Solo Casinos

Solo Introduction

The 1st of July 1997 saw the release of the Solo Debit card. Its release was planned and executed by the Switch Card Scheme which is now known as Maestro. The Solo card is generally known to be the sister of the Maestro debit card. The Solo card is designed for everyday use to purchase goods and services. There are over 5.3 million Solo cards in circulation today, and it is very popular among the younger generation, people who have never had a debit card before and people who do not meet the requirements to obtain a Maestro card.

The Solo debit card is can only be verified electronically, and is very similar to its biggest rival: the Visa Electron debit card. Banks like the NatWest bank as well as the Royal Bank of Scotland have been known to issue the Solo card as a multifunction card to deposit account holders who are older than 11, whereas the HSBC bank has fixed the minimum age at 13. Most banks are willing to issue this card more freely than other debit cards because before each transaction is approved, the current funds available in the cardholder’s account are checked, and the fund transfer is accepted only if the customer possesses sufficient credit to make the purchase.

How does Solo Work?

The Solo debit card is processed through the same system that processes the Maestro card. There are some vendors who take additional steps to be able to differentiate between the two cards on certain transactions in order to ensure that their clients are above 18.

The Solo card makes purchasing over the internet simple. Once the cardholder enters the card number, the transaction is then dispatched electronically to the issuing bank to confirm that the card holder possesses sufficient funds to make the purchase. After a purchase has been made, the transaction usually takes a day or two before it is reflected in the purchaser’s deposit account. With a Solo debit card it is also possible to make withdrawals with relative ease.

The fact that is the sister card of the Maestro means that the Solo card has the added benefits of the comprehensive security features of the Maestro card, and cardholders can confidently place their complete trust in this card.

Solo Pros and Cons

The biggest problem with the Solo card is that it is not accepted in many places, but recently the number of merchants that are willing to accept the solo card have increased dramatically. Another problem with using a credit or debit card in an online casino is that there is a high risk of the transaction being rejected, and since the card is freely available to minors, casinos with a strict no under 18s policy are sometimes unwilling to accept Solo cards.

Apart from these minor deficiencies, the Solo card has many advantages making it the first choice for many online customers. The chief among its advantages is the fact that the Solo Debit Card ensures that you spend within your means as transactions that require funds that are more than the available balance in your account will not be approved. Banks who issue Solo Cards are willing to issue these cards to people regardless of their credit history and credit ratings.