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Payfast

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Payfast
Introduction

PayFast is a South African online payment gateway provider. They enable the transfer of money from online buyers to sellers with various payment options such as credit cards, Instant EFT as well as Snapscan, Zapper and Mobicred.

The service was launched in May 2007 and today not only provides solutions for e-commerce websites but also, event ticketing and invoicing.

Payfast has also offered merchant financing in partnership with local fintech lender Retail Capital, under the Easy Advance name. The service is designed to help merchants leverage short-term working capital to grow their business without compromising cash flow — check which financing products are currently available.

Main Features

Shopping cart integration – You can integrate the Payfast secure payment gateway into your online store’s checkout process. The payment gateway can integrate with some of the most popular e-commerce platforms, including Shopify, WooCommerce, WHMCS and Magento. They also offer custom integration.

Payment methods – They support all popular payment methods, including: Credit and Cheque Card; Instant EFT; MoreTyme; Masterpass; SnapScan; Debit Card; Mobicred; Scode; Zapper.

Dashboard – Using the dashboard, business owners can view and download reports of the account balance and recent transactions. Businesses are also able to access the following dashboard features – set up and manage features like split payments, subscriptions and Easy Advance. You can also enable a variety of payment methods, including credit cards and Instant EFT and action instant refunds on the dashboards.

Subscriptions – Beyond processing single payments, businesses with a subscription or membership model can process recurring payments, monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, or annually. This process is automated and scheduled.

Pricing

Payfast charges a fee on each successful transaction. These are the rates on Payfast’s fees page in October 2026, excluding VAT:

  • Credit and cheque cards – 3.2% plus R2.00
  • Instant EFT – 2.0% (minimum R2.00)
  • Capitec Pay – 2.0% (minimum R2.00)
  • Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay – 3.2% plus R2.00
  • Store cards – 3.2% plus R2.00
  • Scan to Pay – 3.5% plus R2.00
  • SnapScan – 3.5% plus R2.00
  • Mobicred – 3.2%
  • MoreTyme – 5.5% plus R2.00
  • Payflex – 5.45% plus R5.00
  • Mukuru Pay – 3.5% plus R6.00
  • Scode – 4.5% plus R5.00
  • Zapper – 4.5% plus R5.00

A standard payout to your bank account costs a flat R8.70 excluding VAT, whatever the amount. An immediate payout costs 0.8% excluding VAT, with a minimum of R14.00. Refunds cost R2.00 excluding VAT each. Payfast lists no setup or monthly fees. Check the current rates on Payfast’s fees page before you integrate.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Experience in the market.
Wide range of payment options
Easy to set up

Cons

Transactions happen only on Payfast’s online secure payment system
Withdrawal fees
Limited outside South Africa
FAQs

Payfast uses industry-standard security protocols to protect your financial information. They also offer buyer and seller protection programs to minimize the risk of fraud.

No, Payfast offers individual accounts for personal sales or receiving payments. Business accounts come with additional features but are not mandatory.

Funds are typically available in your Payfast account within 48-72 hours after a successful transaction. You can then initiate a payout to your bank account, which may take an additional 1-2 business days.

Payfast accepts a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, Instant EFT, Mobicred, and Zapper.

Currently, Payfast only processes transactions in South African Rand (ZAR).

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