Giropay is a German payment method that was founded in 2006. The headquarters are in Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany and the company has over 45 million customers. Giropay betting sites are a great choice for any bettor residing in the country. Instant deposits, wide acceptance at bookmakers and a high level of security are some of its main perks.
In May 2021 Giropay merged with Paydirekt and Kwitt. Old users of Giropay and Paydirekt can still use the Paydirekt mobile application. The eligibility to claim any bonus on your favorite bookie and the fact that a user can send money to a friend quickly through a smartphone is hard to pass.
In the upcoming Giropay review, you can take a deeper look into every aspect of gambling with this method, such as:
- An up-to-date (2024) list of Giropay bookmakers
- How to use Giropay when betting online
- All its pros and cons
Best Giropay Bookmakers (2024)
Many betting sites in Germany choose to partner with Giropay. In the following shortlist, though, we have selected the ones that truly stand out. They tick all the key boxes, like speedy transactions and low fees. So, go on and check our recommended Giropay sportsbooks.
Why should you bet on a Giropay bookmaker
Betting sites that accept Giropay provide to players many notable benefits. The most significant ones are the following:
✔ Widely accepted by bookmakers: Giropay has been around for over 15 years and it is famous in Germany compared to other bookmakers deposit methods. It is tough to find a sportsbook that does not accept it.
✔ Instant transactions: A significant advantage of the payment is that every deposit takes place almost immediately. The possibility of rejection is close to zero. At the same time, on most Giropay bookmakers, withdrawals take place within a few hours.
✔ P2P transfers: It is essential that you can send money to a friend with ease. You can either use the mobile application or the Giropay site. You just need to provide the email address or your friend’s phone number who also owns an account.
✔ Most of the German banks support it: It is hard to find a German bank that doesn’t cooperate with Giropay. Over 1,500 banks have an affiliation with it. Sparkasse, GLS Gemeinschaftsbank, Volksbanken, Bankhaus Ellwanger, (DKB) Deutsche Kreditbank and Bankhaus Bauer are among them.
✔ Excellent security features: It offers players a high level of security. Using AES 256-bit encryption under TLS1.2 ensures that every transaction is safe. Another security feature is Giropay ID. When making a transaction, you will be charged 1 cent and you will receive a code that you have to enter before proceeding. This amount will return to you after you complete your transaction. Moreover, a PIN or a TAN is necessary to proceed.
✔ Eligibility to claim a Welcome Bonus: Unlike other payment methods like Neteller or Skrill, Giropay bookies allow you to claim a welcome offer most of the time. Moreover, usually, you are eligible for all promotions and bonuses when depositing with Giropay.
Drawbacks of betting with Giropay
Betting with Giropay comes with some drawbacks, like every other online payment method. Withdrawal restrictions applied by some bookmakers that offer Giropay and the fact that it is necessary to hold a German bank account to use the payment can make it unattractive to some bettors.
❌ Available only for the German market: We are talking about an online payment system designed for German players. The payment is connected to the local banking system and it is available only for gamblers that have an account to a local bank.
❌ Withdrawal restrictions: A serious issue that a player may face when using bookmakers that accept Giropay is that some of them don’t process withdrawal requests. In this case, bettors need to find an alternative to withdraw their funds.
❌ Doesn’t accept deposits with crypto: It is a serious drawback that you cannot fund your account with cryptocurrencies. You can buy Bitcoin from a crypto exchange, but you can only proceed with FIAT currency if you want to withdraw your cryptocurrency.
❌ Lack of plastic cards: Many merchants in Germany like Deutsche Post and Lufthansa accept payments through Giropay. However, the fact that there is no plastic card available constitutes a significant drawback.
❌ Extra charges applied by banks: Even though Giropay sportsbooks will not charge any fee for your deposits, the collaborating bank may do so. Players need to contact their bank to get information about any charges before proceeding with a transaction.
Is Giropay sports betting legal and safe?
Giropay was founded in 2006 by Postbank, the German Cooperative Financial Services Network (Fiducia & GAD IT AG) and the German Savings Banks Finance Group (Star Finanz GmbH). The company is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and is 100% legal for online gambling in Germany.
Regarding safety, Giropay is one of the most secure payment methods. To proceed with a transaction, users need to provide online banking details (PIN) and a TAN (Transaction Authentication Number).
For small transactions under €30, players don’t need to provide a TAN. Old users of Paydirekt can make a payment by simply using their username & password, a PIN code or biometric methods.
How To Start Online Betting With Giropay
First, you should know that it is not hard to fund a Giropay account. The procedure is effortless when you follow the next steps:
- 1 Enter https://www.giropay.de/
- 2 Choose Giropay for buyers
- 3 Select ‘activate Paydirekt’
- 4 Select ‘New? Unlock now for free’
- 5 Choose your bank from the drop-down list
Depending on your bank, the procedure may be different, but typically after the last step, you will be redirected to your online banking to proceed. The payment will take place like a bank wire transfer and the amount will be available immediately to your Giropay betting site.
Funding your betting account is also swift and easy. It will not take a lot since the procedure is straightforward and effortless:
- 1 Visit your preferred Giropay bookmaker and log in to your account.
- 2 Choose the ‘Deposit’ option.
- 3 Select ‘GiroPay’ as your payment method.
- 4 Enter the amount you want to deposit.
- 5 Click ‘Deposit’ or ‘Confirm’.
- 6 You’ll be redirected to the Giropay website. Once there, you need to choose your online bank.
- 7 After that, you have to complete the PIN and/or your TAN (Transaction Authorisation Number).
Once you’ve confirmed the transaction, the funds will be in your betting account instantly.
Can I withdraw from Giropay betting sites
If Giropay wants to take the next step in the gambling industry, it needs to find a solution to withdrawals. There are bookmakers that accept Giropay that allow withdrawals, provided that you make a deposit first the same way.
In this case, the process is straightforward since players simply need to enter their betting account and choose Giropay as a withdrawal option. Players have to fill in the withdrawable amount and press ‘Confirm’ to complete the transaction.
However, some Giropay betting sites don’t provide a withdrawal option. So, gamblers have to find an alternative to withdraw any amount and the best option is probably a wallet like Neteller or Skrill.
Fees and limits
The payment will not charge you any fees when proceeding with deposits or withdrawals to your Giropay bookmaker. However, depending on your bank, you may see some extra charges when you send an amount to your bank account.
It is unclear how much you may be charged and you need to contact your bank to get more information about any possible charges. As regards limits on deposits or withdrawals, they depend on the bookie that you opt for, but generally speaking, the minimum deposit amount is €10 at most sportsbooks.
Giropay compared to other methods
Even though we talk about a trustworthy payment method and a considerable choice for players, it is also good to look at alternative payment options.
Giropay vs ecoPayz
ecoPayz is a famous payment method for funding your online betting account. It is accepted by almost any bookmaker and operates in multiple countries. Keeping your betting activity hidden and withdrawing any amount within a few hours are significant advantages when playing on ecoPayz betting sites.
However, there are extra costs when using it. On the other hand, Giropay bookmakers allow you to make transactions without any fees.
Giropay vs Klarna/Sofort
Klarna/Sofort is probably the most famous payment method for online betting in Germany. Sofort was launched in Germany in 2005 and 2013, the Swedish bank Klarna acquired the company. When talking about Klarna betting sites, we have to mention that the payment provides speedy transactions with low fees and an easy to handle mobile app.
On the other hand, withdrawal restrictions and the fact that you can not fund your account with cryptocurrencies are significant drawbacks, which can also be encountered in Giropay bookmakers.
Also Read: EPS betting in Austria
Final word on Giropay by Book Spy
Giropay has been around for 15 years, but it only became popular among German gamblers in the last few years. Giropay bookmakers allow player-to-player transfers, quick & easy transactions while providing excellent security features.
Still, the payment operates only in Germany. Moreover, you can not use your cryptocurrency to fund your account and the lack of a plastic card may make some bettors reconsider using it when betting online.
To sum up, Giropay betting sites are a considerable option for gamblers. Eligibility for a welcome bonus and low fees are hard to pass. However, some notable downsides are that a bank account in a local German bank is needed and that some sportsbooks don’t allow withdrawals.
Therefore, I would recommend other online payments, such as Skrill or Neteller, to make the most of your gambling activity.
Complete list of Giropay bookmakers
Speedy transactions and low fees are some of the main pros of Giropay bookies. So check below the full list and choose the one that suits your needs.
Currently, the payment is only available for residents of Germany. To be able to use Giropay, a user needs to have a German bank account. Giropay has cooperation with over 1,500 German banks.
Using Giropay is free. You can proceed with any transaction on Giropay gambling sites without any extra charges. Nonetheless, when you fund your account or make a withdrawal, your bank may charge you an amount on each transaction.
After the last update of the Giropay services, an account holder can buy Bitcoin in some exchange that accepts deposits through it. However, there is no possibility to withdraw with BTC, as you can only withdraw in the form of FIAT currency.
In May 2021, Giropay announced the merging of the company with Paydirekt and Kwitt. After this cooperation took place, the Paydirekt app could be used by Giropay account holders.
Technically there are no limits on how much money you can deposit via Giropay; there is, however, a matter of personal safety. Giropay will only guarantee transactions up to €5.000; so, if you plan to make a larger deposit, it's best to break the amount into smaller ones.