Affiliate programs demanding passports and utility bills

[Engineer]

Hi all,

What do you do when an affiliate program asks you to send a copy of your passport and a utility bill in order to receive your commissions?

I had a program ask me for this last month, and it happened to me again this morning with a different program.

This is unacceptable, IMO. I run a business -- I am NOT a player -- I am not cashing out "winnings" -- so what's up with asking for proof of my identity?

Paying affiliate commissions is a marketing expense for the company -- not a case of paying winnings to a player. Companies pay other companies all the time without demanding passports or utility bills from the receiving entity, so why do certain online casinos treat affiliate commissions as if it is a player trying to collect winnings?

My first problem was solved by switching the receiving bank account to my U.S. business account. (I did not supply a copy of my passport.) The second issue remains open -- I will update this thread when I hear more (probably tomorrow).

Just curious, though -- if you have been in this situation, what did you do?

 

[Webzcas]

Like those programs who insist paying to a player account, I will and would reduce coverage of those casinos marketed by said program drastically.

We run businesses, therefore should be treated as businesses.

 

[Bonus Paradise]

This case happened to me at RTG Casinos which pay your commission into player account, really NOT happy with that.

I promote some NetEnt Casinos which also pay into player account, but there it was no problem at all to cash out affiliate commission, the system just knows it is affiliate commission. A thanks for that to CasinoLuck and ChiliCasino.

 

[inspiration]

Engineer

Intertops asked me to scan the same docoments and send those to them otherwise my player account needed to cashout commissions will remain "locked" .



Not happy at all with that program.

 

[ocportal]

I was asked the same when opening an account, I think it was domgame but not 100% sure, I didn't start working with them.

 

[WCD Admin]

Who were they? I'd like to avoid them please? That is completely ridiculous. I've never been asked for that. Player accounts suck too.

 

[lojo]

Who were they? I'd like to avoid them please? That is completely ridiculous. I've never been asked for that. Player accounts suck too.

Who were they? I'd like to avoid them please? That is completely ridiculous. I've never been asked for that. Player accounts suck too.

Well there comes a time, and I think we are in it, when the industry (cough) community (cough) has to realize this "thing" has feet and wings of its own. I am a player, and a provider of content, I have never been an affiliate though I have made lucre from good ones. But I have always been aware of the angles. I'm just that guy.

I wish I could express myself without becoming too passionate, but that has never been the case. So...

What I think is happening here is KYC is a farce perpetrated on us all. The funneling of custom has been accomplished and wtf can a player, seller or provider do?

Regulation is the bane of all things good and not for the tired reasons presented by the jaded or shills. The gig is up.

Sell me your sites for dollars on the penny and I will make you rich, run for cover now and.. hahahha... did ya miss me?

I love you one and all.

Now, what that has to do with the OIssue? Much. KYC was a powerplay you should have looked out for World Casino Directory and everyone else this is just the detritus. Deal with it oir be more proactive please, everybody?

 

[lojo]

I can be a bit daft now and then. Perhaps a personal message as to how I can make a lasting statement in my profile would help from littering threads with totally on topic things that not everyone needs to read.

NOW back to so called programs KYC'ng affiliates. I would consider any that kyc'd a sales avenue compromised and that can be discussed in private bt use your head - MGS- Intertops- sportsbook? wtf it is remedial isn't it?

 

[Daera]

I don't know why they do this.

In the past, I had some jerk get into 3 of my affiliate accounts one month and almost steal my earnings. Thankfully I caught it right before payments were done. I've also heard of some affiliate accounts that had problems amongst partners when the partners broke up and put the affiliate program in the middle. Or, could it be their processors asking for this information? Recently I had to provide a couple of programs with a non-gambling sounding email address for their new processors to pay me.

I'm not sure if any of that could be the cause. So far I haven't been asked for this.

 

[lojo]

I don't know why they do this.

In the past, I had some jerk get into 3 of my affiliate accounts one month and almost steal my earnings. Thankfully I caught it right before payments were done. I've also heard of some affiliate accounts that had problems amongst partners when the partners broke up and put the affiliate program in the middle. Or, could it be their processors asking for this information? Recently I had to provide a couple of programs with a non-gambling sounding email address for their new processors to pay me.

I'm not sure if any of that could be the cause. So far I haven't been asked for this.

Well you have been around a while and things happen. me thinx this is newish? Let's see if it is only the programs who pay to player/affiliate accounts or a trend. It makes sense if so but ... ?

 

[Engineer]

The first time this happened to me, no player account was involved. It was resolved by having the earnings sent to my business account instead of my personal account.

Businesses pay each other all the time -- certainly no reputable company will demand a copy of the CEO's passport before sending payment on services received. If they want a copy of the articles of incorporation, fine, but I certainly am not about to scatter my sensitive personal documents to dozens of affiliate programs because they are trying to process the transaction as "winnings."

The second time (yesterday), a player account was involved. Earnings were sent to the player account, and I initiated a withdrawal. I do this with 2 or 3 programs, and up until yesterday, I never had any problems -- because the companies apparently knew that it was affiliate earnings being withdrawn, not winnings.

Yesterday's issue was resolved this morning -- I was asked to email an invoice to them, which is what I did. It's a pain the butt to have to do this every month, but the revenue being generated here outweighs the annoyance.

 

[CaseyM]

I already deposited via moneybookers to withdraw my earnings from Betsson and now they want ID for the sum of... wait for it... 10 euros! (If you don't include the small sum I had to deposit to withdraw my 10)

 

[Aussie-Dave]

I've noticed this happens more often when earning can only be paid to a casino/pokerroom account. Though I have struck this one when commission was to be paid directly to web wallet.

I'm more than happy to provide my ABN (australian business number) but as Engineer and others have commented, it's a B2B arrangement.

I'm willing to have funds transfered to my business account. But anyone demanding a copy of my DL/Passport or utility bills, I'd tell em to go take a hike!

 

[Aussie-Dave]

I already deposited via moneybookers to withdraw my earnings from Betsson and now they want ID for the sum of... wait for it... 10 euros!

Yet another set of rules which is IMO totally bizarro

Correct me if I wrong here to use MB, Neteller, Click2Pay etc...etc one needs to send proof of ID. Until that is established and accepted by the web wallet you can not transfer funds, least of all obtain funds back to a web wallet.

These casinos know this. So why the doubling up on ID checking which places another risk on your indentity being comprimised - adding without any sane reason.

 

[CaseyM]

Exactly! I have already proved who I am with ID to Moneybookers! I can understand the doubling up if it was a large sum but 10 euros!

 

[vd752]

The same problem with Betsson. So I just reduced coverage for aff programs that pay ONLY to a player account.

 

[Shaun O'Neill]

Hi Guys

In my view the only reasons a program would want to send your commission to a player account is to save on any transaction costs, these can of course mount in a big way if you have you have a large affiliate base and secondly the odds would be pretty high that you would be bet/gamble your earnings so the operator is in a win win situation.

We have formed a strong policy on this I feel that affiliates are a business partner and should be treated as such so we would never allow affiliate commission to paid to a player account. To me it would be like saying to Fedex sure we will pay you but it will be to a player account somehow i dont think fedex would go for that idea.

Shaun

 

[Aussie-Dave]

secondly the odds would be pretty high that you would be bet/gamble your earnings so the operator is in a win win situation.

That's generally my take on affiliate earnings being deposited to a player account.
IMO it's just plan wrong on so many levels, not to mentional not very professional either.