Payment Gateways in South Africa: Yoco, PayFast, Peach Payments and Paystack Compared
If you’re setting up an online store in South Africa, choosing a payment gateway is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Get it wrong and customers abandon checkout. Get it right and you’ve removed one of the biggest barriers between a browsing visitor and a completed sale.
South Africa has a handful of reputable local payment gateways, each with different strengths, fee structures, and target business types. The four you’ll hear about most often are Yoco, PayFast, Peach Payments and Paystack. Here’s how they actually compare, with every fee and feature checked against each provider’s own documentation.
Quick Answer: What Does Each Gateway Charge per Transaction?
For a local card payment online, on each provider’s own published rates (headline fees re-checked on 6 October 2026, all excluding VAT):
| Gateway | Local card fee | Monthly fee | Often chosen for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yoco (Core plan, online) | About 2.80% (2.30% card machine rate plus 0.5% online) | R0 on Core (R249 Plus, R499 Pro) | Businesses that also take card payments in person |
| PayFast | 3.2% + R2.00 | None on the published rate card | WooCommerce stores and broad local payment options |
| Peach Payments (Growth plan) | 2.95% + R1.50 | No setup or monthly fee | Subscriptions and higher volumes |
| Paystack | 2.9% + R1.00 | No upfront or monthly fee | One flat published rate and free payouts |
On a R500 card sale that works out to R18.00 on PayFast, R16.25 on Peach and R15.50 on Paystack, before VAT. The full fee table and the feature comparison are further down. Rates change, so confirm on the provider’s page before you sign up.
We build the stores and platforms these gateways plug into, so this guide is written from the integration side. If you already know you need a site that takes payments, tell us what you sell and we will recommend the gateway and build around it.
What Is a Payment Gateway and Why Does It Matter?
PayFast is one of South Africa’s longest established online payment providers and a common default for WooCommerce stores, offering card payments, Instant EFT, SnapScan, and broad consumer recognition. Yoco suits small businesses that also need in-person card payments, since it handles both physical and online transactions under one provider. Peach Payments is aimed at higher-volume businesses needing subscription billing, multi-currency processing, or negotiated enterprise rates. Paystack, a Stripe company, offers one flat published rate, free payouts and developer-friendly APIs. All four operate within PCI DSS requirements, though the exact certification level and scope differs by provider.
A payment gateway is the technology that securely processes payments on your website. When a customer enters their card details or chooses an EFT at your checkout, the gateway encrypts that information, communicates with the customer’s bank, authorises (or declines) the transaction, and returns the result to your store.
Your gateway choice affects:
- Which payment methods your customers can use (card, EFT, QR code, instant EFT, etc.)
- How much you pay per transaction (fees vary meaningfully between providers)
- How quickly funds reach your bank account (payout schedules differ)
- How easily it integrates with your platform (WooCommerce, Shopify, etc.)
- How much your customers trust the checkout (recognisable, local brands matter)
Yoco: The Small Business Favourite
Yoco has been operating in South Africa since 2015, starting as a card machine provider for small businesses - the portable card reader that lets you accept in-person payments at markets, pop-ups, and shops. It has since added an online gateway, payment links and invoices, so one account covers the till and the website.
Strengths:
- Card machines, online checkout, payment links and click-to-pay invoices from one provider
- Accepts local and international cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay online, plus Instant EFT (2% excluding VAT, according to Yoco)
- Official WooCommerce plugin and Shopify app, both built by Yoco
- Card machine and online turnover combine to reach lower fee tiers
Limits to know about: Yoco’s own gateway FAQ states that it “doesn’t currently support subscriptions or recurring billing” and that it only supports ZAR. Capitec Pay, SnapScan and buy now pay later are not listed as online payment methods.
Fee structure: Yoco publishes card machine rates on its fees page and states that “online transactions cost 0.5% more than card machine fees”. As checked on 23 September 2026, card machine rates on the free Core plan are 2.30% for local debit and credit cards on your first R50,000 a month, which puts online card payments at about 2.80%. The paid Plus (R249 a month) and Pro (R499 a month) plans lower the base rate, and debit card rates drop further between R50,000 and R200,000 a month. Yoco’s rates are quoted excluding VAT, and it lets you combine card machine and online turnover to reach the lower tiers.
Payout timing: Yoco’s standard payout reflects in your account after 1 to 2 business days, bank dependent, and it offers paid faster payout options.
Best suited for: Small to medium businesses, particularly those who already use Yoco in-person and want a unified payment solution, or businesses just starting out with online sales.
PayFast: The Established SA Gateway
PayFast was founded in 2007, which makes it one of the longest established local gateways. It was acquired by Network International in 2021 and now trades as Payfast by Network.
Strengths:
- The broadest list of payment methods of the four: cards, Instant EFT, Capitec Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, SnapScan, Scan to Pay, Zapper, Scode, store cards, and buy now pay later through Payflex, MoreTyme and Mobicred
- Subscriptions and card tokenisation, with a recurring payments API
- Split payments, which share part of each payment with a third party, useful for platforms listing several sellers
- Multi-currency pricing, where the buyer sees their own currency and you are paid in rand
- Payment requests by email, and its own card machines for in-person sales
- A WooCommerce plugin maintained by WooCommerce itself, and a Shopify app by PayFast
Fee structure: PayFast (now branded Payfast by Network) publishes a full rate card on its fees page. As checked on 23 September 2026, card payments cost 3.2% plus R2.00 per transaction, Instant EFT and Capitec Pay cost 2.0% with a R2.00 minimum, and Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay are charged at the card rate. SnapScan and Scan to Pay are 3.5% plus R2.00. Withdrawing to your bank costs R8.70 per payout regardless of value, an immediate payout costs 0.8% with a R14.00 minimum, and each refund costs R2.00. All PayFast fees are quoted excluding VAT, and there is no monthly fee on the published rate card.
Payout timing: A standard payout typically takes 1 to 2 working days. Immediate payout, for eligible bank accounts, typically lands within minutes for the fee above.
Best suited for: South African e-commerce stores of any size. If you want the broadest payment method coverage including Instant EFT and buy now pay later, PayFast is a strong default.
Peach Payments: Enterprise-Grade Processing
Peach Payments operates at a different level to Yoco and PayFast. It’s primarily aimed at medium to large businesses, enterprises, and platforms processing higher transaction volumes. That said, they do work with growing businesses that need more sophisticated capabilities.
Strengths:
- Multi-currency processing, with the currencies available depending on how your account is configured
- Tokenisation - securely stores card details for recurring billing and one-click purchases
- Recurring payments and subscription billing through a dedicated API
- Buy now pay later through PayJustNow, Payflex, Float, ZeroPay and Happy Pay, plus Scan to Pay QR payments
- Payment links sent by email, WhatsApp and SMS, a payouts API, and point of sale devices
- A network of multiple acquiring banks, which Peach positions as reducing reliance on a single acquirer
- Official WooCommerce plugin and a Shopify app, both built by Peach
Fee structure: Peach Payments now publishes a Growth plan on its fees page. As checked on 23 September 2026, local Mastercard, Visa and Amex cards cost 2.95% plus R1.50 per transaction, international cards 3.50% plus R1.50, Pay by Bank and Capitec Pay 1.50% plus R1.50, and Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay 2.95% plus R1.50. On 6 October 2026 the fees page also stated that all prices exclude VAT and that the Growth plan has no setup or monthly fees. Larger businesses move to an Enterprise plan with custom volume-based rates.
Payout timing: Peach lists settlement as free and automated, daily, on the next business day.
Best suited for: Businesses with higher transaction volumes, those needing subscription billing or tokenised card storage, multi-currency requirements, or complex integration needs. Also suitable for platforms and marketplaces.
Paystack: Flat Pricing and Developer-First
Paystack is a Stripe company with offices in Lagos, San Francisco and Cape Town, among others. Its appeal is simplicity: one published local rate, no monthly fee, and well documented APIs.
Strengths:
- One flat published rate for local cards, with no upfront, integration or monthly fees
- Free payouts to your bank account
- Capitec Pay and Ozow EFT at a lower rate with no fixed fee, plus SnapScan and Scan to Pay QR payments
- Apple Pay and Google Pay, and international cards charged and settled in rand by default
- Subscriptions and saved cards (card only), split payments through subaccounts, invoices and payment pages
- Official WooCommerce plugin maintained by Paystack, with recurring payments through WooCommerce Subscriptions, and Shopify support
- PCI DSS Level 1 certified, according to Paystack’s compliance page
Limits to know about: in South Africa, Paystack settles in rand only, its physical card terminal is only available in Nigeria (South African businesses get a virtual terminal), and buy now pay later is not listed as a payment channel.
Fee structure: Paystack publishes its South African rates on its pricing page. As checked on 23 September 2026, local transactions cost 2.9% plus R1.00, with the R1.00 waived on transactions under R10. Capitec Pay and Ozow EFT cost 2% with no fixed fee. International transactions cost 3.1% plus R1.00. All rates exclude VAT. Payouts are free, and transfers from your Paystack balance to other bank accounts cost R3 each.
Payout timing: Paystack states that payouts arrive 2 working days after a customer pays.
Best suited for: Startups, SaaS products and developer-built platforms that want predictable pricing and a clean API, and small stores that want to avoid payout fees.
How Do the Fees Compare?
All four providers publish their rates. Every figure below was checked against each provider’s own fees or pricing page on 23 September 2026 and is quoted as the provider states it. Rates change, so confirm on the provider’s page before you sign up.
| Fee (per transaction) | Yoco (Core plan, online) | PayFast | Peach Payments (Growth plan) | Paystack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local card | About 2.80% (2.30% card machine rate plus 0.5% online) | 3.2% + R2.00 | 2.95% + R1.50 | 2.9% + R1.00 |
| Instant EFT or Pay by Bank | 2% | 2.0% (min R2.00) | 1.50% + R1.50 | 2% (Ozow EFT) |
| Capitec Pay | Not listed | 2.0% (min R2.00) | 1.50% + R1.50 | 2% |
| Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay | Not listed separately | 3.2% + R2.00 | 2.95% + R1.50 | Not listed separately |
| International card | About 3.70% (3.20% plus 0.5% online) | Not listed separately | 3.50% + R1.50 | 3.1% + R1.00 |
| Monthly fee | R0 on Core, R249 on Plus, R499 on Pro | None on the published rate card | None on the Growth plan | None |
| Other fees | Lower rates between R50,000 and R200,000 a month | R8.70 per payout, R2.00 per refund | No setup fee | Free payouts |
| VAT | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded (re-checked 6 October 2026) | Excluded |
What the table shows in rands: on a R500 card sale, the published rates work out to R18.00 on PayFast, R16.25 on Peach and R15.50 on Paystack, before VAT. On a R50 sale the fixed fee matters much more: R3.60 on PayFast, R2.98 on Peach and R2.45 on Paystack. Yoco’s fees page lists percentage rates with no fixed fee per transaction, which tends to favour it on small baskets. PayFast’s R8.70 payout fee is also worth counting if you withdraw often, since Paystack’s payouts are free.
Which Features Does Each Gateway Offer?
The four do not offer the same things, and a missing feature can rule a gateway out before price matters. Each answer below comes from the provider’s own website, help centre, developer documentation or official plugin listing, checked on 23 September 2026. “Not listed” means we could not find it documented, not that the provider has confirmed it is unavailable.
| Feature | Yoco | PayFast | Peach Payments | Paystack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subscriptions and recurring billing | No, per Yoco’s gateway FAQ | Yes | Yes | Yes, cards only |
| Saved cards (tokenisation) | Not listed in current docs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Instant EFT or Pay by Bank | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, via Ozow |
| Capitec Pay | Not listed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SnapScan or Scan to Pay | Not accepted online | Both | Scan to Pay | Both |
| Buy now pay later | Not listed | Payflex, MoreTyme, Mobicred | PayJustNow, Payflex, Float, ZeroPay, Happy Pay | Not listed |
| Split payments for marketplaces | Not listed | Yes | Not listed (payouts API available) | Yes |
| Charge in other currencies | No, ZAR only | Buyer sees own currency, you are paid in rand | Yes, depending on account setup | No, ZAR only |
| In-person card machines | Yes | Yes | Yes | Virtual terminal only |
| Payment links or invoices | Both | Email payment requests | Links by email, WhatsApp and SMS | Both |
| WooCommerce plugin | Yes, by Yoco | Yes, by WooCommerce | Yes, by Peach | Yes, by Paystack |
| Shopify | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Standard payout | 1 to 2 business days | 1 to 2 working days | Next business day | 2 working days |
The practical reading: if you sell subscriptions or memberships, Yoco is out and the choice is between PayFast, Peach and Paystack. If buy now pay later matters to your customers, PayFast or Peach. If you are building a marketplace that pays several sellers, PayFast and Paystack document split payments. If you already run Yoco card machines in a shop and sell once-off products online, Yoco keeps everything in one account.
Choosing the Gateway Is the Easy Part
Opening a merchant account takes an afternoon. Where stores actually lose money is the integration: a checkout that marks an order paid because the browser came back, rather than because the gateway confirmed it; refunds that have to be done by hand in two places; a subscription that fails silently when a card expires; or an EFT option that is switched on but never tested on a phone.
That wiring is the work we do. On the iOrganic store, card payments through Yoco and SnapScan both confirm through signed webhooks rather than trusting the browser’s return trip, refunds can be issued in full or in part from the admin, and the payment webhooks are covered by automated tests. Depending on what you need:
- An online shop: our e-commerce website package (from R7 000 once-off on WordPress, or R8 500 as a custom CMS) includes payment gateway integration (Yoco by default, or the gateway you prefer), a branded design and the setup of 10 products
- Deposits, subscriptions, or paying several sellers: that is custom web application development, and our guide to payment integration for booking and marketplace platforms explains what has to be built
- A service business that just needs to get paid online: see accepting online payments for service businesses
Not sure which of these you are? Request a quote, tell us what you sell and how customers pay today, and we will recommend the gateway and the build.
Beyond the headline rate, here’s the framework for comparing:
What to compare:
- Percentage fee per transaction (the main cost)
- Fixed fee per transaction (small but adds up on low-value transactions)
- Monthly subscription or account fee (if applicable)
- Payout timing (affects your cash flow)
- Chargeback handling fees
- Settlement currency
General positioning:
- Yoco tends to be competitive for small volume stores with simple needs
- PayFast offers competitive rates with more payment method variety
- Peach becomes more attractive as volume increases and per-transaction rates drop through negotiation
- Paystack has the simplest pricing: one local rate, no monthly fee and no payout fee
Always check each provider’s current published rates and contact them for a quote if you’re processing meaningful volume. The difference between 2.5% and 2.9% per transaction sounds small, but on R100,000 of monthly sales it’s R400 per month.
How Do You Choose the Right Gateway for Your Business?
Choose Yoco if:
- You already run Yoco card machines and want the till and the website in one account
- You sell once-off products or services and do not need subscriptions
- You’re a small business starting out online and want simple setup
Choose PayFast if:
- You want the broadest South African payment method coverage, including buy now pay later
- Instant EFT matters for your customers
- You need subscriptions, split payments, or buyers who see prices in their own currency
- You want a gateway your SA customers already recognise at checkout
Choose Peach Payments if:
- You need subscription billing or stored cards for repeat customers
- You need to charge in currencies other than rand
- Your volume justifies moving to enterprise rates
- You want payment links over WhatsApp and SMS, or a broad buy now pay later line-up
Choose Paystack if:
- You want one predictable published rate with no monthly or payout fees
- You’re building a custom platform, marketplace or app and want well documented APIs and split payments
- Your customers pay mostly by card, Capitec Pay, EFT or QR
Do These Gateways Work With WooCommerce and Shopify?
All four integrate with both WooCommerce and Shopify, though who maintains the integration differs:
- WooCommerce: Yoco, Peach and Paystack each maintain their own official plugin. PayFast’s plugin is maintained by WooCommerce itself. Peach and Paystack both support recurring payments through the separate WooCommerce Subscriptions extension.
- Shopify: Yoco, PayFast and Peach each have a Shopify app, and Paystack documents Shopify support for South African merchants. Note that Shopify charges an additional transaction fee on top of your gateway’s fees when you are not using Shopify Payments, which is not listed as available for South African businesses. The percentage depends on your Shopify plan, so check Shopify’s current pricing.
If your site needs deposits, split payouts, or payment logic beyond a simple cart, see our guides on payment integration for booking and marketplace platforms and accepting online payments for service businesses, both cover ground this comparison does not.
For our e-commerce website builds, we integrate whichever gateway the client wants. Our own site takes payments through Yoco, and the standard package is set up with Yoco unless you choose another. Where a business needs something Yoco does not offer, such as recurring billing, buy now pay later or split payments, we integrate PayFast, Peach Payments or Paystack instead. You can see examples of what a full e-commerce build looks like on our e-commerce services page.
Ready to start selling online? Our e-commerce website package comes with payment-gateway integration built in, or request a quote and we will recommend the right gateway and build for your business.
Selling through a marketplace instead of your own checkout changes who sets these fees. Our guide to TikTok Shop or your own store covers that trade-off.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Yoco charge per online transaction?
Yoco states that online transactions cost 0.5% more than its card machine fees. On the free Core plan, the card machine rate for local debit and credit cards is 2.30% on your first R50,000 a month, so online card payments come to about 2.80%, excluding VAT. The Plus and Pro plans, at R249 and R499 a month, lower the base rate. Figures checked on Yoco’s fees page on 23 September 2026.
Does Yoco accept American Express?
Yes. Yoco’s help centre says its online gateway accepts international and local American Express cards, as well as Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards. It does not accept Diners Club cards. Checked on Yoco’s online payment gateway FAQs on 25 September 2026.
Does Yoco charge a monthly fee?
Not on its Core plan, which is R0 a month. The Plus and Pro plans cost R249 and R499 a month and lower the base transaction rate, so they only pay off once your card sales are high enough. Checked on Yoco’s fees page in September 2026.
What are PayFast’s fees?
PayFast charges 3.2% plus R2.00 per card transaction and 2.0% (minimum R2.00) for Instant EFT and Capitec Pay. Each payout to your bank costs R8.70 and each refund R2.00. All figures exclude VAT, and the published rate card has no monthly fee. Checked on PayFast’s fees page on 23 September 2026.
What does Paystack charge in South Africa?
Paystack charges 2.9% plus R1.00 per local transaction, with the R1.00 waived under R10, and 2% with no fixed fee for Capitec Pay and Ozow EFT. International transactions cost 3.1% plus R1.00. There are no monthly fees, payouts are free, and all rates exclude VAT. Checked on Paystack’s South African pricing page on 23 September 2026.
Can I use more than one payment gateway on my store?
Yes, and it’s sometimes a smart move. Many South African stores offer both PayFast (for card and Instant EFT) and Yoco side-by-side, or add a COD option for local customers. WooCommerce supports multiple active gateways - customers choose at checkout. More payment options generally means fewer abandoned carts.
Is it safe to process card payments through these gateways?
All four operate within PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), the international security standard for handling card data. The precise certification level and scope differs by provider and is published on each provider’s own site, so check the current position there rather than treating the three as identical. The actual card data is processed by the gateway, not stored on your website, which is the correct approach. This means your WooCommerce or Shopify store doesn’t directly handle raw card numbers - the gateway does, in its secure, audited environment.
