

While there are several payment methods to make payments at Canadian online casinos, Apple Pay and Google Pay rank among the best. Not only are they among the fastest ways of funding your casino account, but they are also highly secure. Their major drawback is the reluctance of casinos to use them for payouts.

Considering the market share of the two payment methods in Canada, Apple Pay seems to have a slight edge over Google Pay in popularity. Maybe this is because Apple iOS devices are popular in America and Canada. Apple also offers a slightly better level of security, which would make it more popular with Canadian casino players who want to retain their privacy.

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