If you deposited using a credit card and noticed your bank charged a cash advance fee, here's what's happening and what you can do about it.
What Is a Cash Advance Fee?
When you deposit via credit card on Splash Sports, your bank or card issuer may classify the transaction as a cash advance rather than a standard purchase. Cash advances typically carry:
A cash advance fee (often 3–5% of the transaction, or a flat minimum)
A higher interest rate that begins accruing immediately (no grace period)
This is a decision made entirely by your card issuer — Splash Sports does not charge cash advance fees and has no control over how your bank classifies the transaction.
Why Does This Happen?
Many banks automatically flag deposits to gaming or fantasy sports platforms as cash advances. This is a bank-level policy and varies widely by issuer. Some credit cards never do this; others do it every time.
How to Avoid Cash Advance Fees
The simplest way to avoid this is to not use a credit card for deposits. All of the following methods are accepted and don't trigger cash advance fees:
Debit card — processed as a standard purchase
PayPal or Venmo — processed through those platforms, not directly as a card transaction
ACH / Online Banking — direct bank transfer, no card involved
Apple Pay — if linked to a debit card, avoids the cash advance classification
Already Been Charged? Here's What to Do
Contact your card issuer directly — some banks will waive the fee as a one-time courtesy, especially for new customers or cardholders in good standing. Splash Sports cannot issue a refund for fees charged by your bank, as we never received that money.
If you want to switch to a fee-free deposit method going forward, simply make your next deposit via debit card, PayPal, or Venmo to link that method to your account.
Questions? Email support@splashsports.com.