PartyPoker Removes Almost All Cashout Fees

PartyPoker has waived fees for all players cashing out via the following methods:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• Bank transfer
• Paypal
• Maestro
• Kalixa Pay
• ClickandBuy
• Goplay Prepaid Mastercard

Currently the 6th highest trafficked online poker room, PartyPoker stated ‘listening to the players is central to our ongoing strategy‘.

In a TwoPlusTwo forum post user ‘Party_Rep’ explained the decision to remove the processing fees was in response to feedback highlighting withdrawal fees as a contentious issue.

eWallet Fees Remain

PartyPoker implemented a 3% withdrawal fee for eWallets such as Skrill, Neteller and WebMoney in 2013.

eWallets are less commonly used by casual players, so at the time that move was seen as part of the general move towards a recreational player model.

At the current time this fee is still in place but Partygaming is said to be in negotiations to have the fee lowered.

Other RoW facing rooms such as PokerStars and Full Tilt do not charge for eWallet cashouts.

PartyPoker introduced the 3% fee around the time many players were abusing a 1.5% cashback promotion run by Skrill. PokerStars and other sites detected this and stopped running the promotion, but didn’t raise fees. 

PokerStars also allows players to request higher deposit and withdrawal limits.

PartyPoker & The Recreational Player Model

PartyPoker has had an interesting history of changes and updates, in its transition towards favoring a recreational player model.

• Aug 24, 2011 – PartyGaming switched from the dealt rake method to weighted contributed
• Nov 1, 2011 – PartyGaming introduced anonymous tables and rabbit hunting features
• July 17, 2012 – PartyGaming removed HSNL and PLO stakes above $5/$10, to benefit player ecology. Some $10/$20 has since been added back in Sep 2014, although as ‘casual tables‘
• Aug 13, 2012 – PartyGaming launched it’s fast fold poker format, FastForward Poker
• Nov 22, 2012 – PartyGaming removed some game selection filters in the client
• Apr 1, 2013 – PartyGaming capped effective rakeback at 30%, by removing the top tier of their VIP program, ‘Palladium Elite’. Previously the Palladium Elite VIP level had allowed for up to 50% rakeback
• June 15, 2013 – PartyGaming lowered the value of Palladium bonuses in the PartyPoint store and removed the instant cash options of up to 30% rakeback
• Sep 6, 2013 – PartyPoker launched its new software, with player achievements and missions.
  
• Oct 1, 2013 – PartyGaming removed an experimental protocol that had segregated the playerpool
• May 21, 2014 – PartyGaming launched the aforementioned ‘casual tables‘
• March 1, 2015 – PartyPoker lowered the points requirements for reaching each VIP level and reintroduced instant cash options, at up to 22.2% rakeback. Bonuses were then removed.