Card deposit currency: AUD or conversion

Introduction

When paying at an online casino with a credit card, Australian players often face a deposit currency problem. Most international casinos operate in US dollars (USD) or euros (EUR), while Australian bank cards are issued in AUD. This raises the question: do you leave a deposit in Australian dollars or allow automatic conversion? The answer directly affects the total amount of expenses.

How the currency settlement system works

1. Payment in AUD

The player specifies the AUD deposit.
If the casino supports this currency, the write-off is direct.
If the casino does not work with AUD, processing will still convert the transaction to USD/EUR.

2. Automatic conversion

The casino accepts a default currency deposit (e.g. USD).
The bank debits funds from the card to AUD and immediately converts them.
The player receives the course and bank fees, not the casino.

3. Double conversion

Sometimes a situation is possible: AUD → USD through the bank → the local currency of the casino (for example, EUR).
This leads to double losses on courses.

Basic fees and expenses

1. International Transaction Bank Fee
Usually 2-3% of the amount. It is always used if the calculation is not in AUD.

2. Currency conversion surcharge
The bank uses an internal rate with a markup relative to the interbank rate.

3. Casino Commission
Some operators add a fee for accepting payments in a "non-standard" currency.

4. Additional expenses for cash advance
Since in Australia credit cards classify gambling transactions as cash withdrawals, interest is charged immediately.

Calculation example

Deposit: 100 AUD.
The casino accepts only USD.
Bank rate: 1 AUD = 0.65 USD (at interbank 0.67).
The casino account is credited: 65 USD instead of 67.
Course losses: ~ 2 AUD.
Additionally - 3% commission (3 AUD).
Final deposit: 100 AUD turns into approximately 62 USD.

Features for Australia players

Legislation: Credit cards are prohibited for online gambling, so many transactions are blocked.
Reality: if you bypass locks through offshore casinos, fees and conversion losses increase.
Best option: use AUD in supported casinos or find alternative payment methods.

How to minimize costs

Choose a casino where there is an account in AUD.
Use debit cards instead of credit cards - less fees.
Review bank fees for cross-border transactions.
Use e-wallets (Skrill, Neteller, PayPal) with multi-currency accounts.
Consider cryptocurrencies (BTC, USDT), where there is no conversion in banking systems.

Conclusion

The choice of deposit currency directly affects the player's total expenses. Payment in AUD is beneficial only in those casinos that support this currency. In other cases, conversion is inevitable, which means commissions and hidden costs. For Australian players, it is optimal to look for AUD-enabled casinos or use alternative payment methods (e-wallets, cryptocurrencies), which avoids double conversion and reduces costs.