What is Sofort?

Sofort is a Klarna-owned online-banking payment method, popular in Germany and Austria, that lets casino players deposit directly from their bank account without a credit or debit card. During checkout the player is redirected to a secure Sofort screen, selects their bank, and confirms the payment using their normal online-banking login and a transaction PIN or TAN. Sofort verifies the transfer in real time, so the casino sees the deposit as instant and credits the balance immediately, even though the funds settle through the standard SEPA network afterwards. Because it draws straight from a bank account, Sofort suits players who prefer not to expose card details or hold an e-wallet, though it has no stored balance of its own and cannot be used to receive withdrawals. Worked example: you open a EUR 100 deposit at a casino, choose Sofort, and are sent to its portal. You pick your German bank, log in with your online-banking credentials, and approve the transfer with a TAN. The full EUR 100 lands in your casino wallet within seconds, typically with no Sofort fee to the player. To cash out any winnings you must then nominate an alternative method, most often a direct bank transfer, because Sofort is deposit-only. For affiliates and players, note that Sofort acceptance is shrinking as Klarna migrates users toward its unified checkout, so always confirm the casino's current banking page lists it before recommending or relying on it. Being bank-linked, deposits also fall squarely within KYC and source-of-funds checks. Compare with Klarna, Trustly, iDEAL and bank transfer.