iDebit Canada – A Trusted Arbiter of Secure iGaming Payments
iDebit is a payment processing network that creates a systematic link between consumers and online merchants. Users are privy to direct connection between their online banking account and the online merchant’s checkout page. It enables real-time payments in a secure environment, without a credit card, debit card, or the need to share sensitive information.
One of the most appealing features of iDebit for Canada’s vast online gambling community is its wide range of availability. Merchants love iDebit for expanding their global reach. Consumers love the bank-level security it provides. Both parties can appreciate the sheer convenience of real-time payment confirmation. In the iGaming industry, it means players get instant access to their cash, because online casinos know the money is on the way.
If this sounds like the kind of payment method you’d be interested in, keep reading. We’ll teach you all about this exceptional online banking system, including how to deposit and withdrawal with iDebit, and which trusted Canadian casinos accept it. The table below will help you with quick navigation. Thanks for visiting, and remember to always gamble responsibly.
iDebit Canada – Table of Contents
What Is iDebit?
iDebit is an online banking service available exclusively in the Canadian market. Established in 2013, the payment solution company is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Its services are available at checkout on thousands of eCommerce websites. Participating merchants include everything from local businesses and utility companies, to international online casinos.
iDebit is incredibly similar to Interac, in that it’s a payment system established exclusively for major Canadian banks. Its reach, however, is not so elaborate. iDebit payments are supported only by the nation’s largest financial institutions, including all of the Big Five, and a few others (more on this below). What separates iDebit from Interac is that users have the option to register with iDebit.
To Register or Not to Register…?
Registering an account with iDebit is entirely optional, but it does come with some benefits. For one thing, it transforms the account from a basic intermediary to an an eWallet of sorts. Instead of just transmitting data through iDebit to conceal your banking info from online casinos and merchants, you’ll be able to upload funds to an iDebit balance, and receive payments (i.e. request casino withdrawals).
The ability to use iDebit for casino cashouts is the biggest reason most Canadian iGamers choose to register. We do recommend it, for convenience purposes, but the choice is entirely yours.
Who Can Use iDebit Payments?
iDebit is available to anyone 18+ years of age that has an online banking account with one of their participating banks. The list below is current as of writing, but may not be current as of your reading. Please see the official list of iDebit Participating Banks for the most up to date list.
- Bank of Montreal (BMO)
- Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
- Desjardins
- National Bank
- Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
- Scotiabank
- Simplii Financial (formerly PCF)
- TD Canada Trust
You’ll know if iDebit is available as a payment method at your favorite online caisnos or merchant websites, because it will appear on the deposit or checkout page, alongside other standard payment options like credit/debit card, Interac, etc.
How Secure is iDebit Instant Banking?
As a facilitator of online payments for Canada’s Big Five and others, it should come as no surprise that iDebit boasts “bank-level security”. What does that mean exactly? It means iDebit’s security measures and protocols mimic that of government-regulated banks. Such institutions integrate the highest standard security encryption technologies available.
Long story short – your information is as safe as any online financial transaction possibly can be. If you use online banking to pay bills, you already trust iDebit’s level of security.
Can I Gamble Anonymously with iDebit?
No. As a part of Canada’s national banking system, government regulations require documentation of all iDebit transactions. Even though you can checkout as guest, you will log in to your online bank account to complete the purchase. Information is recorded regarding both parties – sender and recipient (i.e. depositor and online casino). Thus, all transactions will appear on your bank statement.
How Fast are iDebit Deposits? – Instant!
iDebit payments complete in real-time. The moment you confirm a payment, the recipient receives confirmation that the money is on its way. If you’re depositing with an online casino, you’ll be instantly credited with the money in your account balance. The casinos won’t actually receive that money for a few days, but knowing it’s coming, operators are more than happy to give their players immediate credit.
Withdrawals aren’t quite as fast, partly because online casinos take 12-48 hours to actually process your payment. Once they do, the money will appear in your iDebit account within a few hours at most. Then, if you want to send that money on to your bank, you’ll have to wait an additional 1-3 business days.
Cost of iDebit Canada – Rates and Fees
iDebit is not a free service, but it’s not an expensive one either. All fees are charged as flat rates, not percentages, so the value of using iDebit depends entirely on the size of your payments. A $50 deposit or withdrawal costs the same as a $500 deposit or withdrawal.
Registering an iDebit account is free. It’s also optional, if you’d prefer to checkout as guest. Depositing from your iDebit account balance is also free, as are payments received to your iDebit account. However, making a payment directly from your online banking account, or sending money from your iDebit account to your bank, will incur a fee.
The following is a basic breakdown of iDebit fees. Please see the iDebit FAQ for more information.
| iDebit Services | Fee (CA$) |
| Account Registration (Optional) | Free |
| Make a Payment from Online Banking | $1.50 |
| Make a Payment form iDebit Balance | Free |
| Transfer Funds from Merchant to iDebit Balance | Free |
| Transfer Funds from iDebit Balance to Bank | $2.00 |
How to Make a Casino Deposit with iDebit
iDebit Payments are hardly any different than using your own online banking service. The only difference – you don’t have to share the details of your bank with the online casino.
What happens after choosing iDebit as your alternative payment method depends on whether you have an account with iDebitPayments, or you’re checking out as a guest. I’m providing two step-by-step walk throughs – one for each scenario.
How to Deposit with iDebit – For Account Holders
| Order of Steps | In Detail |
| 1. Login to Casino | Login to the online casino you want to make a deposit at. |
| 2. Visit the Cashier | Make your way to the Cashier/Banking section of the website. |
| 3. Choose Deposit | Choose to make a deposit. |
| 4. Select iDebit | From the list of available deposit methods, choose iDebit. |
| 5. Enter Amount | Enter the amount of money you want to deposit and press the corresponding button to initiate the payment. |
| 6. Login to iDebit | You’ll be redirected to the iDebitPayments website to login to your iDebit account. Enter your email/username and password and press Log In. |
| 7. Choose Source | As a registered member of iDebit, you will have the option to pay with your iDebit balance (if sufficient), or pay from a bank account. Note that you cannot split the payment between two sources; it’s one or the other. |
| 7a. Pay w/ iDebit | If your iDebit balance has sufficient funds to cover the deposit, you can choose this method. Skip ahead to Step 8. |
| 7b. Pay w/ Bank | If your iDebit balance is not sufficient, or if you don’t want to use funds from your iDebit account, you can choose to pay through your bank. In this case, you’ll choose your Bank name from a list, then log in to your online banking account as usual. |
| 8. Confirm Details | Look over the details of the payment. If everything looks correct, Confirm the payment. |
| Success! | Assuming you’ve followed the instructions correctly, the funds should appear in your online casino account within a few minutes at most. |
How to Deposit with iDebit – Checkout as Guest
| Order of Steps | In Detail |
| 1. Login to Casino | Login to the online casino you want to make a deposit at. |
| 2. Visit the Cashier | Make your way to the Cashier/Banking section of the website. |
| 3. Choose Deposit | Choose to make a deposit. |
| 4. Select iDebit | From the list of available deposit methods, choose iDebit. |
| 5. Enter Amount | Enter the amount of money you want to deposit and press the corresponding button to initiate the payment. |
| 6. Choose Bank | You’ll be redirected to the iDebitPayments website, where you’ll elect to Checkout as Guest. Doing so will prompt you to choose your Bank from a list of iDebit Participating Banks |
| 7. Login to Bank | You’ll be redirected once more, this time to your bank’s website. Log in to your online banking account as you normally would. |
| 8. Confirm Details | Look over the details of the payment. If everything looks correct, Confirm the payment. |
| Success! | Assuming you’ve followed the instructions correctly, the funds should appear in your online casino account within a few minutes at most. |
How to Cash Out with iDebit
So long as you’ve registered an iDebit account (and the online casino permits iDebit cashouts), you will have the option to withdrawal to iDebit. The funds you receive will go into your iDebit balance. From there, you can use the funds to make further purchases and/or casino deposits online, or you can send that money back to your bank account.
To initiate an online casino withdrawal with iDebit, follow these steps.
| Order of Steps | In Detail |
| 1. Login to Casino | Login to the online casino you want to cash out winnings from. |
| 2. Visit the Cashier | Make your way to the Cashier/Banking section of the website. |
| 3. Choose Withdrawal | Choose to make a withdrawal. |
| 4. Select iDebit | From the list of available cashout methods, choose iDebit. |
| 5. Enter Amount | Input the amount of money you want to withdrawal. |
| 6. Login to iDebit | Follow any prompts, then – once redirected to the iDebitPayments website – log in to your iDebit account. Here, you’ll choose whether to receive the funds directly into iDebit (if you have an iDebit account), or have them sent on to your bank account. |
| 7. Confirm Details | Look over the details of the payment, and if all looks good, press the corresponding button to Confirm. |
| Success! | Assuming you’ve followed all directions correctly, your withdrawal will be processed by the casino in due time (avg. 12-48hrs). Once processed, the money will either appear in your iDebit account in a few hours, or in your bank account in 3-5 business days. |
List of Recommended iDebit Casinos
The eCheckCasinos.ca team takes online gambling very seriously. When I say serious, I mean we don’t skimp on things like security and regulation. We investigate every online casino before signing up or depositing, and we never recommend an online casino we don’t personally have a real-money gambling account with. That being said…
The list below includes all trusted Canadian casinos that accept iDebit deposits and/or withdrawals. Click on any casino from the list to read a complete feature review.
| iDebit Canada Casinos | For Deposit | Withdrawal |
| Jackpot City | Yes | Yes |
| Spin Casino | Yes | Yes |
| Royal Vegas | Yes | Yes |
Did You Know? Gambling is Believed to Date Back to Paleolithic (Unwritten) Era
For obvious reasons, there is no era-specific documentation to prove that gambling dates as far back as the Paleolithic Era (which, by definition, predates written history). However, there is some evidence to support the theory, based on a number of relative factors.
We know that the first six-sided dice appeared around 3,000 B.C. in Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq). According to some of the oldest texts in the world, these six-sided dice were derived from a much older practice known as Astragalomancy, which predates written history (~3,100 B.C.) by thousands of years.
Astragalomancy is an archaic form of Cleromancy, or divination by the casting of lots. It originated with the tossing of knucklebones from small animals. Over time, bones were replaced with hand-crafted objects, until eventually six-sided dice were introduced.
While we can prove that knucklebones and other objects were being tossed so very long ago, we can’t exactly prove that they were used for gambling. However, human nature has not changed over the ages. It’s easy enough to imagine life in the Stone Age included risking clothing, food or anything else of value on the outcome of a contest, whether it be speed, strength, endurance, or the tossing of bones.
