Instant EFT
Instant EFT is the deposit method most South African bettors use, and the reason is simple: you pay straight from your own bank, the money reflects in seconds, and nothing sensitive ever touches the betting site. You pick Instant EFT in the cashier, log into your bank exactly as you normally would, approve the payment, and your Scorebet wallet updates almost immediately. No card numbers, no waiting for a transfer to clear overnight.
How an Instant EFT deposit works, step by step
The flow is short and the same every time:
- In the Scorebet cashier, choose Instant EFT and enter the amount you want to deposit, in rand.
- You’re handed to a secure payment page where you select your bank from the list.
- You log in with your normal online-banking details — on your bank’s page, not Scorebet’s.
- You approve the payment (often with a one-time PIN from your bank), and you’re done.
The deposit reflects in your wallet within seconds, and you’re betting. The whole thing takes about as long as paying for groceries online.
Which banks it works with
Instant EFT covers the banks most South Africans actually use — FNB, Standard Bank, Absa, Nedbank, Capitec, TymeBank and others. Because you authenticate inside your own bank, there’s no special setup: if you have working online banking, Instant EFT works for you. The live list of supported banks shows in the cashier the moment you pick the method, so there’s never any guesswork about whether yours is covered.
If you bank specifically with Capitec, you’ve also got Capitec Pay as an even quicker one-tap route from the app — both land in seconds, so it comes down to which flow you prefer.
Why it reflects so fast
A card deposit travels through the card networks and a bank authorisation before it lands. Instant EFT skips all of that — it’s a direct bank-to-merchant push, confirmed in real time. That’s why the money is in your wallet almost as soon as you approve it. A worked example: deposit R200 by Instant EFT and, the moment your bank confirms the payment, R200 is sitting in your Scorebet balance ready to bet. There’s no holding period on a successful Instant EFT.
On the rare occasion a deposit doesn’t show straight away, it’s almost always because the payment is still pending on the bank’s side rather than anything lost. Our guide on why a deposit may not reflect covers exactly what to check.
Is it safe?
This is where Instant EFT genuinely beats handing over a card. You never type your bank login on the betting site — you’re redirected to your bank’s own secure gateway to authorise the payment, then sent back. Scorebet sees that the payment succeeded; it never sees your banking password, your card number, or your account details. It’s the same trusted rail used for everyday online shopping in South Africa, and it’s the main reason so many bettors prefer it. You’ll find Instant EFT at the top of the deposit options in the Scorebet cashier.
Deposit by Instant EFT, then keep it clean
Use the bank you actually hold an account with, deposit an amount you’ve planned to spend, and let the payment confirm before you re-try if it looks slow. One more thing to do early: complete FICA verification so that when you go to withdraw your winnings, nothing’s holding up the payout. Instant EFT is live now in the Scorebet cashier.
Frequently asked
Which banks work with Instant EFT?
Instant EFT supports the major South African banks — including FNB, Standard Bank, Absa, Nedbank, Capitec and TymeBank. You log into your own bank during the payment, so it works with whatever account you already have. The exact bank list is shown in the Scorebet cashier when you choose Instant EFT.
How long does an Instant EFT deposit take to reflect?
Seconds, in almost every case. Because the payment is pushed straight from your banking session rather than going through a card network, your Scorebet balance updates as soon as the bank confirms it. If it ever sits longer, the payment is usually still pending on the bank's side.
Is Instant EFT safe for betting deposits?
Yes. You enter your banking login on your bank's own secure page, not on the betting site, so Scorebet never sees your bank password or account credentials. It's the same secure rail used for online shopping across South Africa.
Is Instant EFT actually a real-time bank transfer, or something else?
It is not a same-second interbank transfer in the technical sense — the underlying EFT still settles between banks on the normal cycle. What the Instant EFT provider does is confirm in real time that the payment was authorised in your banking session, and tell Scorebet to credit you immediately on that confirmation. So your wallet fills in seconds because the operator trusts the verified instruction, while the money itself clears between banks shortly after.
Does Instant EFT work if I bank by app rather than internet banking on a browser?
The provider hands you to your bank's online-banking login, so you authorise with your normal internet-banking credentials and one-time PIN rather than inside your standalone banking app. If you only ever use the app and have never set up online banking, you may need to activate it first, or reach for Capitec Pay or a voucher instead. Most SA banks enable both, but they are separate logins.