Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure for more info.
In This Post:
- What is Skrill?
- How Skrill Works
- Pros and Cons
- What countries can use Skrill?
- What is the Skrill Loyalty Program?
- How does Skrill work with Crypto?
- What is Skrill Payment?
- What is the Skrill Wallet?
- Is Skrill Safer than PayPal?
- Final Thoughts
- Where to Use Skrill (formerly Moneybookers)
- List of Sites & Online Stores that Accept Skrill for Payment
What is Skrill?
If you’re familiar with PayPal, you’ll understand Skrill. It’s a PayPal competitor, allowing you to send and receive money from people worldwide. It started as a focus in the gambling industry in 2001 when PayPal stopped allowing the use of its service for that purpose. Today, it’s a digital wallet service you can use to pay for just about anything or to send money to anyone.
Keep reading as we learn more about what is Skrill and if Skrill is safe to use!
How Skrill Works
Like most payment services, it’s fast and free to sign up for Skrill. Just download the app or sign up online. When you click ‘sign up’, you’ll enter your name, country, email address, and the currency you use.
It can take a few days to verify your account, so have some patience as Skrill does its required due diligence before creating your account.
Once approved, you can then fund your account either using your Skrill wallet on your mobile phone or by linking a payment account online. You can specify where you want the funds to come from and they arrive instantly.
When you set up the payment, you’ll direct the payment to yourself (you are the payee). Of course, if you’re sending money directly to someone else, you can enter their information too and bypass funding your account at this time.
Before you click ‘Confirm’ make sure you read the fine print. If you’re sending money in a currency different than the recipient uses, there may be an exchange rate fee. Once you’re happy with the details, complete the transaction.
Pros and Cons
Like any financial website, there are pros and cons of using Skrill. Here’s what you must know.
Pros:
-
They take safety seriously
Wondering if Skrill is safe? Skrill is completely safe to use. Skrill is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and has strict rules all users must follow. Security is up to you too, though. Make sure to keep your user ID and password private, don’t log into your account on a public server, and use two-factor authentication.
-
Works online and as an app
You can access your Skrill account from a computer or mobile device with the app downloaded. You’ll see your information in real-time, making it easy to manage your funds from anywhere.
-
Includes a prepaid card
Each user gets a prepaid card that you can use to access your funds at an ATM or use to pay for purchases at the register.
Cons:
-
The verification process can take time
It’s not the fault of Skrill but verifying your identity could take some time with Skrill which means you can’t use your account immediately.
-
Customer service is limited to existing customers
You can’t get a hold of customer service to ask questions or find out more about Skrill until you are an existing customer.
What countries can use Skrill?
Skrill is based in the UK, which is why online gambling payments are acceptable because it’s legal there. But for other online payment services, Skrill is available in most countries, including the United States.
There is a long list of non-serviceable countries. Keep in mind, though, if you send or receive money from another country, there is a 4.99% transaction fee and the currency exchanged must be the same.
What is the Skrill Loyalty Program?
Skrill’s loyalty program, called Knect, allows you to earn points that you can redeem for cash rewards. For every dollar of your transaction, you’ll earn 1 point. You can also earn 1 point for every $1 you spend with the Skrill Visa Prepaid Card.
How does Skrill work with Crypto?
If you’ve always wanted to get into investing in crypto but didn’t know where to start, Skrill is a great place to start. If you already have a Skrill account, you’re halfway there. Once you open a free Skrill account, you can buy and sell crypto, managing your portfolio in real-time and even setting up conditional orders so your transactions go through when your trigger prices hit without the risk of you missing them. You can buy Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin with Skrill currently.
What is Skrill Payment?
Skrill Payment is the way you send and receive funds in seconds without sharing your bank account information. You simply log into your Skrill account and enter the email of the person or company you’re sending money to, and the money is sent instantly to one of 40 countries.
Skrill is accepted by most gaming sites worldwide, as well as by users everywhere. You can fund your account by linking your bank account or credit card and then can use the funds to send to others.
You can also receive funds from people worldwide and either leave the funds in your Skrill account or transfer them to your bank account.
What is the Skrill Wallet?
Businesses that add Skrill Wallet to their accepted payment options can connect with worldwide users, making it easier to keep customers on their website and paying instantly rather than abandoning their shopping cart because of the payment methods allowed.
Skrill Wallet offers businesses chargeback protection, the chance to connect with millions of Skrill users around the world, fast conversion rates from browsing to buying, 1-tap payment options, and fraud management.
Is Skrill Safer than PayPal?
PayPal and Skrill offer similar services, but they have different purposes, and both are safe. If you’re using the service to pay for services online, PayPal is usually the best option, but if you’re looking for a safe and affordable digital wallet, Skrill is often the better choice.
Final Thoughts
Skrill can help you send and receive money worldwide in 40 different currencies. Like any payment service, there are fees, so make sure you’re aware of them before using it. The service can help you send and receive money, withdraw funds using the prepaid Visa card, and transfer funds directly to your bank account.