Payment service provider SafeCharge International Group Ltd. announced earlier today that its prepaid PokerStars-branded MasterCard had been launched. It allows UK-based poker players to deposit and withdraw directly from their bank accounts.
The card became available to PokerStars players based on the territory of the United Kingdom on April 16, 2015. It is expected to be introduced to various international markets at some point in future.
The StarsCard provides players with the opportunity to take advantage of a free and protected mobile and web account. They can be funded by means of vouchers, which can be purchased at retail stores, as well as a debit card or bank transfer. As mentioned above, players will be able to use their card so as to deposit or withdraw money directly to and from their PokerStars and bank accounts.
The payment service provider explained that StarsCard also makes it possible for PokerStars customers to “have single point of deposit” which combines the convenience of already existing options with new cashout features, as well as ones for sending money to family and friends. In addition, StarsCard can be used everywhere MasterCard products are accepted.
StarsCard is currently managed by Dublin-based SafeCharge Card Services Ltd., a program and issuing management subsidiary of SafeCharge. It is known to have previously introduced and managed various card and wallet solutions for Orange, Telefónica, Visa Europe, and other international clients.
Financial advisory firm Numis Securities welcomed the new product, saying that PokerStars customers’ transactions will be cheaper for both the card room and its players. Yet, as analysts pointed out, it will take quite some time before they could determine whether the product is a successful one.
According to them, the United Kingdom currently offers a wide selection of payment methods and it is not the best location for such a product to be tested. This is why analysts stated that they will wait until StarsCard is introduced to other markets, in order to provide their assessment of the product.
In a separate statement from earlier today, SafeCharge announced that Ali Khwaja has been appointed as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Khwaja is currently taking the position of Executive Vice President of SafeCharge Group and Chief Executive Officer of SafeCharge Card Services.
The company also stated that its main Board is to be expanded, as a new strategic position – Business Development Director – will be created and Tim Mickley, currently Chief Financial Officer of the Group, will be appointed to it.
