A lot of the time, when you play bingo online you don’t want to pay in a huge amount to your account. This may be because you are a new player or simply want to limit your overall bingo spend. If this applies to you then we have the perfect low deposit bingo sites for you.
Where to Play for the Lowest Minimum Deposits
The following sites are where you’ll find just about the lowest minimum deposits in bingo:
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Of course, before you get claiming all of these offers have a read of the terms and conditions on the site.
What is a Minimum Deposit?
A minimum deposit is basically the minimum amount of cash that is permitted to be deposited in a single transaction on a bingo or slots site. Every site will have a minimum amount of cash that can be deposited and you will be required to meet this quota if you’re to continue playing. Different sites have different limits and we would argue that the lowest minim deposit limit that you will encounter is £5 deposit bingo.
This is common on a lot of sites as a £1 minimum deposit is extremely rare due to the fact that it costs too much for sites to implement this limit. Some sites may offer a £10 limit and this is offered across several networks so be sure to read carefully what the deposit limit is even before you create an account.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both and with a higher minimum deposit limit, you may be able to claim higher amounts of bonus cash (welcome offers). On the other hand, a low minimum deposit allows you to test out the games and features of a site with minimum risk so it really is a case of weighing up the pros and cons. Minimum deposit limits can be applied in several ways and we will go into this in more detail later on in our article.
Here are some of the offers you can get and what to expect with each:
- No Deposit – A small sum of money that you get without having to make a deposit. This allows you to play with some bonus funds but it’s generally a smaller and more restrictive offer than a deposit one.
- £5 Deposit – If you get a bonus when making a £5 deposit, you’re probably going to get a few times your deposit, though these can come with higher wagering requirements. You have to weigh this up when you compare it to a bigger deposit.
- £10 Deposit – You’re into the big leagues with a bigger deposit, which can end up affording you a higher bonus. The terms of these offers can also be reduced, as you don’t need to satisfy as many wagering requirements or different terms. You may also get a higher percentage bonus as you’re spending a big more.
With most sites, the more you spend the more you are rewarded. There are exceptions out there, but you have to thoroughly vet them to make sure there are no sneaky terms that will ruin your enjoyment of the site.
Welcome Offers
If you’re making a minimum deposit on a welcome offer, then you will probably be getting a percentage based bonus. This takes whatever you deposit and multiplies it by a set amount.
These are generally just for new players, so you can’t expect to claim it more than once. A minimum deposit can also be better for players, as you might reach an upper limit faster than you anticipate. For example, you could get a 500% bonus up to £200, this doesn’t mean you can expect to deposit £200 and get a 500% bonus – it means you can get a total of £200.
Welcome offers of all descriptions come with wagering requirements and terms. You might make a £5 deposit and win money, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to withdraw it right away. You might need to wager through the bonus more times, or make a deposit of £20 or more before you’re able to claim this money back.
Even for sites that have low wagering requirements or none at all, there are usually other terms to look into. For example, your bonus might expire or you may not be able to withdraw until you complete a certain action.
For sites that offer free spins or prize wheels, the minimum deposit tends to be £10. They’re not giving you a percentage of what you spend, but rather access to the same as all other players. Therefore, it’s not in their best interest to allow you to play with a smaller amount.
Special Promotions
Again, making just a £5 deposit might not entitle you to take part in a special promotion. Some seasonal offers require you to make a higher deposit to take part, or they may take into account all of the deposits you’ve made on the site. These offers can be “free” but you will actually have to pay money into an account to be able to take part.
It’s common to see free offers that require you to have made a deposit within the last week or month on a site. This can feel quite misleading, as it doesn’t really feel free if you have to deposit to get involved. Some of these can be really quite high too, so it would take you a long time to qualify using minimum deposits.
For example, some sites just want you to have made a deposit in the last week, but others are looking for you to have spend hundreds over the course of the promotion. This is where lower deposit players can start to feel like they’re not getting the best deal.
Redeposit Bonuses
So you’ve found a site that allows for a £5 initial deposit, but this might mean you don’t qualify for a redeposit bonus. This is important as you might miss out on funds or forfeit all bonuses if you request a withdrawal. These can be hidden terms that you’re not aware of before you get started with a site, so really root about in the promotions section to find this out.
These can also change, depending which offer they are a part of. For some offers, you can make a minimum deposit and qualify for your first three deposit offers. After that, you might just need to fork out some more cash if you want to be able to get those bonuses.
Again, these can also be tiered so that if you spend more you get more, perhaps you’ll get 100% on a £5 deposit but you’d get 200% if you splashed out with a tenner. It’s all about understanding when it makes sense to spend more money and when it doesn’t.
VIP/Loyalty
This can be a sticky wicket for players that want to play frugally, as you have to spend a certain amount to meet the loyalty level. For example, you might have to achieve a £500 spend in a month to qualify as being a high roller.
There are a couple of kinds of loyalty schemes out there. On some sites, they might take into account your total spend with them, but on others it might only matter what you have spent that month. If you don’t upkeep this level of service, then you’ll drop down to a lower level.
Lower on the ladder, you might find more incentives to deposit more, like a special deposit bonus. As you get higher on the ladder, you’ll tend to get more freebies, which you’ve already really paid in for.
Some of these tend to allow you to trade in points for prizes, rather than automatically credit you with a bonus.
The idea of these schemes is to credit those that play most often and with the most amount of money. If you’re trying to keep things frugal then you might not have a hope of getting the big rewards. It’s important to be measured in your approach and not just spend a lot more money in hopes of getting some free spins at the end of the month.
How are Minimum Deposits Applied?
Every site has its own individual deposit limit but that does not mean that the deposits are applied in the same way on every site. Almost every low deposit bingo site will offer some sort of welcome bonus and this is arguably the most common way in which minimum deposits are applied.
That is because players will deposit the minimum amount required to claim the bonus and this can be a one-off offer of anything from 100-500% in matched funds. However, other deposits may be applied over time (2nd& 3rd matched deposits) or you can even be offered a percentage on all reloads provided you have met the minimum deposit criteria.
No Deposit Bonus Vs Low Deposit Requirements
| No Deposit Bonuses | Low Deposit Bonuses |
|
|---|---|---|
| Funded Player? | No | Yes |
| Pros | No outlay required. Can play plenty of Games. Test out a site without overly committing | Access to special rooms and games as you are a funded player. Can still claim matched deposits and free spins. Wagering rules are often lower |
| Cons | Wagering rules are higher in most cases. Winnings can be capped. Can generally only claim £5-10 in no deposits bonuses. Not as easy to find anymore. | An outlay is required immediately. You may not be able to play until you deposit. There will still be wagering rules that are strict on some sites. |
Good to Know
There are plenty of things to consider when you are looking to play on low deposit sites. These change from site to site and have the potential to impact your bingo experience, so make sure you’re taking them into account.
Ticket Prices
Some good things to think about would be the general price of cards on the site. If you only plan to deposit the minimum (£5, £10 etc) then you will want to select a site that offers plenty of cheap games so that you can get the most for your deposit.
If you wanted to spend pennies, then you might just get small bonus prize pools, rather than a cash win. This is important to understand when it comes to understanding what exactly your deposit will get you and just how far it can stretch.
The Lingo
Understanding the lingo is also important and this is particularly important when it comes to real cash and bonus cash. It is crucial that you understand the differences between these especially if you choose to play on low minimum deposit bingo sites as this can affect withdrawals.
Here are some common terms that you’ll want to understand:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bingo Bonus Cash | Bonuses that need to be wagered through before they can be withdrawn. |
| Real Cash | Your balance that is made up of funds that can be withdrawn from the site. |
| Sticky Bonuses | Sticky bonuses will “stick” to the site and this means that they will be unavailable for withdrawal. |
| Cashable Bonuses | Bonuses that can be cashed out once the wagering requirement has been met. |
| Wagering | How many times you need to use your bonuses on games before it turns into cash. |
As you can see, a few changes to these words can mean a massive change to how you play, as they make it more or less realistic for you to withdraw your cash.
Payment Methods
Depending on the payment method that you use, the minimum deposit can change. This is because it can be more costly for the site to accept a small payment, as the fees actually outweigh the amount you’re depositing. Some services, like MasterCard, have a minimum fee, which means if you’re paying a small amount the site is left with the bill.
Paying by phone bill or through PayPal can give you more control over your deposit amount, as you can lower the amount easily. These can actually go to a minimum £3 deposit on some sites, so you can spend even less than £5 if you look for these.
Are there Ts and Cs I should know about?
Of course, there are terms and conditions to be aware of on every single bingo site and there are always things to consider with low deposit bingo sites. We’ve already mentioned real cash vs bonus cash so it is important that you understand what is required before you can make a withdrawal of your own. Every site will have a minimum deposit limit but also a minimum withdrawal limit to be aware of as well.
Additionally, the types of bonus that you can receive will be outlined in the T&Cs.
Some sites will claim that they offer real cash bonuses but are these really real cash if you cannot withdraw? We understand that wagering requirements have to be there to protect the sites, but it it’s literally impossible to withdraw with a bonus, we don’t think that’s very fair.
For this reason, it is very important that you read the terms and conditions so that you totally understand any restrictions that may apply on your chosen low deposit site and then you will be good to go! You want to know about these BEFORE you commit your cash to a site, as you don’t want to be in for a nasty surprise further down the line.
Don’t just look at the terms and conditions of a particular offer, look at them as they apply to the site as a whole. This is more likely to tell you if you have to wager through a lot of cash or deposit a lot of money to be able to withdraw. On some sites, you have to pay in £40 before you are able to withdraw, so it would take you a long time to get there with those small deposits.
If you’re in any doubt, get in touch with support on the site. They should be able to talk you through exactly what these terms mean and how they will affect your gaming time. If they can’t tell you, then we wouldn’t play there!
Summary
Overall, it can be better to pop a little cash into your account on a bingo site as it can give you so much more. Becoming a funded roomie comes with plenty of bonuses, even if it is only with a fiver and these deals can be much more rewarding than no deposit offers.
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