Boku VS Zimpler

Mobile payment methods allow players to fund their casino account with speed and simplicity. They’re perfect for on-the-go players who want to deposit straight from their handset and ideal for those who find constantly entering card numbers a chore they’d rather avoid. In the past couple of years, we’ve seen mobile depositing methods expand exponentially, with more and more new payment services on the market.

Earlier this year, Zimpler launched in the UK and was heralded as one of the easiest ever ways to finance casino accounts. Boku, on the other hand, was founded way back in 2009 and is still the favourite choice for many gamers. Today we’re putting the two methods head to head to see which you should be using.


 

Ease Of Use

How simple a payment method is to use is one of the biggest deciding factors when choosing a depositing service. No one wants to faff around with long-winded processes when they could be spinning slots and so the first round in this heavyweight fight is all to do with ease of use.

Boku

Boku logoFirst up is Boku. Boku is a very quick method for many as it doesn’t even need a bank card to deposit. You simply charge the payment to your phone bill, meaning you can pay at a more convenient time. As you only need your phone number to make the payment, it also skips the lengthy process of inputting card details or creating an e-wallet account.

To make a payment you do need to reply to a quick text message, which makes sure the payment is verified by you. This message should come through immediately after you input your phone number, and you must respond with a ‘Y’ to accept. All in all the process takes around three minutes to complete — that’s hard to beat by anyone’s standards.

Zimpler

Zimpler Mobile Casino PaymentsZimpler is a payment service completely designed for iGaming, which means ease of use is high up on it’s priority list. This means that they focus all their efforts into making casino deposits as efficient as possible and can understand a player’s grievances and needs. Given that the method is fairly new, there may be a few issues they need to iron out, but as a dedicated gambling service it means they definitely have the manpower to do so.

Zimpler is a very easy method to use once you’re registered to the service. On first use, you will have to sign up using your card details. as much like e-wallets and PayPal, Zimpler isn’t direct payment method in it’s own right.

After registration you’ll only ever need to supply your phone number to make a payment. Like Boku, you receive a confirmation text message when a payment is made. However, you don’t need to respond, just input the single use pin code into the casino site.

Verdict: Boku

The two methods are neck and neck when it comes to ease of use. Once you’re all signed up to Zimpler it may even be faster than a Boku payment, however we think that the fact Boku allows you to pay using your phone bill may just be the clincher in this round.

 

Security

Security is a huge issue when you make an online payment, whether that’s depositing at a casino or feeding your online shopping habit. Using a mobile depositing method can sometimes seem daunting, as people are often concerned their privacy and internet fraud.

Boku

One of the main advantages of Boku is that the only information you ever need to share is your phone number. This is a personal detail, yes, but it will do you little to no harm if it’s intercepted. As you never supply bank details or other personal information such as an address, it eliminates the risk of internet fraud.

Furthermore, every time you make a payment you need to reply to the verification SMS. This means that only you can validate a purchase, and that even if by chance someone got hold of your phone number, they still can’t spend your money. The verification SMS message also gives you a second chance to cancel any payments that you may have made in error.

Regulatory Bodies UK Mobile PaymentsOn top of having process in place to make sure your payments are secure, your also protected by how heavily regulated Boku is. The UK mobile payment industry is managed by three main regulatory bodies; AIME (Association for Interactive Media and Entertainment), Ofcom and Phonepay Plus. These make sure that Boku are adhering to the laws surrounding mobile payments, and will help you out with the legal recourse should something go wrong.

Zimpler

Like Boku, as it’s now trading in the UK, Zimpler is protected by the same regulatory bodies. They also have a payment protection scheme which means that all deposits can be chased up swiftly if a problem arises. The downside to Zimpler is that as you register, you do need to supply the service with your bank details.

This should never lead to an issue, as all information is processed under a secured connection, but we can understand that as a relatively unknown method it can seem a little scary. If you do feel like you don’t want to trust Zimpler with your bank details, the good news is that you can pay via any other e-wallet service or PayPal. And, once you’re up and running, you’ll never have to enter your details again.

Zimpler’s verification codes are single use, which means that once the payment has been made the information is worthless. This means that you’re protected at all times as even if someone has access to your phone number, there is no way they can make a purchase without a new code being issued.

Verdict: Tie!

Both methods are extremely reliable and both have procedures in place to make sure your payments are secure and protected. The current UK regulations and laws make it impossible for services to function without proper licensing and legal recourse.

 

Accessibility
It’s been a close match so far, so the only question left is where can you use both methods, and which function best for online casino use.

Boku

Boku is a very reputable brand and has been adopted by many casinos. As mobile deposits grow, it’s also the main brand that casinos use when they want to expand their depositing methods. This means that you should always be able to find a Boku casino that suits your needs. Nearly all Nektan casinos offer the service, as well as ProgressPlay casinos. Some of the biggest UK brands like Casumo and Spin Genie also use Boku as a banking method.

Boku was, however, designed for small transactions. Whilst £10 per payment is sufficient for most players, high rollers may find the service disappointing. As you’re charging the deposit to your phone bill, Boku also implement a strict £30 per day limit. This is because they don’t want to allow players to rack up huge bills that they then have to pay at the end of the month. It’s very responsible and actually protects your bankroll – but can be a nuisance for those with the cash to spend.

Another major downside of Boku is that it’s a one-way service. This means that whilst you can deposit easily with the service, you can’t withdraw using the same method. Again, this makes sense as any withdrawal would go back to your phone bill account, and who want’s all their winnings to be spent on texting their Mum?

Zimpler

Zimpler CasinosZimpler only launched in the UK this summer, so it’s still growing in terms of casinos that have adopted the method. That being said, the company do have partnerships with some of the most popular sites around including Leo Vegas, Thrills, BGO and Vera and John. We expect that once the method is more well known, there’ll be casinos queuing up to use the service.

Zimpler don’t impose any any deposit limits themselves so it’s at the discretion of the casino you’ve chosen. This varies, like most methods, from site to site, but in general will be about £200 – £5,000.

You cannot make withdrawals through Zimpler, however most casinos will use the service in partnership with another method such as Trustly, to deposit your winnings straight into your bank account.

Verdict: Zimpler

Zimpler have really won us over here with the fact that they don’t impose any depositing limits. It’s was a tough decision, however, seen as Boku is very popular in the UK market, although we’re sure Zimpler will catch up in due course.