What Is Sofortüberweisung and How it Dominates Online Casino Payments?
Sofortüberweisung (often shortened to “Sofort”) is a bank-based payment method that allows direct online transfers between your bank account and the merchant – or in this case, your online casino. Unlike traditional bank transfers, which may take days to clear, Sofort transactions are completed in real time. Klarna’s acquisition of Sofort brought enhanced encryption and PSD2 compliance, making it one of the most regulated instant transfer methods on the market.
Sofort works by connecting directly to your online banking portal through a secure interface. You authorize the transaction using your regular banking credentials (PIN + TAN or mobile app confirmation). Klarna then confirms the payment to the casino immediately, allowing you to start playing without waiting for funds to arrive.
🎯 Fun fact: Sofortüberweisung was one of the first services to use web scraping for bank verification, long before PSD2 made open banking a European standard.
History of Sofortüberweisung
2005 – Sofort GmbH is founded in Gauting, Germany.
2008 – Expands across the EU, introducing Sofort Ident and Sofort Paycode.
2014 – Acquired by Klarna, Sweden’s fintech powerhouse.
2019 – Becomes an officially regulated payment initiation service under BaFin.
2024 – Full integration with Klarna completes, merging brand and backend systems.
Since then, Klarna Sofortüberweisung has become the default instant banking tool across German-speaking countries, while gaining traction in Northern and Eastern Europe for online casino payments.